DIY All-For-Reef Recipe from Tropic Marin! Thanks Zack!

[Keenan]

I've been using this for 2 years and couldn't be happier with the results and ease of use

 

[polyppal]

I use DIY All for Reef too, its great & so easy it feels like cheating

 

[Hermie]

I wish bulk reef would get the pack back in stock

 

[polyppal]

I wish bulk reef would get the pack back in stock

Tropic Marin is backed up on everything RN it seems. Cant even find salt lately!

 

[Shirak]

I wish bulk reef would get the pack back in stock

They have all 4 of the ingredients available individually. I think it works out to the same price roughly if you just buy the same amounts as the 10L package.

 

[Hermie]

They have all 4 of the ingredients available individually. I think it works out to the same price roughly if you just buy the same amounts as the 10L package.

its a 10 dollar difference because one item is not in stock in the 1000ml size

 

[Shirak]

its a 10 dollar difference because one item is not in stock in the 1000ml size

True but only adds $1 liter still much better than the premix liquid or the 5L DIY. Maybe worth it if you are running low. I just received a 10L DIY from BRS a week ago so may be a while before it's available again? Have you tried contacting them?

 

[Hermie]

True but only adds $1 liter still much better than the premix liquid or the 5L DIY. Maybe worth it if you are running low. I just received a 10L DIY from BRS a week ago so may be a while before it's available again? Have you tried contacting them?

I go to their site often and I signed up to be notified when it's in stock. Ultimately I can't justify going to the time-expense of the DIY solution without maximizing the cost savings.

 

[Keenan]

I go to their site often and I signed up to be notified when it's in stock. Ultimately I can't justify going to the time-expense of the DIY solution without maximizing the cost savings.

That's precisely why there are two options. If you can't justify the time, go for the more expensive pre-mixed solution. If you have the time (~1-2 min to measure out into magnetic stirrer) and want to save money, go with DIY

 

[Hermie]

That's precisely why there are two options. If you can't justify the time, go for the more expensive pre-mixed solution. If you have the time (~1-2 min to measure out into magnetic stirrer) and want to save money, go with DIY

my point is that if I'm going out of my way to mix it myself then I want to save that extra 10 bucks

 

[Mikosreef]

I currently have a 90 gal with sump

Total 100gal of water with sump

Daily Dosing BRS 2 part

0 ml magnesium (or very little infrequently)

10ml calcium

20ml liquid soda ash

Current levels
Sg 1.025
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0 to below 5... generally 0

Magnesium 1395 - salifert
Calcium 420 -salifert
Alkalinity 9.3 - salifert



Have a very small bioload
1 blue tang
1 flame angel
2 clowns
1 cleaner shrimp
20 hermit crabs


Filtration/nutrient export

Chaeto in the sump growing well (possibly too well, so i cut down the amount of lighting time)

Sponge filter with aqua clear 1200 powerhead

no skimmer

No algae turf scrubber


Tank has been up for 4 months with no water changes.

No issues with nutrients

No issues with nuisance algae.

Fish are 100% healthy and are fed daily (Mysis 1 cube every 1 to 3 days, nori for the tang, new life spectrum pellets 4 times per day about 20 pellets)

I started dosing phytoplankton about 10ml a couple days ago (seems to have helped the pulsing xenia the most, water looks more clear than before)

My soft corals have been doing good
- zoanthids
- clove polyps
- mushrooms
- xenia (shrunk and stopped pulsing until i started to add phytoplankton this week)
- green star polyps

Hard corals (facing some difficulty)
3 different montis are losing color (attributing this to not having enough trace elements) will need to do an ICP test.


So here are my questions to the panel

- If i go with all for reef, how much would i need to dose per day based on my current 2 part dosing details provided above

- given i am not dosing mag and calcium as much as alk, would the all for reef spike my mag and calcium higher as those 2 elements are not being used up in my tank as much

- given i have low nutrients and no issues with nuisance algae, would this effectively allow me to not make any water changes or reduce it to once every year or 6 months (i will continue to monitor nitrates etc)

Please do not turn this into a YOU MUST DO WATER CHANGES discussion

Thank you all in advance

 

[Shooter6]

I currently have a 90 gal with sump

Total 100gal of water with sump

Daily Dosing BRS 2 part

0 ml magnesium (or very little infrequently)

10ml calcium

20ml liquid soda ash

Current levels
Sg 1.025
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0 to below 5... generally 0

Magnesium 1395 - salifert
Calcium 420 -salifert
Alkalinity 9.3 - salifert



Have a very small bioload
1 blue tang
1 flame angel
2 clowns
1 cleaner shrimp
20 hermit crabs


Filtration/nutrient export

Chaeto in the sump growing well (possibly too well, so i cut down the amount of lighting time)

Sponge filter with aqua clear 1200 powerhead

no skimmer

No algae turf scrubber


Tank has been up for 4 months with no water changes.

No issues with nutrients

No issues with nuisance algae.

Fish are 100% healthy and are fed daily (Mysis 1 cube every 1 to 3 days, nori for the tang, new life spectrum pellets 4 times per day about 20 pellets)

I started dosing phytoplankton about 10ml a couple days ago (seems to have helped the pulsing xenia the most, water looks more clear than before)

My soft corals have been doing good
- zoanthids
- clove polyps
- mushrooms
- xenia (shrunk and stopped pulsing until i started to add phytoplankton this week)
- green star polyps

Hard corals (facing some difficulty)
3 different montis are losing color (attributing this to not having enough trace elements) will need to do an ICP test.


So here are my questions to the panel

- If i go with all for reef, how much would i need to dose per day based on my current 2 part dosing details provided above

- given i am not dosing mag and calcium as much as alk, would the all for reef spike my mag and calcium higher as those 2 elements are not being used up in my tank as much

- given i have low nutrients and no issues with nuisance algae, would this effectively allow me to not make any water changes or reduce it to once every year or 6 months (i will continue to monitor nitrates etc)

Please do not turn this into a YOU MUST DO WATER CHANGES discussion

Thank you all in advance

Id dose 5ml of all for reef, test 12 and 24hrs later. See if theres any fluctuations in alk.
The 1 thing to keep in mind is not all the alk in afr is free instantly, so you may see an increase between the 12 and 24 hr test. Then slowly add a ml or 2 per day to your dose to find yhe right balance.
Expect to tale a week or 2 to fine tune your dosing until you find the right balance.

 

[Opus]

Did I miss the All for Reef on this past shipment? I saw the salt in stock but never saw the AFR show as in stock and never got an alert. I thought the shipment would be more than salt. I didn't even see the regular salt just the Pro version.

 

[Shooter6]

Did I miss the All for Reef on this past shipment? I saw the salt in stock but never saw the AFR show as in stock and never got an alert. I thought the shipment would be more than salt. I didn't even see the regular salt just the Pro version.

No they postponed the release of it for at least another month.
I currently am working with a shop in England, to arrange ordering it in 15000gr (33 pound) containers.
I doubt brs will ever offer that size!

 

[Opus]

No they postponed the release of it for at least another month.
I currently am working with a shop in England, to arrange ordering it in 15000gr (33 pound) containers.
I doubt brs will ever offer that size!

I was actually referring to the pre-made bottles.

 

[Shooter6]

I was actually referring to the pre-made bottles.

Ahh i see didnt realize those were out too

 

[Opus]

Ahh i see didnt realize those were out too

All of the AFR products have been out for awhile. I've been watching several sites. I also would like to pick up a bucket of the regular reef salt and I haven't seen that in stock in months. I've got alerts setup at several dealers and nothing in months.

 

[Biologic]

I heated the 750mls of RO to 175 F with a heated magnetic stirrer for 3+ hours and still couldn’t get the 140g of carbo calcium to fully dissolve. The only way I can get 140g to fully dissolve is with 1500 mls of RO

You could have heated it up to boiling.

Here’s a tip — you’ll never get 140 grams of Carbon Calcium 100% into solution of 750 mL water, there will be a pile of undissolved powder. HOWEVER, when we add the Trace A-, as in a previous post from Hans-Wener Balling, Trace A- and K+ act as chelators and allows the dissolved Carbo-calcium and Bio-Magnesium to move into solution.

Here’s why — the established solubility for Calcium Formate in 100 grams (1 g H2O = 1 mL H2O at STP) of H2O at boiling is 18.4 grams. Or at near freezing 16.1 grams. So let’s take an average of approximately room temperature water of 17 grams per 100 grams of water.

The recipe calls for 140 grams per 750 mL — a rate of 18.7 grams per 100 mL. Greater than the average I provided above. Greater than if you boiled H2O at the greatest limit of solubility.

Now adding the magnesium further limits the ability of the 750 mL of H2O to dissolve into solution. Luckily, just by adding the Trace A- and K+, they move into solution pretty easily.

A stir plate is recommended but it shouldn’t take more than 15 minutes at room temperature to get the maximum of calcium and magnesium into solution. There will be a lot of powder not in solution. Add Trace A- give it a couple minutes and watch the magic. Then Trace K+ finishes it off. Let it mix for a few more and your done. There will be some tiny flakes at the bottom, but don’t worry about that.

 

[Charlie’s Frags]

You could have heated it up to boiling.

Here’s a tip — you’ll never get 140 grams of Carbon Calcium 100% into solution of 750 mL water, there will be a pile of undissolved powder. HOWEVER, when we add the Trace A-, as in a previous post from Hans-Wener Balling, Trace A- and K+ act as chelators and allows the dissolved Carbo-calcium and Bio-Magnesium to move into solution.

Here’s why — the established solubility for Calcium Formate in 100 grams (1 g H2O = 1 mL H2O at STP) of H2O at boiling is 18.4 grams. Or at near freezing 16.1 grams. So let’s take an average of approximately room temperature water of 17 grams per 100 grams of water.

The recipe calls for 140 grams per 750 mL — a rate of 18.7 grams per 100 mL. Greater than the average I provided above. Greater than if you boiled H2O at the greatest limit of solubility.

Now adding the magnesium further limits the ability of the 750 mL of H2O to dissolve into solution. Luckily, just by adding the Trace A- and K+, they move into solution pretty easily.

A stir plate is recommended but it shouldn’t take more than 15 minutes at room temperature to get the maximum of calcium and magnesium into solution. There will be a lot of powder not in solution. Add Trace A- give it a couple minutes and watch the magic. Then Trace K+ finishes it off. Let it mix for a few more and your done. There will be some tiny flakes at the bottom, but don’t worry about that.

Cool
I’ll try that next time I mix it
Thanks

 

[Biologic]

Cool
I’ll try that next time I mix it
Thanks

I haven't tried this myself yet, but if we assume my average I proposed above (17 grams of Calcium Formate per 100 mL of H2O rate = 0.17 g/mL) to 750 mL of water, will yield 127.5 grams of Calcium Formate, nearly 100% will go into solution.

Then, if you add the remaining 12.5 grams for a total of 140 grams per the instructed volume of 750 mL, it will look exactly the same as if you followed the instructions and dumped all 140 grams in all at once. It's because it's beyond it's max saturation in that volume of water until we add Trace A-.

The instructions should be more clear about the solubility until you add Trace K-.