Advice with All for Reef dosing

[glOckcOma]

My parameters are as follows;

Kh - 7.0
Ca - 360
Mg - 1360

Alk and Calc are needed but what's with the Magnesium?

Should I start dosing All for Reef with Magnesium at this level? Would it be okay?

I have a 20g nano with sump (not AIO)
I figured the amount of water is about 15 gallons. I wanted to start dosing 2.5ml daily but not sure if it is a good idea. I'm mixing the powder as I type this.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Science/G]

Increase your dose until your alkalinity is between 8-9. Your alkalinity increase will take a few days to show up in testing. This is the hard part. Once you're finally dialled in, you will only need to make fine tune adjustments. Natural seawater is between 7-8 generally. Calcium should be a bit higher maybe 420 or so, magnesium should follow suit, and is safe at levels higher than you are right now.

 

[Idech]

You need to have perfect parameters before using AFR. Mag is okay but calcium and alkalinity need to be raised. Once they have good values, then you can start using All for Reef.

AFR will keep parameters where they are; it will not raise them.

 

[Science/G]

You need to have perfect parameters before using AFR. Mag is okay but calcium and alkalinity need to be raised. Once they have good values, then you can start using All for Reef.

AFR will keep parameters where they are; it will not raise them.

Sorry but, this is not true

 

[glOckcOma]

Sorry but, this is not true

I was about to respond with the same.

You can definitely raise parameters with AFR.

 

[Science/G]

Calcium may lag behind or be a little high with your desired alkalinity. Then, if you follow the Tropic Marin instructions, you add Balling Part A Calcium or B alkalinity and adjust the AFR depending on your needs. Minor adjustments as consumption changes.

 

[glOckcOma]

Calcium may lag behind or be a little high with your desired alkalinity. Then, if you follow the Tropic Marin instructions, you add Balling Part A Calcium or B alkalinity and adjust the AFR depending on your needs. Minor adjustments as consumption changes.

My wallet weeps

 

[IPT]

Are people using this because it is all in one? Because it has the trace elements in it? I dose Kalk but I am maxed out. i have BRS 2 part stuff on hand, but recently started dosing Tropic Marin A and K - seems like AFR has it all intertwined. Does it raise Mag?

I'm trying to understand why its worth the extra expense vs just two part or even Kalk in a small Low demand tank.

 

[TangerineSpeedo]

My parameters are as follows;

Kh - 7.0
Ca - 360
Mg - 1360

Alk and Calc are needed but what's with the Magnesium?

Should I start dosing All for Reef with Magnesium at this level? Would it be okay?

I have a 20g nano with sump (not AIO)
I figured the amount of water is about 15 gallons. I wanted to start dosing 2.5ml daily but not sure if it is a good idea. I'm mixing the powder as I type this.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

Just out of curiosity, Are your corals LPS, SPS, or mixed? How often are you doing water changes? In a 20g reef 20% WC should cover most of your needs and you can supplement with AFR for the rest.

 

[glOckcOma]

Just out of curiosity, Are your corals LPS, SPS, or mixed? How often are you doing water changes? In a 20g reef 20% WC should cover most of your needs and you can supplement with AFR for the rest.

Mixed, it's fairly new tank and have a few LPS and a couple SPS. 5 gallon weekly WCs. Supplementing like you say is what I am shooting for.

 

[TangerineSpeedo]

Mixed, it's fairly new tank and have a few LPS and a couple SPS. 5 gallon weekly WCs. Supplementing like you say is what I am shooting for.

Great! But you should be in a better parameter range with a 20% WC. Next ? What salt mix are you using? Also what SPS do you have? The thing about Nano's is things change fast. One other route you can take that worked well for my 10g mixed was Kalk, just using it in my ATO.

 

[glOckcOma]

Great! But you should be in a better parameter range with a 20% WC. Next ? What salt mix are you using? Also what SPS do you have? The thing about Nano's is things change fast. One other route you can take that worked well for my 10g mixed was Kalk, just using it in my ATO.

With the amount of LR and LS I have in the system, it's probably more like 15 gallons total so 5 gallons is more like 30% WC. A few Montys and a couple sticks, some Zoas, a few polyps of gsp, few stalks of Xenia and a Frogspawn right now. Hoping to get more coral this weekend. Have a trip planned to a friend's coral farm on Sunday. If Alk doesn't improve in the next few weeks with AFR I will look into talk.

Oh and I don't mix my own salt. I have a LFS I get my SW and RO from. One condition i gave myself for getting back in the hobby was never mixing or setting up RODI.

 

[Patx]

Just saying, Salinity could be low and refractometer out of wack...
Salt brand ?

 

[TangerineSpeedo]

Oh and I don't mix my own salt. I have a LFS I get my SW and RO from. One condition i gave myself for getting back in the hobby was never mixing or setting up RODI.

This maybe your undoing... I would have to test the incoming salt each week... This may explain part of your issue.

 

[Gumbies R Us]

Are people using this because it is all in one? Because it has the trace elements in it? I dose Kalk but I am maxed out. i have BRS 2 part stuff on hand, but recently started dosing Tropic Marin A and K - seems like AFR has it all intertwined. Does it raise Mag?

I'm trying to understand why its worth the extra expense vs just two part or even Kalk in a small Low demand tank.

A lot of people who use AFR will dose a little extra mag as well since AFR doesn't fully act as a mag supplement. I use it just because it simplifies two part dosing, and I can justify the cost since I only have a 20g tank.

 

[Clowning_Around72]

I've always had to dose to fix parameters when using all for reef. Most tanks do not consume in the exact ratios all for reef (or water changes) provide. That is why we tend to see errors when we test and slowly adjust accordingly.

 

[reefpanda]

Agree with @Patx , might need to recalibrate the refractometer

 

[Science/G]

My wallet weeps

You don't necessarily need to buy Balling components if you find a cheaper calcium component or alkalinity additive.

 

[Science/G]

Are people using this because it is all in one? Because it has the trace elements in it? I dose Kalk but I am maxed out. i have BRS 2 part stuff on hand, but recently started dosing Tropic Marin A and K - seems like AFR has it all intertwined. Does it raise Mag?

I'm trying to understand why its worth the extra expense vs just two part or even Kalk in a small Low demand tank.

It's really the one and done for me. Alkalinity, Ca, and Mg the trace elements are nice also.

 

[Science/G]

All for Reef!!! Excited to make the change! What say you?

So I’ve read up and watched a ton of videos and of course Reef2reef has nicely put things into perspective regarding the switchover. I’m just curious, what will I learn. What should I learn about this new direction. What have you learned that surprised you? Thanks in advance...

www.reef2reef.com