What is Everyone Dosing?

[MDProuty]

I just installed a 6-channel dosing system for my reef tank. Currently, I am dosing Seachem's Reef Plus and Reef Trace every other day as well as Red Sea's NO3O4-X every day. Once I get more tubing in, I plan to add Seachem's Reef Fusion 2-part system for Calcium and Alkalinity as well as Reef Flowers' Coralline Algae Accelerator. That will fill up all six channels.

What is everyone else dosing? Is 6-channels enough? I was considering dosing RedSea's ABCD supplements as well as their AB+ coral nutrition, but that would take up 5 channels requiring an additional dosing system.

I have a feeling that Seachem's Reef Plus and Reef Trace are equivalent to RedSea's ABCD supplements as well as their AB+ coral nutrition, but I couldn't find anything online to confirm that.

I'm just getting started adding coral to my tank, so any help here is much appreciated...

 

[rwreef]

I'm about to start 2 part dosing. Up until now I've only use kalkwasser in my ATO.

 

[TAttel]

I dose Tropic Marin Carbo-calcium blended with A and K elements

 

[Bryknicks]

I'm dosing BRS two part, magnesium, acropower, and red sea trace colors. Have the first four on a doser and the trace colors I do manually once a week.

 

[User1]

Was dosing ESV 2 part. Great product.

Recently switched to TM AFR (Tropic Marin All For Reef). The DIY recipe. Super fun to make and only requires a single dosing head.

 

[Sdot]

ATI essentials pro here.

Pro's:
1. Very potent even when diluted
2. Has majority of minor and major trace elements
3. Available!
4. Water changes are optional
5. is apart of a complete dosing and nutrient program
6. Affordable
7. Only dosing 2 parts, mostly equal amounts

Con's:
1. Program not as detailed as Triton method
2. ICP test required for best performance.

 

[Simplyorange]

Esv 2 part
Red Sea colors
Kalk

 

[Spare time]

I use seachem reef builder (alk), red sea calcium+ powder, chaetogro, and red sea trace A (iodine and such) with the occasional trace B (potassium and such).

For food I dose brightwell koral amino, AF energy, my home grown phyto, and other foods.

 

[Reef-Tank]

Dosing parts 1, 2, 3a, 3b, Microbacter Clean, Redsea AB+

 

[rob s.]

nothing, I'm dosing nothing and all is good

 

[Simplyorange]

nothing, I'm dosing nothing and all is good

Wow, no alk, cal or kalk? Do you have any coral?

 

[Spare time]

Was dosing ESV 2 part. Great product.

Recently switched to TM AFR (Tropic Marin All For Reef). The DIY recipe. Super fun to make and only requires a single dosing head.

Do you notice everything staying stable (alk, calc, magnesium usage, etc.)? Do you ever have to make adjustments.

 

[User1]

Do you notice everything staying stable (alk, calc, magnesium usage, etc.)? Do you ever have to make adjustments.

Seems to be holding steady. I try and keep my ALK around 8.3 - 8.5 or there about. I was using Instant Ocean Reef Crystals for water changes and between that, the auto top off, and ESV 2 part it was pretty consistent. At least according to my Trident.

Anyway when I made the switch from ESV 2 part to TM AFR I used their calculator and put in my water volume and it provided me a initial dosage to use. They suggest to increase the daily dose weekly until you are constant carbonate hardness of 7 to 9.

The Trident tests 4 times a day so I feel I get a pretty good idea of how it is working. At first I was dosing it over 24 hours but in one of the threads they talk about TM AFR in they said no need over 24 hours and corals grow during light period. Duh So I said ok, dose while my lights are on. That seems to work a bit better and now I'm just watching for a steady holding pattern of 8.3 - 8.5. If I see it go down over a week to 8.2 or 8.1 I will increase dosing just a few ml's but have only had to adjust once or twice.

So yes, it seems to be holding steady once I got it in the ball park if that makes sense. Took about a month and a half of increasing once a week by a few ml's.

 

[rob s.]

Wow, no alk, cal or kalk? Do you have any coral?

i have a tank full off lps and a couple sps. I would never recommend doing what i do to anyone but i have found that a regimented water change and light feeding schedule aloows my tank to remain very stable. I use to test everyday and never had much of a fluctuation so i stopped. That's not to say that I don't randomly test here and there but its far and few between now. Anybody else out there do the same thing?

 

[Smarkow]

At one point I was dosing all of this (and like 3 more things off screen!):

But these days I just dose acropower and phyto

My old mentality was “if I put it in the tank, corals will find a way to use it.”

My new mentality is KISS

 

[Spare time]

Seems to be holding steady. I try and keep my ALK around 8.3 - 8.5 or there about. I was using Instant Ocean Reef Crystals for water changes and between that, the auto top off, and ESV 2 part it was pretty consistent. At least according to my Trident.

Anyway when I made the switch from ESV 2 part to TM AFR I used their calculator and put in my water volume and it provided me a initial dosage to use. They suggest to increase the daily dose weekly until you are constant carbonate hardness of 7 to 9.

The Trident tests 4 times a day so I feel I get a pretty good idea of how it is working. At first I was dosing it over 24 hours but in one of the threads they talk about TM AFR in they said no need over 24 hours and corals grow during light period. Duh So I said ok, dose while my lights are on. That seems to work a bit better and now I'm just watching for a steady holding pattern of 8.3 - 8.5. If I see it go down over a week to 8.2 or 8.1 I will increase dosing just a few ml's but have only had to adjust once or twice.

So yes, it seems to be holding steady once I got it in the ball park if that makes sense. Took about a month and a half of increasing once a week by a few ml's.

I was thinking of getting the powder when it comes out and just getting an auto doser. However my tank is doing to well that I probably shouldn't mess with it lol

 

[User1]

I was thinking of getting the powder when it comes out and just getting an auto doser. However my tank is doing to well that I probably shouldn't mess with it lol

I think the powder formula is going to be a big seller. The TM AFR DIY recipe is pretty popular so I only expect good things with the new stuff.

If everything is doing well I wouldn't. Not at all. I didn't start dosing ESV 2 part until about a year into my current upgrade. It wasn't much either to be honest. I still do not think my current TM AFR is much. I see consumption but the system is still maturing even after the two year mark.

So yes. Just watch and see. You will know when and when you do find one that works for you. I like TM AFR for now as it seems to do the same as the ESV 2 part with a few extra additives but only uses one dosing head. Gives me a spare or an option to dose something else should I need it (although I don't know what that would be).

 

[MDProuty]

I have a feeling that Seachem's Reef Plus and Reef Trace are equivalent to RedSea's ABCD supplements as well as their AB+ coral nutrition, but I couldn't find anything online to confirm that.

Does anyone know whether Seachem's Reef Plus and Reef Trace are equivalent to RedSea's ABCD supplements as well as their AB+ coral nutrition? I have the ABCD supplements, but haven't used them yet and am afraid I'd be adding too much since I'm using Reef Trace already.

 

[MDProuty]

At one point I was dosing all of this (and like 3 more things off screen!):

Dang! That's a lot of additives...

 

[christwendt]

All for reef by tropic marine (alk,mg , ca, trace all in one. I dose base on alk level the rest stay Stay stable. Red Sea a+b the new stuff
Phytoplankton by algae barn.