I recently got back into the hobby, and have a 50 cube. All for reef is my go to now that I added my first zoa. My tank is fairly automated with Apex pro, though I am dosing right now manually to dial things in. My question is beyond all for reef, what else should I dose? When I do automate (and I plan on automating as much as I can) I want to make sure I invest in what I need down the road, vs right now. If there is something I would need to do and can automate it, I’d rather plan for it now. Thanks for the advice in advance.
What else besides All For Reef?
- Thread starter jwenzel
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nothing_fancy
Active Member
Also using AFR in a 40 cube. When my system started to mature I began using soda ash to maintain alk. So now its soda Ash and AFR. AFR in my experience isn't great at raising ALK, just maintaining. I experienced a decrease in ALK at a point. If you're using APEX, a simple thing to do is to get a doser pump, set it up to dose your calculated amount of dissolved soda ash hourly. If the alk exceeds the point that you set in apex via trident, simply run the code to turn off the doser outlet until it tests again under your hight point. I have the doser for AFR also hooked up to this outlet. For me this has worked to get the alk swing tighter. Im still dialing it over time. Outside of that you can look into dosing trace elements. If you're interested in that let me know and side note, Im using Kamoer pumps which is a more cost effective alternative to Neptune's DOS system.
GatorGreg
Well-Known Member
I guess I’m a little confused as to why you’re dosing anything in such a new tank.
Are you already seeing consumption that your weekly 10 percent water change isn’t replenishing. Hard to believe that some zoanthids are causing consumption that requires dosing of any kind.
I have a few more corals than that in a recent setup and I’m seeing very little consumption in my tank by the time it’s ready for the weekly water change. I’m not even close to needing to dose anything.
Are you already seeing consumption that your weekly 10 percent water change isn’t replenishing. Hard to believe that some zoanthids are causing consumption that requires dosing of any kind.
I have a few more corals than that in a recent setup and I’m seeing very little consumption in my tank by the time it’s ready for the weekly water change. I’m not even close to needing to dose anything.
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I am curious to know if you have a refugeium or running protein skimmer/socks only? I have not started heavily dosing, just noticing when alk, mag, and calcium change beyond getting replenished with a water change. I am also considering doing automated constant water changes and realize this will change the patterns as well.
GatorGreg
Well-Known Member
No fuge and no filter socks or floss. I feed my fish and corals very well and skim heavy yes. 10 percent water change weekly matched to temp, salinity and alkalinity. That’s it that’s all I do right now. I’m testing alk, phosphate and nitrate every other day to monitor its fluctuations.
nitrate 10, phosphate .10, alk 8.9, calc 450, mag 1320. As of right now staying solid for the short time I’ve been monitoring it. Water changes are maintaining this in my system. I have some coraline algae but not too much and about 10 or so corals.
nitrate 10, phosphate .10, alk 8.9, calc 450, mag 1320. As of right now staying solid for the short time I’ve been monitoring it. Water changes are maintaining this in my system. I have some coraline algae but not too much and about 10 or so corals.
Dr4gula.f32
Active Member
I have an 8 month old JBJ65 with probably 50 frags/corals in it. My tank only takes 5ml of AFR a day.
I think others are correct in assuming you don't need to dose anything for a simple zoa.
I think others are correct in assuming you don't need to dose anything for a simple zoa.
No dosing is needed yet. Every tank is different so what you will need will change/grow as the tank grows. I wouldn’t invest in anything until you need it.
I have a 3 year old 120 sps dominated mixed reef packed with coral and I dose 47ml/day of AFR. With how inexpensive the powder form is, I don’t dose anything else yet. Considering a Kalk reactor if it goes beyond 50ml/day.
Agreed completely on the maintaining alk, vs boosting alk properties of AFR. I do small water changes with a high alk salt (Fritz Redline or Coral Pro) if I want to raise Alk at all. Just do the math after testing your new water to figure out how much your chosen percentage water change will increase alk.
Agreed completely on the maintaining alk, vs boosting alk properties of AFR. I do small water changes with a high alk salt (Fritz Redline or Coral Pro) if I want to raise Alk at all. Just do the math after testing your new water to figure out how much your chosen percentage water change will increase alk.
So for right now I have PH:8 ALK: 7.17 CAL: 429 ppm and Mag at 1426 ppm. I plan on doing a water change (30%) in 2 weeks or less depending how things go. Fish life: 1 watchman Goby, 1 Longnose Hawkfish, 2 Clown, 1 Pistol shrimp and 1 Hermit crab. My levels have been pretty solid, graph shows everything kind of leveling from initial. I suspect alk will raise with water change.
malacoda
Valuable Member
Yep, if all you have is few soft corals ... in this case, zoas ... you should still be quite some time away from needing to dose yet. Save the money. When you have many more corals ... particular lps and sps that consume alk and ca to grow skeleton ... then start dosing All For Reef or some other two-part + traces.
