JBJ 20 gallon AIO reef tank

LRT · Nov 17, 2021

Before I switched to All For Reef I was using Reef Fusion. They sell the 2 part at Petco.
I have to say if your going to dose alk and cal be prepared to dose mag if you want to lock everything in and maintain stable levels. If 1 is wonky and out of range it will throw balance off.

shadow_k · Nov 17, 2021

LRT said:
Before I switched to All For Reef I was using Reef Fusion. They sell the 2 part at Petco.
I have to say if your going to dose alk and cal be prepared to dose mag if you want to lock everything in and maintain stable levels. If 1 is wonky and out of range it will throw balance off.

I still have to pick up a magnesium test kit my lfs was sold out and I’m just looking at other options.

elorablue · Nov 17, 2021

shadow_k said:
Awesome I’ll pick some up !

I use the esv bionic 2 part, but I don’t think you can buy the calcium only, I think it comes in the two part pack. Up here anyway.

elorablue · Nov 17, 2021

LRT said:
Before I switched to All For Reef I was using Reef Fusion. They sell the 2 part at Petco.
I have to say if your going to dose alk and cal be prepared to dose mag if you want to lock everything in and maintain stable levels. If 1 is wonky and out of range it will throw balance off.

Are you liking the AFR ? I’m considering switching for the new tank.

LRT · Nov 17, 2021

shadow_k said:
I still have to pick up a magnesium test kit my lfs was sold out and I’m just looking at other options.

Right on. Honestly if it was me I'd go with red sea 3 part(super concentrated) or brs 3 part if I go back to dosing outside of all for reef. A4R may be a good option for you at the end of the day.

LRT · Nov 17, 2021

elorablue said:
Are you liking the AFR ? I’m considering switching for the new tank.

I love it man. Its Epic at locking in and maintaining solid numbers. Pretty sure @Lost in the Sauce got his dialed and locked in pretty much record time.
Trick with A4R is get your numbers in acceptable range first with whatever your dosing currently. It works just like dosing 2 or 3 part. If 1 is off the others will rise or fall respectively. Gotta have all 3 in range for A4R to work its magic.

shadow_k · Nov 17, 2021

LRT said:
Right on. Honestly if it was me I'd go with red sea 3 part(super concentrated) or brs 3 part if I go back to dosing outside of all for reef. A4R may be a good option for you at the end of the day.

I was thinking once I get all my parameters in line I’ll definitely get some AFR to keep it stable

shadow_k · Nov 17, 2021

LRT said:
I love it man. Its Epic at locking in and maintaining solid numbers. Pretty sure @Lost in the Sauce got his dialed and locked in pretty much record time.
Trick with A4R is get your numbers in acceptable range first with whatever your dosing currently. It works just like dosing 2 or 3 part. If 1 is off the others will rise or fall respectively. Gotta have 3 in range for A4R to work its magic.

Do you dose it throughout the day or just a certain amout ?

elorablue · Nov 17, 2021

LRT said:
I love it man. Its Epic at locking in and maintaining solid numbers. Pretty sure @Lost in the Sauce got his dialed and locked in pretty much record time.
Trick with A4R is get your numbers in acceptable range first with whatever your dosing currently. It works just like dosing 2 or 3 part. If 1 is off the others will rise or fall respectively. Gotta have all 3 in range for A4R to work its magic.

Great info man thanks! Probably talked me into trying it right there.
plus it only needs one dosing pump.

LRT · Nov 17, 2021

shadow_k said:
Do you dose it throughout the day or just a certain amout ?

I manually dose same amount every day when I get home from work.

shadow_k · Nov 17, 2021

LRT said:
I manually dose same amount every day when I get home from work.

Last question I swear haha does it raise anything ? Or does it keep things stable ?

LRT · Nov 17, 2021

elorablue said:
Great info man thanks! Probably talked me into trying it right there.
plus it only needs one dosing pump.

A little trick that I used is for first week.
Supplement your normal alk dose with A4R. If your dosing 10ml per day of alk dose 5ml alk and 5ml A4R. Is takes a little time for the bacterial process to kick off during that week. Sauce landed real close to where im at.
1ml/10 gallons is my daily dose of A4R. This will change with inhabitants but a really strong baseline to get you rolling.
When I say that you have alot more sps than either one of us so im leaning towards your daily dose may be a tiny bit more.

LRT · Nov 17, 2021

shadow_k said:
Last question I swear haha does it raise anything ? Or does it keep things stable ?

No but im glad you brought it up.
If alk,cal or mag is out of range. Don't be surprised if you have to dose any of those 3 during 1st cpl weeks while A4R settles and locks that balance.

shadow_k · Nov 17, 2021

LRT said:
No but im glad you brought it up.
If alk,cal or mag is out of range. Don't be surprised if you have to dose any of those 3 during 1st cpl weeks while A4R settles and locks that balance.

This is gonna be a fun project to do , once I get my things balanced I’ll use AFR to keep it stable .

shadow_k · Nov 17, 2021

LRT said:
No but im glad you brought it up.
If alk,cal or mag is out of range. Don't be surprised if you have to dose any of those 3 during 1st cpl weeks while A4R settles and locks that balance.

That also means I can do less water changes correct ?

LRT · Nov 17, 2021

shadow_k said:
This is gonna be a fun project to do , once I get my things balanced I’ll use AFR to keep it stable .

For sure. Your mag is probably all good just need to know what it is that's all.

LRT · Nov 17, 2021

shadow_k said:
That also means I can do less water changes correct ?

Yes I was going to suggest that to get your alk down as well. But looks like your nutrients are climbing again on you. Id highly suggest getting back in the habit of feeling your fish and not tank. I feed mine daily with chopsticks and they all have fat tummies. Whatever falls to floor my cuc makes quick work of it as well as everything else they can get hands on.

elorablue · Nov 17, 2021

LRT said:
A little trick that I used is for first week.
Supplement your normal alk dose with A4R. If your dosing 10ml per day of alk dose 5ml alk and 5ml A4R. Is takes a little time for the bacterial process to kick off during that week. Sauce landed real close to where im at.
1ml/10 gallons is my daily dose of A4R. This will change with inhabitants but a really strong baseline to get you rolling.
When I say that you have alot more sps than either one of us so im leaning towards your daily dose may be a tiny bit more.

Sounds perfect. I think I’ll start the new tank off with the bionic until it’s stable and where I want it then make the switch as you described

shadow_k · Nov 17, 2021

LRT said:
Yes I was going to suggest that to get your alk down as well. But looks like your nutrients are climbing again on you. Id highly suggest getting back in the habit of feeling your fish and not tank. I feed mine daily with chopsticks and they all have fat tummies. Whatever falls to floor my cuc makes quick work of it as well as everything else they can get hands on.

Yeah I haven’t done a water change in 3 weeks I was having trouble bringing nitrates up but now that they are up i have been super busy with work to get a water change done

elorablue · Nov 17, 2021

LRT said:
A little trick that I used is for first week.
Supplement your normal alk dose with A4R. If your dosing 10ml per day of alk dose 5ml alk and 5ml A4R. Is takes a little time for the bacterial process to kick off during that week. Sauce landed real close to where im at.
1ml/10 gallons is my daily dose of A4R. This will change with inhabitants but a really strong baseline to get you rolling.
When I say that you have alot more sps than either one of us so im leaning towards your daily dose may be a tiny bit more.

Fyi right now I’m manually dosing 7ml of alk and 5ml of cal daily in my 20 g.