No water changes with All for reef

[Lionfish hunter]

Anybody doing no water changes with all for reef? Coral health/ ICP testing?

 

[vetteguy53081]

I rarely change water and this does not replace water changes but replenishes the essential 3 for coral

 

[Lionfish hunter]

I rarely change water and this does not replace water changes but replenishes the essential 3 for coral

I do not change water, I have too much of it, my nutrients are very low aswell. Wondering results people had dosing this to keep up alk and calcium, wile also not doing water changes.

 

[Quietman]

I stopped doing w/c's about 6 months ago. Been using AFR since the beginning of this tank 3 years ago. The reason I stopped was I put in a ATS and took out my skimmer. I took an ICP at the time and plan on another one in two weeks (6 months). Don't expect anything significant. Only SW adds are for salinity (testing water, cleaning ATS and sponges). When I clean tank it's into a filter sock in sump or display tank.

Have softies/LPS and all is doing very well...too well. Need to do some trimming.

 

[Cantusaurus]

I occasionally do water changes. I mostly do them though to clean out detritus from the back of my AIO filter. I don't really do them for the elements. I dose a little in addition to All for Reef. I dose a little bit of Iodide occasionally, as well as Magnesium. But it may not be necessary depending on the tank you have. It all depends since certain corals take up different amounts of trace elements.

 

[Dolphins18]

I do not change water, I have too much of it, my nutrients are very low aswell. Wondering results people had dosing this to keep up alk and calcium, wile also not doing water changes.

Works fine. Something about water change seems to make all inhabitants "perk up" a bit though. My oldest tank (which I no longer have) was at one point 2x WC a year, but I ended up going back to 4x a year a while after.
Currently on my newer systems I do them anywhere from weekly to once a month. Oddly enough the one that gets dosed everything has the most water changes.

 

[Lionfish hunter]

Works fine. Something about water change seems to make all inhabitants "perk up" a bit though. My oldest tank (which I no longer have) was at one point 2x WC a year, but I ended up going back to 4x a year a while after.
Currently on my newer systems I do them anywhere from weekly to once a month. Oddly enough the one that gets dosed everything has the most water changes.

I can deal with 2x a year. About to try some sps for the first time. Not sure what to expect. Also have a queen angelfish and moorish idol. So it might fail before it begins if they find it tasty.

 

[Brymac1]

I am doing monthly water changes with AFR for two reasons. (1) To siphon out detritus from sand and sump. (2) To prevent the build up and/or depletion of certain traces over time.

 

[shakacuz]

0 WC since February 28, 2021 when i setup my tank. i do dose AFR daily amongst other things. i test params weekly and dose accordingly.

corals look great. however, my SPS could show better PE but i believe that could be flow or lighting? i have been meaning to do an ICP test to rule anything else out.

 

[Oldreefer44]

Have been using AFR since it came out. Done maybe 4 10% changes since then. ICP tests have been fine. Changed lighting from Orphek Atlantiks to Stratons and both Alk and Ca demand went way up. Talked to Lou Ekus and he said that it was safe to double the dosage recommended. That helped but still am dosing some 2 part to make up the difference. No issues with fish or corals.

 

[MTsquared]

Anybody doing no water changes with all for reef? Coral health/ ICP testing?

Using All for Reef and hadn't done a WC for about 3 mo until last weekend. The reason for the WC was because my Alk was running too hot ~12-13 and I am trying to get that back down to ~8. I use the Tropic Marin Pro Reef salt which mixes right around 7 Alk. I am running a fairly stocked mixed reef with a decent amount of SPS which is all thriving as well as the softies and LPS. The reason my Alk got so high was because as I added the SPS and they started to really take off I saw a big dip in the Alk so I began dosing more to correct the dip and I am now battling to get it back down lol.

 

[Spare time]

Anybody doing no water changes with all for reef? Coral health/ ICP testing?

I do but I haven't done an ICP. I have gone through a couple of gallons and my tank is doing VERY well.

As for elements that I test (other than no3 and po4), I test: alk, calcium, magnesium, (salifert) iodine, and potassium (and salinity). I occasionally and magnesium and potassium, as well as iron.

 

[Lionfish hunter]

Thanks guys, really good info. I'm hopefully it will work out for me. And they make a powder form of all for reef now that is much cheaper, in case somebody is not aware.

 

[Lionfish hunter]

I do but I haven't done an ICP. I have gone through a couple of gallons and my tank is doing VERY well.

As for elements that I test (other than no3 and po4), I test: alk, calcium, magnesium, (salifert) iodine, and potassium (and salinity). I occasionally and magnesium and potassium, as well as iron.

Does it more or less keep the iodine, potassium, and iron in range? Or do you dose.

 

[Spare time]

Does it more or less keep the iodine, potassium, and iron in range? Or do you dose.

I don't think it contains potassium. I don't test iodine frequently but it wasn't high last time I checked. I don't test iron but I have a refugium that probably drains more than average.