GHL or Apex doser?

[Tbg299]

I've been trying to decide which one is the best to use in my system as a 2 part doser. Ion Director is sold out right now, but I am curious if it is worth buying over the Apex. Also the Apex has its own dosing reservoir; while with the GHL you have to customize your own.

 

[minus9]

Get a nice doser and the Hanna checker and be done with it. Keep it simple and save some money for other things, like buying coral.

 

[Yazannreef]

Get a nice doser and the Hanna checker and be done with it. Keep it simple and save some money for other things, like buying coral.

That's a Valid answer. If you have the money to spend on controllers then go for it. If you want to make it simple and manual test if you have the time then that's good too.

I have been dosing manually for quite some time with no issues. Just the time consumption and work/ life balance was the reason I went for a apex system.

Now all I do is chill and watch my system do the work for me

 

[Yazannreef]

I am using Aquaforest Component 1 2 and 3. Usually dose 15 ml of alk a day.

15 ml a day is not gotta cut it!!
1 dkh drop from a 9 to 8 will require way more than that.

I can calculate the amount you need if I know your water volume

 

[FishyFishFish]

If those numbers are correct, and I haven't messed the maths up, then their water volume should be around 40 litres.

 

[Yazannreef]

For

If those numbers are correct, and I haven't messed the maths up, then their water volume should be around 40 litres.

Some reason I was thinking they had a bigger system.

16ml is the accurate dosing amount

 

[Tbg299]

That's a Valid answer. If you have the money to spend on controllers then go for it. If you want to make it simple and manual test if you have the time then that's good too.

I have been dosing manually for quite some time with no issues. Just the time consumption and work/ life balance was the reason I went for a apex system.

Now all I do is chill and watch my system do the work for me

My DT is 65 gallon and sump is 15gallon

 

[FishyFishFish]

Something doesn’t appear to add up then. Assuming 65g water volume (taking some off for rock etc) then the reef calculator shows you should be dosing almost 100ml a day, of the Aquaforest liquid, to make up for a drop of 1 dKh per day.

 

[Tbg299]

I was dosing the recommended amount based on my total volume and it was raising my dKh too much (over 11). From trial and error I found that 15ml per day is what works right now. As my sps frags grow I assume this supply will need to be increased.

 

[Tbg299]

Something doesn’t appear to add up then. Assuming 65g water volume (taking some off for rock etc) then the reef calculator shows you should be dosing almost 100ml a day, of the Aquaforest liquid, to make up for a drop of 1 dKh per day.

dang. I meant 150ml a day. Not 15. Sorry for the confusion.

 

[Yazannreef]

There you go.

 

[Yazannreef]

113.5 is the exact amount you need

 

[Yazannreef]

Do this, dose 24h a day. That's 4.8 per hour.

I know some people would say dosing at night but that will make the pH swing to much . Higher KH at night then gradually drops during the photoperiod

 

[FishyFishFish]

113.5 is the exact amount you need

That is the exact amount per the calculator. The exact amount the OP needs for his tank is whatever holds is Alk stable. If, by observing the results on their tank, they have worked out that 150 ml is holding the Alk stable, then that is what they should be dosing.

But, going back to the original question. If you just want to dose with a doser, then split that 150 ml up and just dose it (with parts 2 and 3 on separate pumps if you want to continue to use the Aquaforest liquid).

If you want the benefit of automatic Alk testing, then you have to look into the pros and cons of GHL and Apex (and Alkatronic/Hydros).

 

[Tbg299]

That is the exact amount per the calculator. The exact amount the OP needs for his tank is whatever holds is Alk stable. If, by observing the results on their tank, they have worked out that 150 ml is holding the Alk stable, then that is what they should be dosing.

But, going back to the original question. If you just want to dose with a doser, then split that 150 ml up and just dose it (with parts 2 and 3 on separate pumps if you want to continue to use the Aquaforest liquid).

If you want the benefit of automatic Alk testing, then you have to look into the pros and cons of GHL and Apex (and Alkatronic/Hydros).

Yes. For some reason my dKh always runs low for reasons I haven't been able to understand. I have to dose significantly more than the recommended amount to keep it at at least 9.0. I have 2x birdsnest frags, 2x Stylophora and and 2x Montipora caps which have been growing so I assume they need the carbonate for growth.

 

[Mywifeisgunnakillme]

For tanks under 100 gallons i think its a no brainer to get a KH Director and stand alone doser (in case you want to use it on its own down the line) and then use the remaining dose head to dose All for Reef.... three heads to monitor alk and and the last head to dose.

for tanks over 100 gallons with high demand get the same setup use All for Reef until you max out dosage, then get a calcium reactor or dose kalk slurry... add trace manually or get another dosing unit for traces.