All for Reef frustration—Help?

[Acros]

That could definitely have an effect on your parameters.

 

[Hooz]

Dosing 1ml a day seems awfully low. When I was dosing manually in the morning, I noticed that my alk would actually spike in the afternoon/evening (delayed release). I put my AFR on a dosing pump and split it into 6 equal doses (every 4 hours) through the day and things are MUCH more consistent, and I even had to dose more to maintain the levels I wanted.

My tank is a Nuvo 30L that holds exactly 20g of actual water (filled it with measured buckets so I would know for sure). I dose 5.4ml per day (.9ml every 4 hours) and my numbers stay pretty spot on. Just did an ICP test a week ago and calcium and magnesium are good as well.

FWIW - I only noticed the alk "lag" for the first week or so after I started dosing, but I still always dose the same amount for 3 days straight before testing and adjusting.

 

[Lyss]

Dosing 1ml a day seems awfully low. When I was dosing manually in the morning, I noticed that my alk would actually spike in the afternoon/evening (delayed release). I put my AFR on a dosing pump and split it into 6 equal doses (every 4 hours) through the day and things are MUCH more consistent, and I even had to dose more to maintain the levels I wanted.

My tank is a Nuvo 30L that holds exactly 20g of actual water (filled it with measured buckets so I would know for sure). I dose 5.4ml per day (.9ml every 4 hours) and my numbers stay pretty spot on. Just did an ICP test a week ago and calcium and magnesium are good as well.

FWIW - I only noticed the alk "lag" for the first week or so after I started dosing, but I still always dose the same amount for 3 days straight before testing and adjusting.

Well, my tank is 20g total, including the sump on the back, and I'm sure the water volume is lower than 20g given rocks and sand. Plus, I only have 3 LPS corals, and the rest are softies. My alk drops about 1 dkh each day, which is small but just enough that it will swing more than I'd like in a week or two between water changes, so I dose (and I'd prefer to be doing water changes every 2-3 wks TBH).

That said, my real issue is that my calcium consumption is much more than alk, and I'm assuming that is due to the calcifying macroalgae. I am planning to experiment with increasing the dose a little at a time to keep calcium a bit higher and where my salt mixes to, and see what that does to alk. If I continue to have issues I may need to remove that macroalgae. Honestly, these issues began after I added the algae so it very well could be that just removing it would resolve things, though I'd like to be able to keep it.

 

[Hooz]

Well, my tank is 20g total, including the sump on the back, and I'm sure the water volume is lower than 20g given rocks and sand. Plus, I only have 3 LPS corals, and the rest are softies. My alk drops about 1 dkh each day, which is small but just enough that it will swing more than I'd like in a week or two between water changes, so I dose (and I'd prefer to be doing water changes every 2-3 wks TBH).

That said, my real issue is that my calcium consumption is much more than alk, and I'm assuming that is due to the calcifying macroalgae. I am planning to experiment with increasing the dose a little at a time to keep calcium a bit higher and where my salt mixes to, and see what that does to alk. If I continue to have issues I may need to remove that macroalgae. Honestly, these issues began after I added the algae so it very well could be that just removing it would resolve things, though I'd like to be able to keep it.

You dosing with a pump or manually? Switching to a pump made things so much better. I know you CAN dose it all at once, but splitting it up through the day is a lot more consistent.

 

[Lyss]

You dosing with a pump or manually? Switching to a pump made things so much better. I know you CAN dose it all at once, but splitting it up through the day is a lot more consistent.

Manually but I just got a pump that I need to set up. I think that will make a big difference, too!

 

[Hans-Werner]

That said, my real issue is that my calcium consumption is much more than alk, and I'm assuming that is due to the calcifying macroalgae.

More than 90 % of the All-For-Reef users seeing non-stoichiometric consumption see a rise in calcium relative to alkalinity. This also seems the general trend in stoichiometric calcium and alkalinity supply, also with Balling.

Coralline red algae should rather consume more alkalinity than calcium and maybe a bit more magnesium.

Since the trends in your tank seems different I recommend to be careful with counter measures and rather continue watching a bit whether it continues and look for potential other causes like salinity or artifacts by testing.

 

[Lyss]

More than 90 % of the All-For-Reef users seeing non-stoichiometric consumption see a rise in calcium relative to alkalinity. This also seems the general trend in stoichiometric calcium and alkalinity supply, also with Balling.

Coralline red algae should rather consume more alkalinity than calcium and maybe a bit more magnesium.

Since the trends in your tank seems different I recommend to be careful with counter measures and rather continue watching a bit whether it continues and look for potential other causes like salinity or artifacts by testing.

Oh, it’s not coralline though I do have a lot of that. I purchased some halimeda and received a big bunch of it that I separated into three smaller bunches and added those to my DT. It grows like a weed and eats up calcium like crazy. The issue started after I’d added it so my assumption is that this could be throwing things off balance.

 

[design.maddie]

I dose 20ml per 200l daily 45 minutes before lights. My Cal is 430, Alk 8.7-8.9, Mag 1350. It hasn't changed once in 18 months. It did take 6-8 weeks to balance out.

 

[Hans-Werner]

Oh, it’s not coralline though I do have a lot of that. I purchased some halimeda and received a big bunch of it that I separated into three smaller bunches and added those to my DT. It grows like a weed and eats up calcium like crazy.

It is like the previous post also states, in some tanks things balance out by themselfes. In our tanks we saw a slight rise in magnesium concentrations when starting to dose All-For-Reef, but when coralline algae started to grow on the elevated magnesium concentrations it balanced out soon.

If concentrations don't balance out by themselfes there is still the possibility to correct them with regular or occasional corrections.

 

[mforde]

It is like the previous post also states, in some tanks things balance out by themselfes. In our tanks we saw a slight rise in magnesium concentrations when starting to dose All-For-Reef, but when coralline algae started to grow on the elevated magnesium concentrations it balanced out soon.

If concentrations don't balance out by themselfes there is still the possibility to correct them with regular or occasional corrections.

Hans, reading along. Just starting to dose all-for-reef. I was wondering what the most effect dosing schedule would be. I have a 30gal tank with small frags. If my dosage is 6ml per day is it best to dose all at once in the morning or spread that out equally throughout the day? Will smaller 1ml doses spread out have the same impact?

 

[Hooz]

Hans, reading along. Just starting to dose all-for-reef. I was wondering what the most effect dosing schedule would be. I have a 30gal tank with small frags. If my dosage is 6ml per day is it best to dose all at once in the morning or spread that out equally throughout the day? Will smaller 1ml doses spread out have the same impact?

I'm not Hans, but I can relate my own personal experience.

I dialed in my dose using the once a day, manual method. Once I put it on a pump and split it into 6 (every 4 hours) doses, I did have to bump up the total amount a bit to hit the ALK number I was shooting for, but ALK is also more stable through the day (when testing morning and evening).

Either way works, but the multiple, smaller doses gives more stability throughout the day.

 

[Lyss]

I'm not Hans, but I can relate my own personal experience.

I dialed in my dose using the once a day, manual method. Once I put it on a pump and split it into 6 (every 4 hours) doses, I did have to bump up the total amount a bit to hit the ALK number I was shooting for, but ALK is also more stable through the day (when testing morning and evening).

Either way works, but the multiple, smaller doses gives more stability throughout the day.

What time of day were you dosing when doing the once-a-day manual dose?

 

[Hooz]

What time of day were you dosing when doing the once-a-day manual dose?

I would test ALK at 8am every morning (lights on at 8:30) and then dose after the test. On a whim, I tested ALK again one afternoon (about 6:00pm) and it was significantly higher than the number I got that same morning. That's when I bought a dosing pump and split it up.

Now I can test any time of the day and my ALK number is very close to the previous test.

 

[Acros]

I would test ALK at 8am every morning (lights on at 8:30) and then dose after the test. On a whim, I tested ALK again one afternoon (about 6:00pm) and it was significantly higher than the number I got that same morning. That's when I bought a dosing pump and split it up.

Now I can test any time of the day and my ALK number is very close to the previous test.

How far apart are you splitting the doses? My tank is taking up more alk now and I am considering dosing multiple times a day. Right now I dose 4ml (18 gallons real water volume) 3 hours before lights on. I have kamoer dosing pump.

 

[uhgster1]

I’m dosing 5 ml a day in my 13.5 gallon mixed reef. My "problem" is 0 nitrates, without a skimmer. I think you need to stay the course a little longer and try not to obsess over the numbers.

 

[Lyss]

I began increasing the dose until I saw calcium staying steady, but I am still seeing slight increases in alk -- it raises about .1 or .2 every few days, but now calcium is more stable in the right range to match water changes. IDK.

For reference, my salt mixes at about 8.2 and I was keeping my tank at about 8.5 dkh. After a few weeks of dosing AFR and no water change, my alk will test slightly more until it's at 10. It is definitely slowly increasing w/the AFR. If I don't dose, Calcium and magnesium dip enough to cause problems. But I've been dosing AFR for many months now and this seemed to even out for me -- then I added that halimeda and everything went out of whack again.

 

[Hooz]

How far apart are you splitting the doses? My tank is taking up more alk now and I am considering dosing multiple times a day. Right now I dose 4ml (18 gallons real water volume) 3 hours before lights on. I have kamoer dosing pump.

When I started the dosing pump, I was doing 4x a day (every 6 hours, even while lights were off). I eventually settled on 6x a day (every 4 hours). I have one dose set at lights on (8:30am), then offset the other doses every 4 hours before and after.

My dose is an odd number to split 6 times (5.7ml), so I'll post a screenshot of how my dosing is setup.

 

[Hooz]

When I started the dosing pump, I was doing 4x a day (every 6 hours, even while lights were off). I eventually settled on 6x a day (every 4 hours). I have one dose set at lights on (8:30am), then offset the other doses every 4 hours before and after.

My dose is an odd number to split 6 times (5.7ml), so I'll post a screenshot of how my dosing is setup.

5.4ml (6x .9ml) wasn't quite enough, but 6ml (6x 1ml) was too much.

 

[JachPot]

My sample size is small, but might be a tiny bit relevant. I'm also dosing in a 13.5. I'm dosing 2.5ml daily because my numbers were a bit low. Once they settle in the "right" spots, I was going to work on maintaining instead of upping.


First test: 2/16/2022
KH: 7.7-8.0
Calc: 330
Magnesium:1260-1290


Second test: 2/20/2022
KH: 8.3-8.6
Calc: 350-360
Magnesium:1260-1290

So after 4 days of dosing, that was my gain. I put the ranges because the Saliferts are good, but there's still a bit of "could be this or that" with them. Not too important if you're within the right ranges, so I don't obsess over it.

My 13.5 has 2 hammers, 3 acans, 3 favia, 5 zoas, 1 cyphastrea, 1 monti, 1 stylo in it total. If that helps you with my coral load. They are all frags though. (1-2 zoa heads, 1 head per hammer, quarter size favia, 2-4 head acans, etc)

 

[Acros]

I hadn't considered dosing throughout the day. I can confirm that I also saw a change in alk testing (done at the same time) when my doser was set to dose 3 times during the photoperiod.