How to use Tropic Marin All-For-Reef

[beaker5377]

Hi everyone,

I am trying to figure out how properly use the liquid All-For-Reef. Presently my dkh drops by 1 over 7 days (.2/.3 per day). With 90 gallons of water volume, I'm trying to figure out how many ml's I would need to raise it by 1DKH. Then I can divide that amount and spread it over the week.

With the KH buffer powder it was pretty easy, 5 grams of powder raised my dkh by 1.

Thanks very much for your help and happy reefing
Beaker

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

It may be hard to dose it based on alk testing as it doesn't show up on an alk test when first dosed.

If you use the liquid form shown here:

All-For-Reef

Tropic Marin All-For-Reef is a revolutionary approach to dosing, combining calcium, alkalinity, and other trace elements into a single, easy to use solution. It's no longer necessary to maintain two, three, or four solutions, or a complicated reactor. All-For-Reef is a balanced source of calcium...

www.bulkreefsupply.com

Then it has very nearly the potency of my DIY two part, Recipe #1. For that reason, you can use this calculator and enter that recipe:

Reef Chemistry Calculator

If you are trying to be super precise (no need), the AFR is 5% more potent in alk and 8% more potent in calcium than my DIY Recipe #1.

 

[Hooz]

I started by dosing half the recommended amount for my tank volume. I dosed the same amount 3 days in a row, then tested, then adjusted. It does show up as alkalinity quicker as you go, but when you first start it does take a couple days to show up. Just be sure to stick with a dose amount for a couple days before tweaking the amount until you get it dialed in, and always test at the same time of the day.

In the end, the calculator recommends 5ml per day for my tank, and I landed at 5.2ml.

I did notice that I get better stability through the day, and I needed to dose a bit more, once I put it on a dosing pump and split it into 6 small doses through the day instead of all at once in the morning.

 

[beaker5377]

Thanks guys. Looks like I'll go with the calculated amount and stick with it a few days testing every day to find out, then get a 1 head doser to spread that amount out over the day.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Thanks guys. Looks like I'll go with the calculated amount and stick with it a few days testing every day to find out, then get a 1 head doser to spread that amount out over the day.

Sounds like a good plan.

 

[Hooz]

Thanks guys. Looks like I'll go with the calculated amount and stick with it a few days testing every day to find out, then get a 1 head doser to spread that amount out over the day.

That's exactly what I did, and it's been going strong with minimal tweaking for 5 months now.

 

[LRT]

To start out i cut my normal 2 part alk dose 10ml in half and substituted that half with A4R along with 2 part alk.
So for me it was 5ml alk and 5ml A4R everyday for few days until I seen A4R working. Somewhere around 7 days I was dosing 10ml A4R.
Make sure you are keeping cal and mag in range during this time as well. If needed

 

[GARRIGA]

Has anyone noticed the need to supplement alkalinity when dosing AFR? My strategy is to dose AFR based on calcium consumption then supplement with Soda Ash/Baking Soda based on PH needs. Assumption based on alkalinity being consumed a greater speed than calcium based on what Lou Ekus mentioned in one of the videos I watched. Understanding all systems are different but curious none the less on what others are experiencing?

Like the idea of a single dosser for my macros and micros then another for supplementing alkalinity or calcium.