Advice with All for Reef dosing

[Science/G]

This is the recommended routine.

 

[glOckcOma]

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

Nah, the shop I go to is awesome. Strictly reef products and livestock. The owner don't mess around when it comes to his saltwater and RO, really good people. Salinity has never been an issue, always at 1.026 on the refractometer. This shop is the sole reason I got back into the hobby. There is always a constant stream of customers in line for their saltwater.

 

[exnisstech]

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.

Not actually true. I increase my AFR dose amount when I need to increase alkalinity and vice versa if I need to lower it. The instruction do say to get levels where you want them then start all for reef but it can be used to raise them.

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 Lotsnkw demand tank.

Nothing wrong with just kalk, 2part or even just WCs if your able to keep up with demand. I ran this tank for years with nothing but kalk and weekly WCs. I was dosing over 7 liters of fully saturated kalk to keep alk mid 8 dkH and calcium 450ish. The monticaps were my only large consumers. I use regular IO salt

This tank has been on AFR for 13 months. I ran 2part the first year but decided to switch to AFR because of the addition of trace elements and tanks I was seeing using AFR looked good. I've read ESV 2part is supposed to add some trace elements also. I don't do ICP so I have no proof AFR actually raises trace or at what amounts but my corals are looking good and growing so I'm rolling with it. I don't test calcium often but it has always been 450ish I don't test magnesium. I like to keep things simple when possible and don't even run a skimmer, just a reefmat. ARF is just so easy to use and I'm happy with the results so I see no need for anything else in this tank.
This is a couple of months after start up.

Now. Excuse the dirty glass.

 

[BryanM]

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.

The only way I would have gone this route is if the LFS had actual, natural seawater.... Which oddly enough mine does here.

 

[BryanM]

As for advice for dosing AFR, since you're doing water changes I'm not sure there is much of a need to dose AFR.

Mag testing is considered suspect in our hobby. I'd probably do an ICP test and get confirmation that all of your trace elements are in good order, but they certainly should be with your water change practices.

 

[Phil_N_Uponya]

Sorry but, this is not true

I disagree w him as well. AFR PUT my parameters into perfect position.

 

[Idech]

Not actually true. I increase my AFR dose amount when I need to increase alkalinity and vice versa if I need to lower it. The instruction do say to get levels where you want them then start all for reef but it can be used to raise them.

If one parameter is constantly decreasing despite your dosing then yes, you need to increase your AFR. But not to start off, IMO, or you’ll never know how much you should be dosing in the first place.

It’s also cheaper to adjust an odd decrease in parameter with something else, once, then repeatedly upping your dosage. I’m sure people do it in different ways.

 

[Idech]

Sorry but, this is not true

I was about to respond with the same.

You can definitely raise parameters with AFR.

I wasn’t explicit enough in my answer.

 

[seahuy]

IME, I have a 20gal total volume AIO, and I dose 3ml per day.

I have a cheap doser so the increment is in 1ml

My akl would drift up and down as I have to adjust my dosing between 3ml and 4ml but I think my corals are picking up so that might help a bit

 

[glOckcOma]

T

IME, I have a 20gal total volume AIO, and I dose 3ml per day.

I have a cheap doser so the increment is in 1ml

My akl would drift up and down as I have to adjust my dosing between 3ml and 4ml but I think my corals are picking up so that might help a bit

This is the plan. Gonna run 2.5 daily for a few weeks and test every 3 days or so to see where I'm at.

 

[exnisstech]

If one parameter is constantly decreasing despite your dosing then yes, you need to increase your AFR. But not to start off, IMO, or you’ll never know how much you should be dosing in the first place.

It’s also cheaper to adjust an odd decrease in parameter with something else, once, then repeatedly upping your dosage. I’m sure people do it in different ways.

I totally agree. I apologize, I should have stated I moved from ESV so I didn't have to adjust my levels and I knew my consumption rate before starting AFR. Thanks

 

[Idech]

I totally agree. I apologize,

It’s all good !

 

[glOckcOma]

I wasn’t explicit enough in my answer.

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

Sorry, but this is still completely wrong

 

[Idech]

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

Sorry, but this is still completely wrong

I’ve been using it for 2 years+ and this is my reality. When my parameters start to drop, I raise them with other products, then increase my AFR to the new amount needed and go on like that until a new increase is needed.

 

[glOckcOma]

My corals are looking freaken amazing. I need to get my photo skills up. All I can do is take crappy pics lol.

Maybe the Red Sea Coral Pro salt my fish store uses has all the elements necessary.

I think sending in a water sample to ATI to be tested to get true parameters might be a good idea.

Going to run some tests tomorrow after the Saturday morning WC and see if there is a difference from yesterday's tests. Although I have dosed 5ml of AFR between today and yesterday.

 

[glOckcOma]

Parameters after WC and 2 days of dosing AFR at 2.5ml each day;

Salinity: 1.027
Nitrate: 5pmm
Phosphate: 0ppm

Kh: 9.8
Ca: 460
Mg: 1320

I don't know if I should continue to dose or not.

 

[Science/G]

Okay so now your alkalinity is a little high. So, it seems the 2.5 mls is a little much. Try 2 mls daily and your alkalinity should drop down a bit over the next few days. Let your testing guide you to an understanding of daily consumption. Every reefer has there preference based on their goals, coral types, nutrients and lighting. Generally between 8-9 is great. My sweet spot in my mixed reef seems to be between 8.3-8.7 FWIW

 

[BryanM]

I don't know that that alk is too high, it seems ranges from 7-12 are all okay.

I'm with you though, 8.5 is a great target for most people. I think the higher ranges favor SPS dominate tanks.

 

[glOckcOma]

Okay so now your alkalinity is a little high. So, it seems the 2.5 mls is a little much. Try 2 mls daily and your alkalinity should drop down a bit over the next few days. Let your testing guide you to an understanding of daily consumption. Every reefer has there preference based on their goals, coral types, nutrients and lighting. Generally between 8-9 is great. My sweet spot in my mixed reef seems to be between 8.3-8.7 FWIW

I agree, 2mls is what I am going with and test again tomorrow.

I also forgot to mention that the ph is at 8.0, I was hoping it'd be higher with the uptick in Alk.

 

[Science/G]

Remember the alkalinity change will take a few days. The calcium formate used is processed through bacteria then adds to alkalinity.