All For Reef

[TheSheff]

Hello, I am thinking about dosing All for Reef, and I want to make sure I know how to do it correctly, I'm fairly certain I understand how to do it for the most part, but I just have a couple questions that I haven't seen answered online : How should I adjust my dosage when I test my at the end of the month/week and it is too high? Should I dose it in parts throughout the day? How do water changes factor into the equation with all for reef? I have a refugium that could allow me to do less water changes. When dosing all for reef, are water changes purely to remove phosphates or nitrates if needed?

Thank you in advance,
Kevin

 

[Oldreefer44]

Have been dosing it since it became available here. I make adjustments every couple of weeks. Over time the amount of adjustments needed should be minor. I dose 3 times per day. Water changes should not impact AFR dosing amounts unless the salt mix parameters are drastically different than what your water is and you are changing large amounts. IMO, water changes, unless again they are a large percentage of your total volume, do not significantly impact NO3 or PO4. FYI, I have only changed a total of about 50% of my systems water in the last 6 months.

 

[TheSheff]

Have been dosing it since it became available here. I make adjustments every couple of weeks. Over time the amount of adjustments needed should be minor. I dose 3 times per day. Water changes should not impact AFR dosing amounts unless the salt mix parameters are drastically different than what your water is and you are changing large amounts. IMO, water changes, unless again they are a large percentage of your total volume, do not significantly impact NO3 or PO4. FYI, I have only changed a total of about 50% of my systems water in the last 6 months.

Okay gotcha. If my alkalinity is very close to what I want it to be constantly should I dose what tropic marin recommends?

 

[undermind]

Okay gotcha. If my alkalinity is very close to what I want it to be constantly should I dose what tropic marin recommends?

Can you elaborate on that, regarding your alkalinity? Do you have a general idea of the alkalinity consumption over a day?

 

[Oldreefer44]

Okay gotcha. If my alkalinity is very close to what I want it to be constantly should I dose what tropic marin recommends?

I believe Lou, from TM, would tell you that it is only a recommendation and that you should dose the amount that keeps you at your KH target. In my case I send off an ICP test every other month to see where trace elements are. So far everything has been within recommended ranges.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Okay gotcha. If my alkalinity is very close to what I want it to be constantly should I dose what tropic marin recommends?

You mean it is close without any dosing? If so, then you will not need much at all. I’d start way lower than the recommended dose to make sure you don’t boost alk too much.

 

[TheSheff]

You mean it is close without any dosing? If so, then you will not need much at all. I’d start way lower than the recommended dose to make sure you don’t boost alk too much.

Yeah my alk is about 9.8 right now, its actually a little high as of last night. Id like around 9.0, but the tropic marin website on their all for reef page they say that you should have your tank parameters before you begin to dose.

 

[undermind]

Yeah my alk is about 9.8 right now, its actually a little high as of last night. Id like around 9.0, but the tropic marin website on their all for reef page they say that you should have your tank parameters before you begin to dose.

Yeah you will want to begin AFR when your Alk is at your target or lower.

Does your tank consume much Alk? I'm assuming you use a 2 part now?

If your tank consumes Alk very slowly or it's maintained through water changes, then AFR might not be a good solution for you. I have friends that have wanted to use it but just can't because they don't have things using up enough Alk to even start a dose.

Can you tell us how you maintain Alk now and what type of corals you keep / plan to keep?

 

[TheSheff]

Yeah you will want to begin AFR when your Alk is at your target or lower.

Does your tank consume much Alk? I'm assuming you use a 2 part now?

If your tank consumes Alk very slowly or it's maintained through water changes, then AFR might not be a good solution for you. I have friends that have wanted to use it but just can't because they don't have things using up enough Alk to even start a dose.

Can you tell us how you maintain Alk now and what type of corals you keep / plan to keep?

I actually don't dose anything right now, just bi-weekly water changes. All I do is run a reactor with carbon a little GFO. Now that you say it, my coral just might not be enough load yet. I only have a couple small lps and some softies. My plan is just to keep LPS and Softies, maybe a while from now I'll keep some easy SPS.

 

[undermind]

I actually don't dose anything right now, just bi-weekly water changes. All I do is run a reactor with carbon a little GFO. Now that you say it, my coral just might not be enough load yet. I only have a couple small lps and some softies. My plan is just to keep LPS and Softies, maybe a while from now I'll keep some easy SPS.

OK gotcha. Yeah I think you're right, there is not a coral load that is indicating a need for Alkalinity replacement. If you began using AFR, you would see a creep upward in Alkalinity (and other things).

AFR is a good product, but for your tank, I think probably not needed based on your Alkalinity consumption. You could seek a trace element product but I suspect those are being replenished also with your water changes.

 

[bxclent]

Have been dosing it since it became available here. I make adjustments every couple of weeks. Over time the amount of adjustments needed should be minor. I dose 3 times per day. Water changes should not impact AFR dosing amounts unless the salt mix parameters are drastically different than what your water is and you are changing large amounts. IMO, water changes, unless again they are a large percentage of your total volume, do not significantly impact NO3 or PO4. FYI, I have only changed a total of about 50% of my systems water in the last 6 months.

I started out lower, then work my way up after testing once a week until I had perimetersI wanted. I just started using it 2 months ago and my corals look happier, healthier and are finally growing.