understanding dosing, how do you know what you need?

[Fresh_Water Reefer]

Thank you all for the input! makes much more sense to me now.

 

[Vinny84]

The best way to start is to start testing your parameters each week and track your results (Calcium, Magnesium, Alkalinity, Nitrates, Phosphates). Make sure you get good, reliable test kits. You can go simple and write it down in a notebook, or get an APP on your phone to track it

AquaticLog app is brilliant for recording parameters tracks them over time in a graph so you can clearly see if each parameter imstays stable over the weeks can also record all your dosing on the aswell and it completely free on App Store

 

[Ef4life]

The main thing when dosing, or before you start is to get a good baseline and see what your tank is doing/using. Stability and consistency are key here.

for 1-2 weeks at the same time everyday test your alk, calcium, and magnesium. Write these down or use an app to record them. Now you have a good baseline of what has depleted from your tank. Find a dosage calculator on the net from whatever brand/solution you plan to dose. Figure out a daily dosage from that. Depending on what your levels are and what you want them to be at you might need to start at a lower than calculated dosage to slowly bring the levels up to where you want them over 2-4weeks possibly. You don’t want wild calcium and alkalinity swings daily, and you don’t want to raise them too fast either.

And keep doing daily testing for a while until you get comfortable and your results are stable and consistent, then go to weekly testing at the least. Lots of people test alkalinity daily. The more you test, the more in tune with yourvtank you can become and spot problems before they get out of hand

You should also test your new saltwater before you do a waterchange to make sure everything is on point where it needs to be.

 

[Reefrats]

Beautiful tank! How do you get a base line to start? I feel dumb for asking, but are those elements found in water at the start, or do you do an initial dose? How do you know how much of those elements you'll need? You can easily over dose right?

I’m brand new too, first salt tank, no corals yet. I’m using the aquarimate app and it’s awesome. It has baselines for everything in the app and graphs it for me. It shows I’m in the green. It also reminds me to do all my maintenance, I have all my livestock tracked, and all my expenses tracked.

 

[New&no clue]

I’m brand new too, first salt tank, no corals yet. I’m using the aquarimate app and it’s awesome. It has baselines for everything in the app and graphs it for me. It shows I’m in the green. It also reminds me to do all my maintenance, I have all my livestock tracked, and all my expenses tracked.

I use Aquarimate too. I like it because you can have multiple tanks and you change your baselines to match your needs

 

[Reefrats]

It will depend on your corals (soft, LPS, SPS) all of these will be different. Soft will require the least and usually a water change is enough to replenish the items needed. SPS will be the most and can require daily dosing. While I think automation is great, I also think it's good for you the learn your tank.

The best way to start is to start testing your parameters each week and track your results (Calcium, Magnesium, Alkalinity, Nitrates, Phosphates). Make sure you get good, reliable test kits. You can go simple and write it down in a notebook, or get an APP on your phone to track it. See what is being depleted and by how much each week. Then you can see what you need to dose. It's also important to get your tanks baseline and stick to that. Don't chase numbers that others have, find what your tank is thriving at and maintain it.

My tank is 8 months old. I test my water every week. So far I only dose Alk. I have a mix of soft, LPS, and a couple SPS.

How often do you do water changes and how much? Your tank looks great! I can’t wait to get there. Both in livestock and confidence.

 

[saullman]

I just read this entire thread. I'm new to all of this as well (dosing). My problem is going to be that I do not make my own water. I buy it locally at a lfs. Actually there are 2 different Lfs that I go to depending on where I am that day. I live near Orlando so one store that I go to is WWC. Now, in the new mega store when you walk in they give you 3 different options for which saltwater you want to buy so it would be easier to get some sort of baseline for testing. When I go to WWC to buy more saltwater, I don't even know which saltwater I buy? I never thought it mattered. On top of that I am buying saltwater from a second Lfs and again I have no clue what kind of saltwater they are using as well. They just go to the back and fill up my 5 gallon jugs and send me on my way. I never question anything because I didn't realize that it matters. I guess this is why people make their own water, but I don't have the money or space in the garage to invest in a saltwater mixing station in my house. So what is the best option in my scenario?

 

[Fresh_Water Reefer]

This has sparked another question, when doing water changes, does the parameters remain the same? Or can you throw your numbers depending on how you mixed your salt water?

 

[New&no clue]

How often do you do water changes and how much? Your tank looks great! I can’t wait to get there. Both in livestock and confidence.

I do a 25% every two weeks... and don't worry I still have no clue what I'm doing.

 

[New&no clue]

I just read this entire thread. I'm new to all of this as well (dosing). My problem is going to be that I do not make my own water. I buy it locally at a lfs. Actually there are 2 different Lfs that I go to depending on where I am that day. I live near Orlando so one store that I go to is WWC. Now, in the new mega store when you walk in they give you 3 different options for which saltwater you want to buy so it would be easier to get some sort of baseline for testing. When I go to WWC to buy more saltwater, I don't even know which saltwater I buy? I never thought it mattered. On top of that I am buying saltwater from a second Lfs and again I have no clue what kind of saltwater they are using as well. They just go to the back and fill up my 5 gallon jugs and send me on my way. I never question anything because I didn't realize that it matters. I guess this is why people make their own water, but I don't have the money or space in the garage to invest in a saltwater mixing station in my house. So what is the best option in my scenario?

I hear you I didn't make my own at first either, but then I did the math on how much it was costing me to buy and you will see it adds up pretty quick. While an RO/DI unit is expensive up front cost it will pay for itself within a couple months. Now this depends on how big your tank is, if you have a smaller tank you might be better to buy.

If you are buying water I would at the minimum check the salinity before adding it to your tank. I would also ask what brand salt they are using and you can get a baseline from there. If you are going to WWC they are pretty well known so I'm sure they are doing it properly. If they have three different types I would get one for a growing reef, this will be a little higher. Test it once for Cal, Mag, & Alk and then as long as the salinity is the same the rest of the parameters should be as well.

 

[New&no clue]

This has sparked another question, when doing water changes, does the parameters remain the same? Or can you throw your numbers depending on how you mixed your salt water?

Yes, you have to match salinity with what they say to get the same numbers. So on the bag or bucket it will tell you want salinity to get to. Here is an example from Instant Ocean Reef Crystal.

 

[Ray120mix]

Wow lots of good information about dosing and maintaining parameters. I too am new to this although I have had my tank for years. My tank was mostly Lps but am starting to add sps and I think it's time to go to dosing. Every thing looks good but not really getting much growth. Checking parameters and alk is always low . Cal has always been high. Time for me to get serious about this and keep it in check.

 

[Royce White]

Maybe I missed it some where but I didn't see any where about starting at the very base and that is using RODI water. In my opinion not using RODI water is like trying to climb a sandy hill.

 

[Fresh_Water Reefer]

Maybe I missed it some where but I didn't see any where about starting at the very base and that is using RODI water. In my opinion not using RODI water is like trying to climb a sandy hill.

Oh no doubt, I will be building up a full water storage and mixing station once i get moved to my new house, with hopes of automating it (my goal to is to be as hands off as possible with the tank and mixing station aside from water changes). I have down the basic requirements for salt water, such as using ro/di water etc.. just nailing out these other areas that that seemed a bit confusing.

 

[PeaBrain]

Lots of great questions here. Keep 'em coming.

When I do a water change, it's normally 20%. When I add the salt to my RO water, I test the salinity and make sure it is where I want it to be. In most cases I want it to match what I have in my tank. I do the same for ALK, CA, and MG. I test the mixed salt water, and dose it to match my tank. Sometimes I will dose the new water accordingly to get the tank to change parameters. Ex., if my tank water ALK is a little low, I will dose ALK higher to the new water based on the calculations.

 

[mike550]

Lots of great questions here. Keep 'em coming.

When I do a water change, it's normally 20%. When I add the salt to my RO water, I test the salinity and make sure it is where I want it to be. In most cases I want it to match what I have in my tank. I do the same for ALK, CA, and MG. I test the mixed salt water, and dose it to match my tank. Sometimes I will dose the new water accordingly to get the tank to change parameters. Ex., if my tank water ALK is a little low, I will dose ALK higher to the new water based on the calculations.

This is how I do it as well. So much easier to correct parameters before adding the water to the DT since it’s smaller volume. Maintaining levels in the DT is much easier too

 

[Fresh_Water Reefer]

Lots of great questions here. Keep 'em coming.

When I do a water change, it's normally 20%. When I add the salt to my RO water, I test the salinity and make sure it is where I want it to be. In most cases I want it to match what I have in my tank. I do the same for ALK, CA, and MG. I test the mixed salt water, and dose it to match my tank. Sometimes I will dose the new water accordingly to get the tank to change parameters. Ex., if my tank water ALK is a little low, I will dose ALK higher to the new water based on the calculations.

So as long as the water you've mixed, matches the water in your tank, its not going to change your numbers? I feel like that's what you've explained but I just wanna make sure I'm reading that right lol

 

[New&no clue]

So as long as the water you've mixed, matches the water in your tank, its not going to change your numbers? I feel like that's what you've explained but I just wanna make sure I'm reading that right

Correct if you test before hand and mix it to match your tank will not change. If you test and want it higher, you can mix your water high to up your parameters.

 

[Fresh_Water Reefer]

Correct if you test before hand and mix it to match your tank will not change. If you test and want it higher, you can mix your water high to up your parameters.

very cool! and theres calculators that make it simple to break all this down? (i know there is, just prefer to hear first hand accounts and what you guys use)

 

[PeaBrain]

very cool! and theres calculators that make it simple to break all this down? (i know there is, just prefer to hear first hand accounts and what you guys use)

Yep. This is the one I use.

'Reef Chemistry Calculator FV'