Can AWC be adequate for my situation so that I don't need to do 2-part?

[good.reef]

Telling someone that if they don't want to test their water regularly that they shouldn't be in the hobby is ludicrous.

This is my tank (first saltwater tank) that's been running for 10 months and I haven't done a single test in 9 months. Everything in it (some very expensive pieces) have grown and are thriving. I do a 15% PWC every 2-3 weeks.

 

[spectreknight]

Nice elegance, gold torch, and gold hammer.


I am running a 3% daily AWC and still need to dose alkalinity and calcium daily to keep up. I do have mostly LPS, but I think over time your Alkalinity will still drop as you want a few LPS and they will consume it as well as calcium. And even if you use a salt with elevated levels it will never get the tank alkalinity and calcium back to the levels you want as it is being used and not all the water is being replaced. Sure if you go with red sea pro you could maybe get away with many months of not dosing but still eventually you will need to dose as the levels are constantly dropping and not being replenished to the original value of the new water.

I think if you tested alkalinity and calcium every day for 5 to 10 days without adding anything you will have a very good idea of what your tank consumes. Then you may find that an elevated salt mix will last you quite some time on an AWC setup, then when you estimate the level should be around what you want it to be test again and see. If your consumption stayed, it probably won't as your LPS grow, and it will probably be lower than what you want. At that time do a larger manual water change and get the levels back up. Just remember that your levels won't be at the elevated numbers so it will not go as long before needing another larger water change.

It is honestly easier to just get a couple of inexpensive dosing pumps and set it up to dose 2 part of some type.

Oh and if you do start doing AWC and you want a lot of softies. I would test for Nitrate and phosphate and make sure you are not getting the water too clean. When I first started AWC I only tested alkalinity and calcium. And one day I noticed a hammer wasn't fully open so I ran the battery of tests and found my nitrate was not measurable with my red sea kit so it was below 2, and my ULR phosphate checker read .03. It is possible to get the water too clean.

Good luck as I get your desire to make the hobby a little easier.

Just remember there is lazy, and "the right kind of lazy."

 

[dankaqua]

But since I'll be start dosing I think it shouldn't be problem with starting to dabble with acros ? I

I think it's a good to have as a goal... in other words, start out slow with some soft corals, let that run for several months (or more!) and, making sure that your levels (Ca, Mg, dKH, etc) are stable, then add in some LPS (gradually). And if all goes well, try an SPS coral or two...

Let your reef tank be your teacher. It will tell you how well you are doing. Keep up with your maintenance and testing and see how it works for you.

It really sucks when a coral does poorly and ends up dead. Don't set yourself up for the heartbreak by rushing into things. I think you are heading in the right direction now, but hope you will continue with a slow and steady pace.

Qapla'!

 

[Tuffloud1]

I’ve been running the Neptune DOS for AWC, changing out 1 gallon per day for the last 5 years - every 10 minutes 24/7.

No issues whatsoever with salinity drift.

Never below 1.025 and never above 1.026.

Easy to adjust with your new salt batch.

 

[JohnIsNewToReefKeeping]

I think it's a good to have as a goal... in other words, start out slow with some soft corals, let that run for several months (or more!) and, making sure that your levels (Ca, Mg, dKH, etc) are stable, then add in some LPS (gradually). And if all goes well, try an SPS coral or two...

Let your reef tank be your teacher. It will tell you how well you are doing. Keep up with your maintenance and testing and see how it works for you.

It really sucks when a coral does poorly and ends up dead. Don't set yourself up for the heartbreak by rushing into things. I think you are heading in the right direction now, but hope you will continue with a slow and steady pace.

Qapla'!

yeah i agree

 

[JohnIsNewToReefKeeping]

Nice elegance, gold torch, and gold hammer.


I am running a 3% daily AWC and still need to dose alkalinity and calcium daily to keep up. I do have mostly LPS, but I think over time your Alkalinity will still drop as you want a few LPS and they will consume it as well as calcium. And even if you use a salt with elevated levels it will never get the tank alkalinity and calcium back to the levels you want as it is being used and not all the water is being replaced. Sure if you go with red sea pro you could maybe get away with many months of not dosing but still eventually you will need to dose as the levels are constantly dropping and not being replenished to the original value of the new water.

I think if you tested alkalinity and calcium every day for 5 to 10 days without adding anything you will have a very good idea of what your tank consumes. Then you may find that an elevated salt mix will last you quite some time on an AWC setup, then when you estimate the level should be around what you want it to be test again and see. If your consumption stayed, it probably won't as your LPS grow, and it will probably be lower than what you want. At that time do a larger manual water change and get the levels back up. Just remember that your levels won't be at the elevated numbers so it will not go as long before needing another larger water change.

It is honestly easier to just get a couple of inexpensive dosing pumps and set it up to dose 2 part of some type.

Oh and if you do start doing AWC and you want a lot of softies. I would test for Nitrate and phosphate and make sure you are not getting the water too clean. When I first started AWC I only tested alkalinity and calcium. And one day I noticed a hammer wasn't fully open so I ran the battery of tests and found my nitrate was not measurable with my red sea kit so it was below 2, and my ULR phosphate checker read .03. It is possible to get the water too clean.

Good luck as I get your desire to make the hobby a little easier.

Just remember there is lazy, and "the right kind of lazy."

this here is why I posted this thread to get valuable insight from people who are actually doing AWC and their opinions on it. not people who think they know everything just because they read something some where

 

[guysmiley]

But

But doesnt the ato replace the evaporated water with fresh water thus leaving the salinity the same?

YES IT DOES! i think a lot of people are confusing ato automatic top off with awc automatic water change, the link you posted does both using 2 sensors one monitoring sump level and tops up with fresh water from your fresh water top off the other sensor works on water changes its programed to do both jobs so theoretically your salinity will stay the same but youd still want to test it occasionally because even your salt mix water will have evaporation , you could lessen that by having a lid with a breather hole. ps I have one of those toys sitting there but havnt set it up yet lol ..you still probably need to dose some elements having lps , (think it was randy holmes) stated unless you are doing massive water changes ie 40+% per day you wont keep up with the corals demands on a moderately stocked system.. . now if you decided to set up dosing pumps or the like youd be onto a winner..

 

[dankaqua]

I’ve been running the Neptune DOS for AWC, changing out 1 gallon per day for the last 5 years - every 10 minutes 24/7.

No issues whatsoever with salinity drift.

Never below 1.025 and never above 1.026.

Easy to adjust with your new salt batch.

Tuffloud1, are you also doing ATO? And are you using an Apex to monitor your salinity and programmatically adjust it?

 

[Radman73]

I’ve been running the Neptune DOS for AWC, changing out 1 gallon per day for the last 5 years - every 10 minutes 24/7.

No issues whatsoever with salinity drift.

Never below 1.025 and never above 1.026.

Easy to adjust with your new salt batch.

This was my experience as well. Very stable salinity so I think those concerns are largely unfounded. Besides, testing salinity takes all of 1 minute, I doubt that the OP was referring to salinity when he said he wanted to avoid testing lol!

OP, give it a shot and let others know your experience, good or bad. This is how people learn in the hobby.

 

[Tuffloud1]

Tuffloud1, are you also doing ATO? And are you using an Apex to monitor your salinity and programmatically adjust it?

I run a Tunze 3155.

I trust the Tunze because it has proven itself worthy of my trust over the last 6 years so I see no need to have Apex control my ATO.

I do however have the Tunze plugged into an EB8 on my Apex programmed to turn it off if a separate float valve connected to a breakout box opens (water level higher than the back up float valve of the Tunze).

I really don’t understand what anyone is talking about when they get salinity drift from an ATO.

I’ve gone almost a year without testing salinity and it was never outside of 1.025-1.026.

If you have a smaller system, then salinity drift is probably more of an issue.

 

[JohnIsNewToReefKeeping]

This was my experience as well. Very stable salinity so I think those concerns are largely unfounded. Besides, testing salinity takes all of 1 minute, I doubt that the OP was referring to salinity when he said he wanted to avoid testing lol!

OP, give it a shot and let others know your experience, good or bad. This is how people learn in the hobby.

After thinking a bit more I think that it will be a lot more cost effective to just run carbo-calcium. Also heard that if I set my calcium and alk at the levels I like it at, it will stay at those levels and be pretty stable.

 

[Tuffloud1]

Only reasons I can think of for salinity drift would be:

Wet skimming like crazy

Auto water change pumps not calibrated

You are not mixing your NSW to correct salinity and allowing to settle.

You are dosing insane amounts of 2 part.

You have an insane amount of salt creep going on.

You literally have a pinhole leak somewhere on your system.

 

[JohnIsNewToReefKeeping]

Only reasons I can think of for salinity drift would be:

Wet skimming like crazy

Auto water change pumps not calibrated

You are not mixing your NSW to correct salinity and allowing to settle.

You are dosing insane amounts of 2 part.

You have an insane amount of salt creep going on.

I was thinking the same thing.