Aquaforest Components 1+2+3+ to All for Reef?

[Coling]

Fellow Reefers,

I have been mixing my own AF Components 1+2+3+ for a few years now and really liked it. However, Aquaforest kH is always sold out, and I love the idea of dosing all of my elements in one solution. I have a kH Guardian so can monitor alk like hawk, but my dosing line for my Component 2+ got clogged and my calcium dropped super low without me noticing (I only test calcium monthly or so). This further fueled my desire to switch over to All for Reef.

Can anyone who switched from Aquaforest to All for Reef share the quantities you dosed of each? The All for Reef is more than double the price/volume of solution, but I'm assuming it is stronger than the home-mixed Aquaforest components? I've read mixing your own is higher potency than the pre-mixed jugs, but not sure to what degree?
Anyways, I'm currently dosing about 130 mL/day of 1+2+3+ and would like to have a baseline for how much All for Reef to start dosing (I will still keep a close eye on the calcium levels during the transition).

Thanks for reading!

Cheers,

Colin

 

[Spare time]

I haven't switched from aquaforest but I do know how you can figure it out.

1. Use the powder. It is the same concentration as the liquid but MUCH cheaper.

2. Use the calculator on tropic marin's website page for all-for-reef. You will need to do a little math but you can figure out the amount of mL to match your current alk (or calcium) consumption. The calculator says something like x mL will raise your alk by 0.28KH per so many gallons/liters.

 

[Coling]

The cost comparison was for the powder form of the All for Reef.

I'm not positive of consumption rate and do not want to stop dosing for a day and have an alk swing to find out. And I would do some math to figure out what my kH consumption is based on the amount of Aquaforest I dose, but I am not positive of the potency of the Aquaforest components when you mix your own. I've read that it is stronger than the premixed, but I haven't found a specific potency (x amount of Component 2 increases the DkH by y amount in 100 liters).

I believe the alkalinity does not originally rise and that it is why they recommend dosing All for Reef based on calcium consumption at first. So if I dose by the amount it states to raise my kH the desired amount wouldn't that cause a temporary kH swing?

 

[Spare time]

The cost comparison was for the powder form of the All for Reef.

I'm not positive of consumption rate and do not want to stop dosing for a day and have an alk swing to find out. And I would do some math to figure out what my kH consumption is based on the amount of Aquaforest I dose, but I am not positive of the potency of the Aquaforest components when you mix your own. I've read that it is stronger than the premixed, but I haven't found a specific potency (x amount of Component 2 increases the DkH by y amount in 100 liters).

I believe the alkalinity does not originally rise and that it is why they recommend dosing All for Reef based on calcium consumption at first. So if I dose by the amount it states to raise my kH the desired amount wouldn't that cause a temporary kH swing?

Its true that it takes a bit for the KH to become noticeable. The calculator mentions both. I dose according to alk as I just wait a day, see where it is, and add a bit more or less from the starting point (the starting point was my daily consumption). I dose 80-100ml of all for reef daily and I add more or less depending on where I am.


I would contact aquaforest to see if they can tell you the potency of your mixes (they should have the answer). Then you can convert this to all for reef mL

 

[vetteguy53081]

I am fortunate to still have the bottles of liquid. Its not the cheapest and I find two part and what I now use " all for reef" is more economical and complements mt salt which is Tropic Marin