Your Current Dosing...
Calcium: 2 mL
Alkalinity (KH): 12 mL
Magnesium: 6 mL
Red Sea Reef Energy Plus (AB+): 10 mL
Is This the Right Amount?
That depends on your tank’s actual consumption Red Sea recommends testing regularly and adjusting based on uptake, not just volume. But here are some general guidelines to help calibrate your dosing:
1. Test Your Parameters First
Use accurate test kits (Red Sea, Salifert, Hanna) and look for:
Calcium: 430–450 ppm
Alkalinity: 8–9 dKH (stable!)
Magnesium: 1280–1350 ppm
If levels are dropping, you’re under-dosing.
If levels are rising, you’re over-dosing.
If they’re stable over 4–5 days, your dosing is spot-on.
2. Red Sea Foundation Elements – Dosing Guidelines
Red Sea provides this general rule:
> “1 mL per 100 liters (26.4 gal) of each Foundation element = ~2 ppm Ca / 0.1 dKH Alk / 1 ppm Mg”
For your 40 gal (≈ 150 liters):
Calcium: 2 mL adds ≈ 3 ppm — might be too low if you’re consuming 10+ ppm/day.
KH: 12 mL adds ≈ 0.8 dKH — seems about right for a moderate LPS/SPS tank.
Magnesium: 6 mL adds ≈ 6 ppm — decent if you're maintaining stable Mg.
So your alk dosing looks appropriate, but calcium might be a bit low if you have stony corals (SPS/LPS), and magnesium seems safe as long as levels are stable.
3. Reef Energy Plus (AB+) – Feeding Guide
Red Sea recommends:
> 1 mL per 25 gallons per day for lightly stocked tanks,
Up to 1 mL per 10 gallons per day for heavily stocked tanks.
Your dose of 10 mL/day for 40 gallons = 1 mL per 4 gallons, which is on the heavy side, but not bad if:
You’re feeding a lot
Corals look great
Nutrients aren’t spiking
Glass isn’t covered in film daily
If nutrients (NO₃/PO₄) are creeping up, consider dropping to 5–6 mL/day, or splitting the dose into morning + evening for better uptake.
How to Optimize:
1. Test Alk daily at the same time to confirm if you're using up 0.7–1 dKH/day.
2. Test Ca & Mg every 3–4 days.
3. Adjust slowly — no more than 10–15% change in dose per adjustment.
4. Consider automating with a dosing pump for consistency.
Example Daily Dosing if Consumption Increases:
Calcium: 5 mL
KH: 12–14 mL
Magnesium: 6–8 mL
Reef Energy Plus: 6–8 mL
Remember to always take things slow. Especially with dosing.
