Advice needed on continuous/test-to-dose Ca-Alk

[LadyTang2]

I am of two minds...

1. Buy something like a trident which will adjust dosing based on testing

2. Just set doser to dose a continuous amount of ca/alk, not changing based on levels, always the same amount continuously.

I love simplicity and testing can produce false readings occasionally so I really like the second super simple option. I guess my real question is: how often/common are alk swings when just dosing continuously? If they are uncommon I do not see why something like a trident would be worth it. With a stable continuous dose am I really going to crash my tank? Seems unlikely but I need to hear from more experienced reefers

 

[Ron Reefman]

If your tank is fairly stable and you aren't making big changes in the coral population, basic dosing will work just fine. You get a dosing level set based on the tanks current needs start dosing. I tested every 3 or 4 days for a couple of weeks. Then once a week for a few months. Finally got to testing every other week. The amount I dosed did go up a bit over time since the lps and sps corals were growing and using more alk & Ca. But the increase is easy to adjust.

And I kind of reject your premise that, "...testing can produce false readings occasionally..." I find that when I test I can almost always predict what the results will be before I do the test. If I get a different result that is far enough away from what I expected I'll retest 2 times with 2 different test kits (even different brands). But that happens once in every 100 tests, maybe even less often than that. Being careful, consistent and conscience when testing is the key. And knowing that some variation in results is normal and not really an issue to stability in the tank. Don't panic and don't over react.

Nothing good happens quickly in a reef tank!