When should I start dosing?

[geesreef]

Hello. I am having trouble keeping sps corals. I’m wondering if it’s time for me to start dosing? I plan on dosing all for reef and already have some on hand. This was my readings yesterday. Should I start? Tanks been up for about 4 months.

 

[Reefer Matt Verified Media Partner]

Do you have a picture of the tank? Also, what size is it? Looks like a water change is due. Nitrate is elevated, ph, cal, mag, and alk are low. Should be 0 ammonia.

 

[Dburr1014]

Hello. I am having trouble keeping sps corals. I’m wondering if it’s time for me to start dosing? I plan on dosing all for reef and already have some on hand. This was my readings yesterday. Should I start? Tanks been up for about 4 months.

1) it's early for a tank set up 4 months ago to keep sps.
2) ammonia reading makes me concerned.
Tell us your 4 month history on cycling until now. And what test kits?

 

[slythy]

You should track daily, for a few weeks to see your trends.

But you went from 9.3 to 7.7 alk and your calcium most likely went from mid 400's to 330.

7.7 and 330 are both low.

Any large swing will anger SPS.

bump it back up to what you want it to be at or whats easiest is matching your salt you use. then start measuring.

What kit are you using to measure all the values? also 0 phos with 20 nitrate might cause some other issues.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

sps corals are hard even for mature tank, lots of experienced reefers struggle with them, they're not easy.

Unless you're very experienced with sps, its a bit unrealistic to expect sps to be thriving in a 4 months old tank.

 

[Oregon Grown Reef]

Hello. I am having trouble keeping sps corals. I’m wondering if it’s time for me to start dosing? I plan on dosing all for reef and already have some on hand. This was my readings yesterday. Should I start? Tanks been up for about 4 months.

Hard to tell if it's time to start dosing without seeing your last test results. Alkalinity and calcium, and to a lesser extent magnesium, need to be dosed so corals can create their calcium carbonate skeletons. Coralline algae and other calciferous algaes and organisms, like clams and snails and crabs, will also use them up. The only way to tell is by testing frequently to see what the daily consumption rate is. I would think a week's worth of daily testing is enough to tell. If alkalinity and calcium are slowly declining, then add enough All-For-Reef daily to keep the numbers consistent and test every 3-4 days.

 

[geesreef]

You should track daily, for a few weeks to see your trends.

But you went from 9.3 to 7.7 alk and your calcium most likely went from mid 400's to 330.

7.7 and 330 are both low.

Any large swing will anger SPS.

bump it back up to what you want it to be at or whats easiest is matching your salt you use. then start measuring.

What kit are you using to measure all the values? also 0 phos with 20 nitrate might cause some other issues.

I’ve been using sailfert test kits and api. Will do a water change tomorrow to see if it bumps it up. Can you overdose AFR?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

But you went from 9.3 to 7.7 alk and your calcium most likely went from mid 400's to 330.

I don't see how you can claim that. It certainly isn't true.

A drop of 1.6 dKH will only be associated with about an 11 ppm drop in calcium.

7.7 dKH is not low. It is higher than natural ocean levels.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I’ve been using sailfert test kits and api. Will do a water change tomorrow to see if it bumps it up. Can you overdose AFR?

Of course you can overdose anything.

Start slow since your demand is low.

 

[geesreef]

sps corals are hard even for mature tank, lots of experienced reefers struggle with them, they're not easy.

Unless you're very experienced with sps, its a bit unrealistic to expect sps to be thriving in a 4 months old tank.

Ahh understandable. I was goin for easy ones. Had a bird nest and moticap. Both aren’t doing so hot.

 

[slythy]

I don't see how you can claim that. It certainly isn't true.

A drop of 1.6 dKH will only be associated with about an 11 ppm drop in calcium.

7.7 dKH is not low. It is higher than natural ocean levels.

I was assuming most salts with elevated alk (~9.5) also have higher calcium levels (mid 400's). You are correct it was an assumption not a fact. You are correct 7.7 isnt that low or even low but I was saying if you started at 9.3, 7.7 is low same with calcium.

Not low from a NSW standpoint. Just saying he should target his salt of choice and keep it that way.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I was assuming most salts with elevated alk (~9.5) also have higher calcium levels (mid 400's). You are correct it was an assumption not a fact. You are correct 7.7 isnt that low or even low but I was saying if you started at 9.3, 7.7 is low same with calcium.

Salt mixes have alk that ranges from 7 dKH to 12 dKH, depending on the brand and type.

Most salt mixes do have calcium in the 400's. His will not have dropped much from the mix, and won't be 330 ppm unless his salinity is very, very low.