Does anyone dose Tropic Marins All for Reef or familiar with it????

Natescorals

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Someone suggested I dose the All For Reef. Because my chaeto kept dying. Also my calcium was dropping quite rapidly. I think this product contains iron. Also I noticed it contains a lot more calcium than alkalinity. This product doesn’t seem to raise alkalinity at all. Before dosing my calcium was at 380. Dkh was at 9. A day after dosing this all for reef. Calcium jumped up to 420 and stayed at 9. This all for reef seems confusing because parameters aren’t stable when using it. You need to use the balling part a and b also. Which is the calcium and the alkalinity. So if you notice alkalinity is dropping then you should dose the all for reef and add a little bit more of the balling B. Which is the alkalinity. That way you get a little bit more alkalinity and you also get the trace elements and the magnesium. It’s just very confusing and expensive when you can just dose everything separately anyways. All for reef won’t help you get your levels to where you want them? Can someone please weigh in on this?
 

Brandon Smith

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I am getting ready to start using it. It should be raising your alk depending on how much you are dosing. It will probably take a few weeks for all of your parameters to balance out. I would recommend watching your alkalinity, and concentrate on keeping it stable. I have heard a lot of great things about it, that is why I am going to give it a shot.
 

Wtyson254

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I use it, it works well. The all levels can lag some because it can take some time for the alk component to get converted by tank bacteria to bicarbonate
 

Waynerock

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Been using for the last few months after using 2 part for years. It took a few days for the Alk to show up. I used the 2 part to get the numbers where I wanted them and AFR keeps everything rock solid. I dose 12ml a day for 65 gallons heavily stocked mixed reef. About once a week I got to dose a little more Alk 2 part because Alk will drop from 9.1 to 8.6. Besides that very happy with the prouduct. It’s best used to keep numbers stable not really to increase.
 

Rybren

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Remember that All For Reef is not a product designed to raise Alk or Calcium. It is a balanced additive used to maintain the levels that you have.

If your current levels are not where you want them, you should use the Alk or Calcium portion of a 2-part to attain your desired levels and then use AFR to maintain those levels.
 

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I use it on my 120 with Trident auto-adjusted dosing, use about 24 ML a day. It's expensive but it pegs Alk at 8.25, Cal 474, MG 1365. I removed the 2nd doser now only run all for reef and AB+. I like the fact that it has simplified my setup and the tank has responded very well. Going to look at the DIY version to save some cost.
 

Rybren

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I tried it instead of 2 part Reeflowers for one bottle, it worked out very expensive for me so back to 2 part.

If you can find the CarboCalcium powder, it is a cost-effective alternative to the pre-mixed AFR. Granted, it doesn't have all of the trace elements, but they can be added to create your own DIY AFR.

A 700g bottle of CarboCalcium powder cost me $28Cdn and it makes ~5L of solution. My 120G mixed reef requires 26ml per day to maintain 8dKH and 460 Ca.
 
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I tried it instead of 2 part Reeflowers for one bottle, it worked out very expensive for me so back to 2 part.

This has always been one of the draw backs. Super awesome product but cost prohibitive for larger tanks. I believe even BRStv noted this in one of their dosing comparison tests.

The good news is that there is a DIY recipe they provided that reduces the total cost and makes it affordable / reasonable for larger systems. I'm getting ready to switch to it from ESV 2 part.
 
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Natescorals

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I use it on my 120 with Trident auto-adjusted dosing, use about 24 ML a day. It's expensive but it pegs Alk at 8.25, Cal 474, MG 1365. I removed the 2nd doser now only run all for reef and AB+. I like the fact that it has simplified my setup and the tank has responded very well. Going to look at the DIY version to save some cost.
Why does it raise the calcium but not the alkalinity?
 
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Natescorals

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It’s perfect for me since all I have is soft corals like GSP, zoas and mushrooms. I also have Duncan’s. And torch frogspawn and hammers. I just don’t understand why it’s raising the calcium so high? Will using all for reef cause an overdose of calcium?
 
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Natescorals

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So when using the recommended dose of all for reef what are the parameters supposed to be? I’m confused by this?
 

Hydrored

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The question is are your parameters where you want them now and what is your daily uptake of Alkalinity? I would not use all for reef unless your parameters are at a point you are happy. It has not made my calcium spike at all, just keeps them where I want it. I really only focus on my alkalinity, the Trident just gives me a readout of all 3.

I look at all for reef as a product to maintain your levels, I dose all new salt water batches to my current alk as all for reef will increase your other parameters more than alk
 
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jschultzbass

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It’s perfect for me since all I have is soft corals like GSP, zoas and mushrooms. I also have Duncan’s. And torch frogspawn and hammers. I just don’t understand why it’s raising the calcium so high? Will using all for reef cause an overdose of calcium?
This is probably your answer. If all you have is soft corals then something is taking up your alkalinity but not your calcium. Soft corals do not need calcium or alkalinity. If you have coralline algae I know this will take up alk but not calcium. If I were you I'd just test every few days and adjust with two part if need be. Most soft coral tanks don't use any supplements and just use water changes to replenish since soft corals don't use alk and calc since they don't have a hard shell to make..
 

jschultzbass

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This is probably your answer. If all you have is soft corals then something is taking up your alkalinity but not your calcium. Soft corals do not need calcium or alkalinity. If you have coralline algae I know this will take up alk but not calcium. If I were you I'd just test every few days and adjust with two part if need be. Most soft coral tanks don't use any supplements and just use water changes to replenish since soft corals don't use alk and calc since they don't have a hard shell to make..
Missed the part where you said you have torch, frogspawn and hammer. They will take up some 2-part but not near as much as SPS and not near as sensitive to swings. My answer stays the same though. Test every few days and adjust as necessary with 2-part
 
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Natescorals

Natescorals

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Missed the part where you said you have torch, frogspawn and hammer. They will take up some 2-part but not near as much as SPS and not near as sensitive to swings. My answer stays the same though. Test every few days and adjust as necessary with 2-part
So then what’s the point of buying all for reef if your going to dose 2 part anyways? Couldn’t you just dose 2 part and buy a magnesium and trace elements supplement?
 

NHgoalstop

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I use it and definitely notice a difference. I ended up recently ordering up all the stuff to make my own to save some money since that stuff isn't exactly cheap.
 

jschultzbass

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So then what’s the point of buying all for reef if your going to dose 2 part anyways? Couldn’t you just dose 2 part and buy a magnesium and trace elements supplement?
That's what I'm saying. Don't use all-for-reef. Just test every few days and add either calcium and/or alkalinity if needed to keep your levels where you want them. For example, day 1 you have 9.0 alk and 450 calc. Day 4 you have 8.6 alk and 440 calc, then dose enough to get alk back to 9.0 and I'd leave the calc alone for a few more days.
 
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