Decision time - dosing options

[BeanAnimal]

~20 year old reef.
No water changes in 5+ years
No skimmer for 5+ years (just fired one up 3 days ago)
No dosing in 5+ years
Barely any feeding (once a month at best) fish happy living off of tank!

.25 Phosphate and 3 nitrate

Will bring phosphate down, but it will take some time, as I am sure that the rock and sand are at equilibrium .25 after all this time. Plenty to leach out!
Some LPS, leathers, paly's still in tank and doing ok.

Plan to get back into SPS/LPS

DO NOT PLAN ON water changes unless absolutely needed from time to time.

Not sure if I will ICP test or not - but leaning that way at least for at least one for a baseline for the last 5+ years.

Used Randy's Original 2 part for when I was keeping SPS and dosing. It worked well.


Looking to discuss real world differences between 2-part, Triton Other and ATI Pro. I need to decide which route to take. Have 5 GHL doser heads available.

 

[Potatohead]

Are you the Beananimal?

Basic two part doesn't contain any added trace elements. The solutions like ESV, Triton etc all do. So whether or not that is important to you should help you lean a certain direction.

 

[BeanAnimal]

Correct - so with basic two part and little to no water changes, trace elements would have to be tested and manually added. Really it is 3 part when you add the Mag. So it is less expensive, but may need added trace elements. Testing is a wash, you need it if you want to add trace.

Taking the next step to ATI PRO - you get Ca/Alk/Mag in 2 bottles, not 3 and you get trace elements but in theory still have to test to see if discrete elements need to be added as well.. So still need testing.

Next step - Triton (other) - 4 Bottles - you get Ca/Alk/Mag and trace elements. But still need to test as with ATI and 2-Part to see what discrete elements may need a boost.

I am not familiar with any of the other systems.

What I was hoping to discuss was general real world differences in the systems with regard to day to day use AS IS without having to also add a bunch of other stuff, understanding that each system will use trace elements at a different rate.

 

[Sdot]

Been on ATI essentials and essentials pro for over 5 years now. IMO the best 2 part for dosing and trace elements. I went the no water change route and without regular ICP test your corals will suffer. I now complete 20% water changes every month and ICP test roughly each quarter.

 

[DHill6]

Also using ATi Pro Essentials on a LPS tank. I hand dose since it’s a minimal amount, usually part 1 only since the CA is already up, TMPro salt. I’ve noticed they inflate more after the dose. Scolys, blastos, acan, gonis. The newest addition is an Oxidator, undersized for tank but working nicely. Since putting that to work they are really inflated and happy. Also running a skimmer with reactor attached for PH stability. Weekly water change 10%.

 

[BeanAnimal]

So you are are not really getting the "trace elements" other than in your water changes as you are mostly just using just the Alk part of their formula.

 

[BeanAnimal]

Been on ATI essentials and essentials pro for over 5 years now. IMO the best 2 part for dosing and trace elements. I went the no water change route and without regular ICP test your corals will suffer. I now complete 20% water changes every month and ICP test roughly each quarter.

What were you running into without water changes? Seeing that the Mag is in part 2, does it stay in balance? Back when I dosed DIY 2-part I rarely (if ever) had to add mag.

 

[DHill6]

So you are are not really getting the "trace elements" other than in your water changes as you are mostly just using just the Alk part of their formula.

Part 2 isn’t dosed daily, a couple times per week since my CA is already 445. It’s getting something, they’re all inflated. Also dose phyto. I tried the No water change before, no thanks. Looks better with weekly wc.

 

[Sdot]

What were you running into without water changes? Seeing that the Mag is in part 2, does it stay in balance? Back when I dosed DIY 2-part I rarely (if ever) had to add mag.

It wasnt mag, it was the minor trace elements that was the most impactful. Thats why ICP test are necessary. Water changes simply help mitigate the number of icp test per year.... for me anyway.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I've personally not seen convincing evidence that one brand of two part is better than another. Some claim to do slightly different things, and I'd follow that claim (ESV doesn't boost trace elements while some others do, for example), but that doesn't really say what is best.

 

[DanyL]

One thing to point out, many balling-derived methods will not fully balance the water chemistry and you'll end up with more Sodium Chloride in your water without periodic WC or without adjusting the rising salinity.
The classic balling method use a 3rd part with 72 elements that balance back the chemistry to their original ratios, this is essentially sea salt without Sodium Chloride included in the mix.