Alk and Calcium auto dosing

[Charlie’s Frags]

I’m curious how you guys/gals keep alk/cal/mag stable with a doser. My acros are healthy, happy, and growing fast, absorb a different amount of the big 3 everyday. Some days it’s 1.0 dKH and some days it’s 0.3 or 0.6 etc. I feel like it would be more unstable if I was just adding the same amount everyday with a doser calrx.

 

[tupes]

Let's answer a couple questions first.

• Why do you dose?
• Have you tested your water a couple days around the same time of day before you started dosing?
• What products are you using to dose?

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

I test my alk evernight at midnight and dose polyplab ONE to bring my alk to 7

 

[tupes]

Are you dosing Ca, Mag, and Kh?

Some days corals will grow at different rates causing them to consume different amounts of elements.

As long as you are in acceptable ranges for ca, mag, and kh you will be ok.

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

Polyplab ONE is an all 3 in one product.

 

[tupes]

Personally I would discontinue use of that because you're corals use different amounts of each one so you don't need to dose the exact same amount of each element. You need to figure out how much each element is being absorbed and then dose that much of them separately. Yes it will cost a bit more but you will get better results

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

I’m not having any problems
My acros look amazing
This product delivers all 3 in perfect balance
7.0 alk
400 cal
1300-1350 mag every time I test
My original question was how do other reefers that don’t test everyday, like I do, and just have an auto doser add 10ml or 100 ml keep their systems stable and balanced. Because mine in absorbing different amount everyday.

 

[tupes]

When I first got into the hobby I was hand dosing. But I got away from it and just maintained parameters with water changes.

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

When I first got into the hobby I was hand dosing. But I got away from it and just maintained parameters with water changes.

That’s not an option with 30+ acros. And I’m not looking for another option because my system is working. It takes daily diligence but i actually enjoy testing alk everyday. I was just wondering how others can keep big 3 stability with a set dose when my tank is consuming different quatities every day.

 

[Will Wohlers]

Even when you autodose your number will fluctuate slightly everyday. If you were to start autodosing you would set the doser to dose the average amount that you're manually dosing currently. Then keep testing your alk every night like you do and as long as its staying within acceptable ranges then leave it, but if it starts dropping to low before the next dose then you bump the doser up a couple ml a day and start the testing and watching period again. A doser isn't going to keep perfect numbers everyday because of the reason you're finding. Corals absorb different amounts based on different variables everyday. It's all about the doser keeping it within an acceptable range. The only way to keep rock solid numbers would be a ca reactor or if we're still talking dosing then a product like the kh guardian which tests your water multiple times a day and makes the dosing adjustments for you. Hope this helps
Will Wohlers

 

[Deiblerj]

I read somewhere on here that an easy was to get started is to test your tank, dose to the amount you want, test again, then wait 4 days. Test your tank and calculate the changed amount (new number - number from 4 days ago) divide this by 4 and you get your daily intake. I’m sure it will fluctuate but should keep your tank fairly stable. Worth a shot in my opinion

 

[TMB]

That’s not an option with 30+ acros. And I’m not looking for another option because my system is working. It takes daily diligence but i actually enjoy testing alk everyday. I was just wondering how others can keep big 3 stability with a set dose when my tank is consuming different quatities every day.

I think the short answer is that most people don't control it to an exact number at all time. Probably more likely that they "float" around in an acceptable range of something like +- .5 Dkh, or maybe even +- 1 Dkh over a longer span.
I have a ton of stuff in the mix when it comes to supplementation/dossing. I have a Carx that is rock solid constant (Apex control, high end Co2 regulator, and Masterflex pump). I also have a 2 part dosser set up that is controlled by apex to dose during the highest consumption part of the day.
I also have an Alkatronic testing Alk 6 times a day, so I am way past daily testing, I know the value almost continuously, and have had it testing as much as every 2 hours. My max swing is .2 over the course of a day, and .4 over the span of months.
I also have 100+ acros in my 400g system, so high consumption is pretty much a given, and the reason I monitor so closely.
Even with all this in place, I still float around a little.

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

I think the short answer is that most people don't control it to an exact number at all time. Probably more likely that they "float" around in an acceptable range of something like +- .5 Dkh, or maybe even +- 1 Dkh over a longer span.
I have a ton of stuff in the mix when it comes to supplementation/dossing. I have a Carx that is rock solid constant (Apex control, high end Co2 regulator, and Masterflex pump). I also have a 2 part dosser set up that is controlled by apex to dose during the highest consumption part of the day.
I also have an Alkatronic testing Alk 6 times a day, so I am way past daily testing, I know the value almost continuously, and have had it testing as much as every 2 hours. My max swing is .2 over the course of a day, and .4 over the span of months.
I also have 100+ acros in my 400g system, so high consumption is pretty much a given, and the reason I monitor so closely.
Even with all this in place, I still float around a little.

How do you like that alkatronic? That’s what I plan on moving up to when my current method doesn’t cut it

 

[TMB]

I love it! I would not run a high end system without it. By high end I mean if I intended on keeping big $$ corals.

The thing is really cool for helping me understand what changes effect consumption, and when the things I'm doing interrupt stability/growth.
When I get to messing around in the tank too much, I can see consumption go down, and Alk rise. Granted the change isn't huge, but I can see it.
KH monitoring is also what clued me into the daily swing, or difference in consumption from day to night. That's why I started compensating during lights on, to smooth out the daily swing.
The other side of KH monitoring is the ability to catch a crash before it happens.
Alkatronic has literally told me something is wrong 2 times in the last year that would have (or could have) wiped out my system.

So when all is good, it starts to feel like it's unnecessary, and a waste of money. When things are coasting along really well, I sometimes consider backing off, and testing less times per day. However when something bad starts to happen, and it saves my butt, and I'm reminded to let it test!

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

It’s a stand alone unit right? Does it need a controller or doser?

 

[TMB]

Yup, stand alone. It has a doser built in that "can" add Alk if you wish, but I don't use that doser head at all. It isn't designed to be used all the time, just for emergency additions until you can correct some other problem.
It also does put out a signal that Apex reads through a PH port. I do have Alkatronic reporting Dkh to Apex so I can see it in fusion App.

 

[Zohar78]

so freaking cool. so when reported to apex, how does it know how much to dose? or you set doeser to dose an average a day ? im hoping to get an apex and eventually the tester neptune is coming out with.

 

[TMB]

so freaking cool. so when reported to apex, how does it know how much to dose? or you set doeser to dose an average a day ? im hoping to get an apex and eventually the tester neptune is coming out with.

I don't have Alkatronic dosing anything. I just use the feedback it provides to set up my Carx and Dosing Pumps.

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

That’s so nice. If I ever stop spending money on acros I could probably do something like this.

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

“Brawndo, it’s got what plants crave”
One of the all time best stupid movies