What are the TRUE dosing instructions?

[Csr1978]

I've always wondered what manufactures really mean when they give dosing instructions based on "gallons."

For example, Korallen-Zucht and Red Sea give dosing instructions for their additives in terms of X ml or X drops per 25 gallons.

Gallons of what?

Is it based on the rated tank size (my aquarium is a 135 gallon), actual display tank water volume (I have calculated about 107 gallons) or is it the total system volume (my system volume with the sump is 212 gallons)?

As you can see, dosing could be off by double if I choose the wrong one.

I have reached out to Red Sea and got a non-answer, indicating they don't know either. I don't know who to contact at KZ.

Does anyone have THE DEFINITIVE answer? Is there even a definitive answer?

If anyone cares to know, I'm trying to determine dosing for Red Sea Energy AB and some (expensive, so I don't want to overdose) KZ products like Coral Vitalizer.

 

[Mical]

I've always have taken it as Display tank + sump - rock and sand volume.

 

[JP Reef]

Gallons of actual water volume. That is what you are dosing. You aren't dosing the rock, sand or other items in the tank. You are dosing the water.

 

[Csr1978]

Gallons of actual water volume. That is what you are dosing. You aren't dosing the rock, sand or other items in the tank. You are dosing the water.

Thanks, but this answer only removed one of the options (using the rated aquarium size). From your logic, I could assume that I'm not trying to dose the extra water in the sump and that the dosing should be relative to the display tank only and the actual water volume in it (less the rocks and sand etc) as to represent the estimate amount of livestock.

So the question remains: is it based on actual display tank water (disregarding rocks and sand etc) or the tank water plus sump water?

 

[Rybren]

Total actual water volume = DT actual water + sump actual water.

Remember that the sump water isn't isolated to the sump; it is in a constant exchange with the DT; therefore, you must treat/dose all of the water.

 

[Csr1978]

Total actual water volume = DT actual water + sump actual water.

Remember that the sump water isn't isolated to the sump; it is in a constant exchange with the DT; therefore, you must treat/dose all of the water.

This makes sense if you are dosing something that treats the water (like Alkalinity), but what if it's food, and less about the water and more about the animals living in the water. In that case, wouldn't the food additive (such as RedSea Reef Energy AB or KZ Coral Vitalizer) be based on the quantity and size of the corals? If so, wouldn't an estimate based on the size of the display tank or the amount of water that actually fits in it, be a better approximation of the amount of food needed to feed the corals that might fit in the aquarium of that size?

I don't know the answer. Just throwing my thoughts out there.

Maybe this is good material for a BRS Investigates episode. @randyBRS @Bulk Reef Supply

 

[fish farmer]

This makes sense if you are dosing something that treats the water (like Alkalinity), but what if it's food, and less about the water and more about the animals living in the water. In that case, wouldn't the food additive (such as RedSea Reef Energy AB or KZ Coral Vitalizer) be based on the quantity and size of the corals? If so, wouldn't an estimate based on the size of the display tank or the amount of water that actually fits in it, be a better approximation of the amount of food needed to feed the corals that might fit in the aquarium of that size?

I don't know the answer. Just throwing my thoughts out there.

Maybe this is good material for a BRS Investigates episode. @randyBRS @Bulk Reef Supply

Interesting...how do you KNOW the biomass of corals/fish without actually taking them out and weighing them and then figure out a percent body weight to feed daily.

 

[Csr1978]

Interesting...how do you KNOW the biomass of corals/fish without actually taking them out and weighing them and then figure out a percent body weight to feed daily.

That's a good point. Realistically, you can't know. But there is only so much coral that can fit in a 50 gallon vs a 100 gallon vs a 400 gallon tank. So the tank size could be a good estimator for the average amount (if you qualify the instructions with "heavily stocked" or not) of coral. That why perhaps the sump volume doesn't matter since the sump could be huge or small, irrelevant of the tank (think AIO tank vs sump under tank vs fish room).

I would love for any manufacturers to chime in...

 

[Csr1978]

I received a reply from Red Sea Fish as well as the forum administrator at the Zeovit forum. I am glad I asked, as each of these manufacturers differ from their recommendations (without qualification on the bottles)!

Red Sea Fish technical support says to use the total system water volume (including the sump). Korallen-Zucht says to use the net display tank water volume with attention to actual stocking level.

This would be a good thread to get all the manufacturer's ACTUAL recommendations listed here.

 

[Csr1978]

Update:

A different forum administrator at the Zeovit forum now says it is based on total net water volume (tank + sump).

 

[immortl]

When we measure concentration levels of something in our tank's water, we're measuring the concentration that exists throughout the entire water volume. When you add something to the water, it evenly distributes throughout the entire water volume. There is nothing that keeps the additive only in the water in the display tank. When using online reef additive calculators, accurate dosing comes about when I input the total water volume of the entire system. When I first started dosing, I wasn't sure what my total water volume was, but based on dosing and measuring the results, I have been able to determine my 28g biocube with an external algae reactor currently has 23g of overall water volume. Using that volume figure and online calculators, I always get to the expected level after dosing something. So for things that are dissolved in the water, strong vote for using total water volume for calculations. After dosing, I always measure/test to confirm the results are as expected.

For food for the fish, I feed based on what I see them consuming. For coral food, eh, hard to measure scientifically (other than nitrate/phosphate) but those and visual results (algae, coral condition, etc...) can be used to help guide appropriate feeding levels, in my opinion.

Thanks,
Joe

 

[Csr1978]

When we measure concentration levels of something in our tank's water, we're measuring the concentration that exists throughout the entire water volume. When you add something to the water, it evenly distributes throughout the entire water volume. There is nothing that keeps the additive only in the water in the display tank. When using online reef additive calculators, accurate dosing comes about when I input the total water volume of the entire system. When I first started dosing, I wasn't sure what my total water volume was, but based on dosing and measuring the results, I have been able to determine my 28g biocube with an external algae reactor currently has 23g of overall water volume. Using that volume figure and online calculators, I always get to the expected level after dosing something. So for things that are dissolved in the water, strong vote for using total water volume for calculations. After dosing, I always measure/test to confirm the results are as expected.

For food for the fish, I feed based on what I see them consuming. For coral food, eh, hard to measure scientifically (other than nitrate/phosphate) but those and visual results (algae, coral condition, etc...) can be used to help guide appropriate feeding levels, in my opinion.

Thanks,
Joe

I agree with you 100% but there is still no clarification on the bottles of what the manufactures intended for dosing (for coral food and nutrition). So I guess you need to ignore what they say on the bottle and base it on testing and observation.