dosing noob questions...

[Xclusive Reef]

New to corals and been lookikng at what I need to maintain healthy corals. reefer250 tank in the work, looking to have mixed sps, lsp and fish. I read kalkwasser dosing and cal, mag and alk ? what is the difference? i watch brs and they dose cal, mag and alk but whats kalkwasser?

dosing for dummies link?

easiest way to dose for beginner and what is needed?

difference between brs and Aquaforest? especially (Component 1+2+3+)

do you dose into sump or directly into tank? thinking tank would be better but need to ask.

 

[Reeferdood]

Patience is key.
Kalkwasser is not something I would recommend to a new reefer because you likely won't need it right away. I would start with a basic 2 part system and build from there. Your lighting will be a very important part in your system if you are keeping corals as well.. What kind of filtration do you plan to employ?

 

[Xclusive Reef]

Patience is key.
Kalkwasser is not something I would recommend to a new reefer because you likely won't need it right away. I would start with a basic 2 part system and build from there. Your lighting will be a very important part in your system if you are keeping corals as well.. What kind of filtration do you plan to employ?

dont have enough room in sump for refugium so planing on doing biopelets with reef octopus skimmer. for lights not sure yet was looking at ocean revive but if i find a good deal i will go with t5/led hybrid.

 

[Reeferdood]

Sounds like you have done some research, very good.
Patience will always be your friend, I can never stress this enough. Also, make sure your tank goes through a complete cycle before you go about adding your livestock. It is sad and frustrating when you rush to achieve having a full blown reef. As for bio pellets, I would start with 1/3 the recommended amounts at first.

 

[Xclusive Reef]

Sounds like you have done some research, very good.
Patience will always be your friend, I can never stress this enough. Also, make sure your tank goes through a complete cycle before you go about adding your livestock. It is sad and frustrating when you rush to achieve having a full blown reef. As for bio pellets, I would start with 1/3 the recommended amounts at first.

Thanks man. Yes not in a hurry so when it finishing cycle then I add after 30 day quarantine fish. So 2 part and bio pellet should be enough to start?

 

[Reeferdood]

The 2 part is the simple way to keep your Ca & Alk in check, regular water changes will replace most of your trace elements. Bio pellet reactor can wait a few months for now. When you can't maintain your nitrates by skimming alone then you start thinking about the pellets.
You might want to start thinking about phosphate removal from the start as well. This will help minimize your new tank algae blooms...

 

[Xclusive Reef]

The 2 part is the simple way to keep your Ca & Alk in check, regular water changes will replace most of your trace elements. Bio pellet reactor can wait a few months for now. When you can't maintain your nitrates by skimming alone then you start thinking about the pellets.
You might want to start thinking about phosphate removal from the start as well. This will help minimize your new tank algae blooms...

recommendations for ph removal, besides weekly water changes?

 

[Reeferdood]

High capacity GFO from BRS...
I swear by it.

 

[reeferfoxx]

difference between brs and Aquaforest? especially (Component 1+2+3+)

Aquaforest is a complete dosing system. Similar to the balling method. It's a way to keep parameters stable and provide the correct nutrients, aminos and minerals for coral. Aquaforest products provide everything for no3 and po4 balance as well as alk, ca, mag. The idea is to have a beautiful reef with popping colors. I would compare this to a competitive edge, so to speak.

BRS provides basic essential minerals for coral growth and tank health. Not exactly the same.

Dosing can be done in the sump. You might have to provide a small powerhead where dosing occurs, as lack of water flow can cause calcium precipitation.

 

[reeferfoxx]

dosing for dummies link?

There are many threads here in R2R that provide information on dosing. I will say your options, for now, should stay will 2 part. Or if you are confident, aquaforest would be a good option as well.
Either way you will need all test kits for Alk, Calcium, Magnesium, nitrates and phosphates. Most 2 part systems already incorporate magnesium. I know Seachem Fusion does.
This link here provides a good calculator, on how much to dose your tank.
http://reef.diesyst.com/chemcalc/chemcalc.html

 

[Xclusive Reef]

Aquaforest is a complete dosing system. Similar to the balling method. It's a way to keep parameters stable and provide the correct nutrients, aminos and minerals for coral. Aquaforest products provide everything for no3 and po4 balance as well as alk, ca, mag. The idea is to have a beautiful reef with popping colors. I would compare this to a competitive edge, so to speak.

BRS provides basic essential minerals for coral growth and tank health. Not exactly the same.

Dosing can be done in the sump. You might have to provide a small powerhead where dosing occurs, as lack of water flow can cause calcium precipitation.

so i can dose in the retun chamber in my sump?

 

[reeferfoxx]

so i can dose in the retun chamber in my sump?

High flow areas are what you want. And yes that can work. Just don't dose into filter sock or filter pads.

 

[lion king]

I started with a premixed ca, alk, and mg from brightwell. It was easy to calculate exactly how much I needed. Test regularly, I started a daily test over a few days to get a baseline of what I needed to dose daily to reach my target. I dose in my return pump section. I now have dosers set up and dose over the length of the day, I only need to test weekly now and make very minor if any adjustments. I also found a salt mix that is in line with the parameters I keep.

 

[teamlounge]

remember to start slow and check levels regularly. As you add more to the tank you may need to adjust dose levels. Large swings in chemical balance is always a bad thing.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Heres the big list.
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/randys-reef-chemistry-articles.174821/