Critic My Idea Please! AFR Trident 2 part 2 correct.

ajremington68 · Mar 24, 2024

My plan of attack is I want to invest in a trident with the summer and vacations coming, and I want to be able to tune in the micro swings of only testing once a week and then adjusting then. The ultimate goal after I save is putting a dos on my tank as well so the trident can control my levels and keep them as stable as possible. Now I dose All For Reef, which is obviously a trifecta solution and I just focus on my Alk and change my dose weekly based on that and all my other levels sit wherever usually in line with common practices. Now, the real question is can I continue to run All For Reef for a majority of my dosing, and then once I get a dos have both heads hooked up to a simple BRS 2 part for alk and calcium and then have the trident correct and fine-tune my levels? Would I come into problems with this if so how? Also, something I was thinking is does the dos just dose the 2 parts whenever to correct it so could I mix and cause a precipitate of solutions? Also main reason to not switch to full BRS is I have the biggest container of All For Reef powder mix and I haven't even dented it and it was expensive. As well as it does trace elements which in theory helps me get away from water changes for longer. AND I like to think my corals look pretty nice and lots have said more vibrant corals with All For Reef for whatever reason, and they look great so why change now? Appreciate it if you get this far, I tend to rant, but any feedback would be amazing, and if any reefer has done or does this PLEASE let me know how it is or went!

twentyleagues · Mar 24, 2024

From my understanding this wont work the way you want. The reason is it takes time for all for reef to adjust alk levels. So the trident will test show that you may be low and dose alk to your desired level. Then afr kicks in taking your alk higher than you want. Im a noob again so I may not be understanding all the automated testing and dosing but I have been trying to learn the new school ways.

ajremington68 · Mar 24, 2024

twentyleagues said:
From my understanding this wont work the way you want. The reason is it takes time for all for reef to adjust alk levels. So the trident will test show that you may be low and dose alk to your desired level. Then afr kicks in taking your alk higher than you want. Im a noob again so I may not be understanding all the automated testing and dosing but I have been trying to learn the new school ways.

this does make sense in my new reefing brain too tho. maybe if I adjust my doses to dose maybe a hour before the test of the trident I could get the solution in the water and then mixed, and then if it's not up to par it corrects it? Need some big brain fellas to bunk this idea so I don't waste money

ajremington68 · Mar 25, 2024

twentyleagues · Mar 25, 2024

I dose at around 6pm midday of my lighting, If I test that day I test just before. My alk is usually around 8.4-8.7. I have tested in the morning and ran a red sea and Hannah test and seen it as low as 8.2. Then by 530 or 6 its back in range. I get there is a possible test variance of a couple points but I dont think this is the issue. I think its just the "lag" from afr. I could be wrong, I could be way off in my thinking. Hopefully someone with more insight will chime in.

MrGisonni · Mar 26, 2024

Kiss theory. Keep it simple don't worry about micro adjustments. Start the AFR, tune in your alkalinity and let it go. You may need a slight adjustment once in a while as your corals grow. Save your money....buy more livestock.

ajremington68 · Mar 26, 2024

MrGisonni said:
Kiss theory. Keep it simple don't worry about micro adjustments. Start the AFR, tune in your alkalinity and let it go. You may need a slight adjustment once in a while as your corals grow. Save your money....buy more livestock.

I believe in the KISS, but I would just like the redundancy of the test and the knowing that is is once away. As for livestock I'm so overflowing on corals that the second the start growing I will have to frag immediately. Just trying to see if I want to do the dos with the trident, or I could just do the trident and correct my kamoer doser with the AFR as it goes which would be about a 300+++ saver. But just seeing if anyone has done the theory as up above and seeing the pros and cons of it.

twentyleagues · Mar 26, 2024

I get the allure of the auto testing. I am unsure how or if you can incorporate auto dosing handled by the auto testing. Maybe @Randy Holmes-Farley can chime in on thoughts. Since this isnt in the chemistry forum he may not have seen it. I'd really like to know as well not that I plan on getting an auto tester any time soon.