Manual dosing vs dosing pump for SPS tank

[Avp]

Is it possible to manual dose for alkalinity and still have a successful SPS tank? I know a dosing pump keeps everything more stable. Not sure if the daily swings in alkalinity from manual dosing will keep the SPS from thriving.

 

[Hemmdog]

My tank with a doser is much healthier and more stable. My sps in the other tank isn’t nearly as healthy. They don’t like swings.

 

[Blitheran]

Depending on your intake if you have alkalinity intake a day of 50 dkh a day and you dose 50 dkh at once that is a huge swing. Compared to a neptuen dos which divides the doses up by 24 hour period to dose the same amount in smaller increments to keep more stable parameters

 

[dimo]

Yes it's possible, but that will depend on you. You would need to dose every single day, maybe more than once a day. That's a huge time commitment and your biggest single point of failure. I would rank a dosing pump at the top of my list of best things I've setup on my reef tank. Right along side an ATO. The amount of saved time and added stability are worth their weight in gold.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Depending on your intake if you have alkalinity intake a day of 50 dkh a day and you dose 50 dkh at once that is a huge swing. Compared to a neptuen dos which divides the doses up by 24 hour period to dose the same amount in smaller increments to keep more stable parameters

50 dKH? lol

 

[Avp]

Thanks for the replies. My tank is consuming 0.8 dkh per day now.

My tank with a doser is much healthier and more stable. My sps in the other tank isn’t nearly as healthy. They don’t like swings.

Thanks for the replies. Right now my tank consumes 0.8 dkh per day. That would be the daily swing when I dose.

 

[Blitheran]

50 dKH? lol

Just an example

 

[Duffer]

I was in the camp of manual dosing daily with the thought process of I’m not lazy, well after months of to much swing and could not pinpoint the exact dosing amount I went out and bought a doser and kicking myself in the butt. Should have bought a doser a long time ago

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Thanks for the replies. My tank is consuming 0.8 dkh per day now.

Thanks for the replies. Right now my tank consumes 0.8 dkh per day. That would be the daily swing when I dose.

Might be better with multiple doses per day.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Just an example

ok, just seems crazy high to use as an example.

 

[Blitheran]

ok, just seems crazy high to use as an example.

wait lol I said 50 dkh when I meant 50 ml thats crazy high... excuse me but still, doser helps to make smaller increments

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

wait lol I said 50 dkh when I meant 50 ml thats crazy high... excuse me but still, doser helps to make smaller increments

Lol

Happy Reefing

 

[Crabs McJones]

Depends on the demand and how much of an alk swing there will be. If it's high demand, an automatic doser that will keep your level stable throughout the day would be much better for your inhabitants than dosing say once in the morning, having alk dip, and then dosing in the evening. Creates a roller coaster alk level.

 

[Avp]

Thanks for the replies. Sounds like a dosing pump is the way to go.

 

[SteveEreef]

Thanks for the replies. Sounds like a dosing pump is the way to go.

With Black Friday sales I picked a couple of Keomer dosing pumps for Alk and Ca at BRS. Check it out if interested.

 

[LARedstickreefer]

I also picked up some kamoer x1 pumps. They are a night and day difference to trying to dose manually. You can make fine adjustments very easily.

Same feeling when I finally got an ATO and a light with a proper control.