Daktari
New Member
Hello fellow reefers,
We have an AIO LPS dominant reef tank (45G or 170L, Red Sea Max-E 170, with a back sump) which is doing good.
The growth of the corals has been really kicking in since we test daily KH and often Calcium (couple o' times a week), accordingly adapting dosing of these elements. NO3, PO4, Mg and Ph are measured 2 times a week (2 times to check if there isn't a measure error).
We dose (with an automatic doser) the Red Sea Foundation A (Ca), B (KH) and Nopox (carbon source) on a daily base. Once weekly we dose the Red Sea trace colors A, B, C and D in function of the calcium consumption (Red Sea recipe).
Water change about 20% each 2-3 weeks (Red Sea Coral pro, but we will change to Red Sea blue bucket).
When we're on holiday (max. 2-3 weeks), there is no testing and thus no dosing adaptation. That worries us for eventual drifting of the KH and Calcium concentrations during our absence. There's a person who comes to feed the fish, empty the skimmer cup and check the water level (we have an ATO with a big RODI water reservoir), but we can't ask for more.
Are there people who automated KH testing and dosing and Calcium testing and dosing on an AIO tank? I think that if we would automate testing and dosing of at least KH and maybe consider Calcium auto testing in a second time if necessary, it would be more of a reassurance when we're on vacation. We're aware that things can go wrong with automatic testers also, but can it reduce the risks significantly?
What is your experience with automatic testing/dosing on an AIO tank?
KH and Calcium appear to us as the 2 most important chemical parameters, with stability of KH being the most important of the 2, at least in our experience.
Those automatic testers have a high upfront cost, but if it could save corals it would pay off in the long run.
We were thinking of an Alkatronic for instance, or maybe a KH keeper or Keeper Plus. We could hang it on the wall behind the tank (taking into account the maximum height between the water source and the automatic tester). The trustworthiness plays a role, also the ease to get reagents and spare parts and have a good customer service (we live in Belgium, Europe). Standalone function, user friendliness, and being able to follow-up the measurements and dosing via smartphone while abroad would be a plus. I we could put a system in the cabinet under the tank, that would be a plus too). PS: there is no sump under the cabinet, the water to test wil have to come from the back sump.
Happy reefing!
We have an AIO LPS dominant reef tank (45G or 170L, Red Sea Max-E 170, with a back sump) which is doing good.
The growth of the corals has been really kicking in since we test daily KH and often Calcium (couple o' times a week), accordingly adapting dosing of these elements. NO3, PO4, Mg and Ph are measured 2 times a week (2 times to check if there isn't a measure error).
We dose (with an automatic doser) the Red Sea Foundation A (Ca), B (KH) and Nopox (carbon source) on a daily base. Once weekly we dose the Red Sea trace colors A, B, C and D in function of the calcium consumption (Red Sea recipe).
Water change about 20% each 2-3 weeks (Red Sea Coral pro, but we will change to Red Sea blue bucket).
When we're on holiday (max. 2-3 weeks), there is no testing and thus no dosing adaptation. That worries us for eventual drifting of the KH and Calcium concentrations during our absence. There's a person who comes to feed the fish, empty the skimmer cup and check the water level (we have an ATO with a big RODI water reservoir), but we can't ask for more.
Are there people who automated KH testing and dosing and Calcium testing and dosing on an AIO tank? I think that if we would automate testing and dosing of at least KH and maybe consider Calcium auto testing in a second time if necessary, it would be more of a reassurance when we're on vacation. We're aware that things can go wrong with automatic testers also, but can it reduce the risks significantly?
What is your experience with automatic testing/dosing on an AIO tank?
KH and Calcium appear to us as the 2 most important chemical parameters, with stability of KH being the most important of the 2, at least in our experience.
Those automatic testers have a high upfront cost, but if it could save corals it would pay off in the long run.
We were thinking of an Alkatronic for instance, or maybe a KH keeper or Keeper Plus. We could hang it on the wall behind the tank (taking into account the maximum height between the water source and the automatic tester). The trustworthiness plays a role, also the ease to get reagents and spare parts and have a good customer service (we live in Belgium, Europe). Standalone function, user friendliness, and being able to follow-up the measurements and dosing via smartphone while abroad would be a plus. I we could put a system in the cabinet under the tank, that would be a plus too). PS: there is no sump under the cabinet, the water to test wil have to come from the back sump.
Happy reefing!
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