How much All for reef would i need?

[JoJosReef]

I will let Lou answer properly but wanted to ask if you have seen the flow chart below on their portal page? I ran across this before and thought it was useful.

I see. Looks like the answer is: reduce AFR and add some baking soda. I'm a bit nervous about adding baking soda directly to a 10g tank. Are any of you making your own "Balling B" solution? What concentration? Got plenty of baking soda, which I'm using to bring up my HG salt Alk to the levels it's supposed to be (7.3-->9). Thanks!

 

[areefer01]

I see. Looks like the answer is: reduce AFR and add some baking soda. I'm a bit nervous about adding baking soda directly to a 10g tank. Are any of you making your own "Balling B" solution? What concentration? Got plenty of baking soda, which I'm using to bring up my HG salt Alk to the levels it's supposed to be (7.3-->9). Thanks!

Fully understand. Depending on what is recommended off the chart there may be an over the counter equivalent. I'm sure TM sells one as well and adjust the dose, etc.

 

[Idech]

I’m not an expert but I can tell you what effect AFR (powder) had on my 75 gallons tank.

I started with an alkalinity of 8.1 dkh (I use Red Sea blue bucket) and when I started dosing AFR, it quickly went up to 9.5 with dosing 5 ml per day.

I would like it lower but it’s been holding steady at 9.5.

 

[Stormlasher]

Follow up im using 145ml per day insted of calcium and 125 ml of hydroxide tank seems to be holding well over 48 hrs and also have no fear my trident tests every 4 hrs lol tnx for all the info im going to have to find a tropic marin dealer and ghet me a 5 gallon bucket tnx again all

 

[Jgoal55]

@Lou Ekus great thread to come across researching AFR.

I know there are still not a ton of ppl out there with it, but have you come across any reefers running GHLs KHD and IOND (or the Apex equivalent) and using AFR as the single supplement?

I ask because I wonder if there are ways to program the controller to dose more or less AFR depending on which element is not where it should be.

For example, if ALK is low, dose 5mL. If Cal is low dose 3ml. If both ALK and CAL are low dose 7ml (not saying those numbers make sense by the way, just used them arbitrarily as an example).

Also, given average consumption rates, about how long would a 1600g last on a 230g tank?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

That method will overdose the other of alk and calcium. IMO, it is over complicating things without apparent benefit. It seems as if folks dosing by alk more often than not keep calcium stable or have it rise. If you were part of the less common case of needing extra calcium, adding it manually when thst became significant sounds like a better plan to me.

1600 g of powder makes 10 L of dosing solution, and their recommended dose (which is still fairly weak and some folks exceed) would be 221 mL per day in your tank. Thus it will last 45 days at that rate.

 

[Jgoal55]

That method will overdose the other of alk and calcium. IMO, it is over complicating things without apparent benefit. It seems as if folks dosing by alk more often than not keep calcium stable or have it rise. If you were part of the less common case of needing extra calcium, adding it manually when thst became significant sounds like a better plan to me.

1600 g of powder makes 10 L of dosing solution, and their recommended dose (which is still fairly weak and some folks exceed) would be 221 mL per day in your tank. Thus it will last 45 days at that rate.

Thanks so much @Randy Holmes-Farley. That makes sense. I guess it is over complicating the matter. I have the whole GHL ecosystem system (pending the IOND) I was trying to find a good use for all the dosing heads.

That said, I was dead set on using two part for my tank, but this sounds so much more simple.

Maybe the solution is to use AFR, but also have some calcium and mag mixed up that will only get automatically dosed if levels drop.

On another note, when I first got back into this hobby many years ago (after using under gravel filters as a kid with my pops), you were one of the first people I came across that really laid out the chemistry of this hobby so amazingly well. It educated me so much and I’ll be forever thankful. Glad to see you’re still around now that I’m back again after a long hiatus.

 

[Lou Ekus]

@Lou Ekus great thread to come across researching AFR.

I know there are still not a ton of ppl out there with it, but have you come across any reefers running GHLs KHD and IOND (or the Apex equivalent) and using AFR as the single supplement?

I ask because I wonder if there are ways to program the controller to dose more or less AFR depending on which element is not where it should be.

For example, if ALK is low, dose 5mL. If Cal is low dose 3ml. If both ALK and CAL are low dose 7ml (not saying those numbers make sense by the way, just used them arbitrarily as an example).

Also, given average consumption rates, about how long would a 1600g last on a 230g tank?

I just wanted to say (so you know I am not ignoring your questions) that I agree with @Randy Holmes-Farley and his answer to you. So I won't restate it here.... THANKS @Randy Holmes-Farley :)

 

[Jgoal55]

I just wanted to say (so you know I am not ignoring your questions) that I agree with @Randy Holmes-Farley and his answer to you. So I won't restate it here.... THANKS @Randy Holmes-Farley :)

Haha. No problem. Thank you! It’s pretty hard to disagree with Randy. Lol

 

[joroscoe]

The formate raw material is quite expensive. So even with much larger sizes, there is only minimal cost savings. However, if you are working with a LFS that happens to be a Tropic Marin Preferred Dealer (https://tropicmarin-usa.com/preferred-dealers.html) they can special order a 5 gallon bucket for you. In respect to cost, if you calculate the cost other additives adding up all the Ca, alkalinity, Mg and trace elements together, the actual relative cost of the AFR is quite reasonable. This is even true with the 1600 gm size.

How many grams of AFR are in the 5 gallon bucket? Ty