Rea Sea Mixed Reef Recipe

[EntitledSushi]

I have a Red Sea 350XL. On their website, Red Sea recommends the following "recipe" for a mixed reef. Does anyone follow a recipe like this? Or are they just selling magic snake oil to gullible individuals like me?

Foundation A – CALCIUM+ 3ml
Foundation B – KH/ALKALINITY 9ml
Foundation C – MAGNESIUM 1ml
Trace-Colors A|B|C|D Dose according to Calcium uptake - 0.3ml
NO3PO4-X - 2ml
Reef Energy Plus - 4ml

Quantities listed are per 25 gal tank per day, so for me it would be about 3x this per day.

 

[AdamNC]

I use it on 2 tanks but as they state individual dosing may vary, so it's more of a guideline. I use all of their products but dose according to meet the needs of my tanks. No 2 tanks are alike.

 

[mike550]

I have a Red Sea 350XL. On their website, Red Sea recommends the following "recipe" for a mixed reef. Does anyone follow a recipe like this? Or are they just selling magic snake oil to gullible individuals like me?

Foundation A – CALCIUM+ 3ml
Foundation B – KH/ALKALINITY 9ml
Foundation C – MAGNESIUM 1ml
Trace-Colors A|B|C|D Dose according to Calcium uptake - 0.3ml
NO3PO4-X - 2ml
Reef Energy Plus - 4ml

Quantities listed are per 25 gal tank per day, so for me it would be about 3x this per day.

I can only speak to NoPox and ReefEnergyPlus

I have a 120G (figure 100G of water) and am currently dosing daily about 6ml NoPox and 10ml ReefEnergy. I started at 4ml of NoPox and now at 6ml which seems to keep my nitrates around 10ppm. Although I’m having a hard time getting phosphates now. For ReefEnergy I don’t have a lot of corals yet so I’m feeding just to the point where I get a noticeable film / buildup on my tank glass after a few days.

My suggestion is to start low and slowly build up over time.

 

[EntitledSushi]

Thanks for the answers. Silly question maybe, but do you know if you can mix these togther in the right proportions and add them all at once? Obviously one would have to adjust the mixture periodicaly as the tank evolves. But I don't have a dosing system, and measuring/pouring 9 different bottles every day sounds like more than I'm willing to do.

 

[Jman76]

I dose these products daily in my nano. I havent tried others so I cannot compare, but will say they work. Those doses will probably vary a bit to your tank. As far as dosing together, not recommended per Red Sea.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Thanks for the answers. Silly question maybe, but do you know if you can mix these togther in the right proportions and add them all at once?

Definitely not all. Almost no separate calcium and alkalinity products can be mixed.

 

[mike550]

For sure you need to dose Alk and Ca separately. My Mag level doesn’t seem to move off my target and I adjust Alk, Ca, and Mg when I make new batches of saltwater.

Im not an expert at all but I wouldn’t start NoPox unless you need it (now in my doser). For ReefEnergy couple of things to know. First, you’re supposed to keep it refrigerated once you open it. You can leave some out for seven days but that’s it.

I think you can get by without a doser to start. I considered the Red Sea program, but was already down the path with other products. @New&no clue are you using Red Sea program? Thoughts on this?

 

[New&no clue]

I use Red Sea Foundation ABC (the liquid). I dose based on my tank needs. To start with I tested my water for 3 days straight Calcium, Magnesium, and Alkalinity. I saw what the daily intake is of each of these were and I determine my daily dosing from that. Now I test each week to make sure everything is staying in line. I also use Reef Energy A&B and does 6ml of each a couple times a week.

I don't dose NOPO, but I would suggest not starting that until you've tested your water and see there is a need for it.

I personally love the Red Sea products, I have a Red Sea 350 as well. But I don't think it's safe to assume there is a one size fits all approach to dosing. Even if both our tanks are "Mixed" mine may be more heavy on the softies and yours may be more towards SPS and they will need different things. I guess what I'm getting at is I would recommend Red Sea products, but I wouldn't use any "receipt" they have I would determine your own, based on your tank, and your test.

 

[Uncle99]

The corals colour program simply provides the trace elements (about 38) which you would normally get through a weekly or biweekly water change. This product has been tested many times. In each case, there was no clear proof that there was any better growth or enhanced colouration. I used it myself for six months and I seen no difference at all. An overdose of this product can and will kill corals so unless you want to be testing all day, not worth the investment. Colors program A (iodine) is something I use for iodine supplement great for softies, gorgonians and shrimps. Remember, if you can’t test....do not add....

The foundation is a product which you would want to employ when water changes alone can not keep Alk, CA and Mg at appropriate levels. So this one is a need to have, but only when water changes don’t keep up.

I dose Nopox every day for 3 years and it keeps my nitrate at 6ppm and phosphate at 0.1.
So this one is a maybe, if you can’t keep nitrates in line, this carbon dose will work but takes months.
Here I did follow the dosage schedule, but watched my nitrate number carefully.

Reef energy...yup amino acids are used by all life. Yup, I use this....but only twice a week.

The dosage amounts are based on calcium consumption, I am not sure how accurate that actually is.
I make my dosage based on what my testing tells me.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Reef energy...yup amino acids are used by all life. Yup, I use this....but only twice a week.

Don't take this wrong, I'm not dissing amino acid dosing or the fact that you use it, but i just want folks to keep the reason in perspective...

Amino acids are used by all life, but that does not mean all life needs or uses then when they are present in the water. I could say the same thing about a thousand other organic molecules that folks do not dose (say, DNA), but just because "life needs them" doesn't mean they are needed or useful in the water.

Don't get me wrong, amino acids are a fine way to dose a nitrogen source. Are they useful beyond that? Maybe, maybe not. I'm sure it depends on the organism. Like other forms of organic carbon dosing, it may be "useful", at least in part, because it spurs bacterial growth, which in turn may be food for filter feeders.

 

[Uncle99]

That’s a fair (and more accurate) representation of dosing aminos.
I see how maybe some would think dosing aminos is an absolute, your right, it’s not.
Thank you