How to Use AFR/Dosing

[Saltwater_Reefing]

Hello everyone, I am looking for correction/guidance. I was just watching a YouTube video on someone explaining how to use All for reef on their tank. So are you supposed to check your alk and see if it's at were you would like it to be and if it's not, then add the recommended all for reef for your tank size and then recheack your levels two days later and say it's were you want it then do you wait a week and see how much it goes down and then calculate how much you need to dose per day? I am hoping this makes since, and I am completely new to dosing, so all tips are greatly appreciated, as well as recommended dosing pumps and I have hanna reagent coming for alk tmr.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

Personally I use a buffer to bring the alk where I want, then I dose AFR to maintain it.

Do you know how much alk your tank consumes? I would suggest to test your alk over a week to know how much it drops.

 

[ScottF]

AFR is calcium formate. The problem with calcium formate is that it can take a couple of days for it to be converted to alk. This makes it a little difficult to dial it in at first.

When I used it, I used soda ash to maintain my alk while I slowly increased the AFR and slowly decreased the soda ash as needed to maintain my alk until it was dialed in. I have a Trident that tests alk/calc/mag three times per day. This helped a lot, but the Hanna Alk checker is super quick and easy.

The problem with AFR is that it doesn't raise pH. I switched to kalkwasser which also provides both alk and calc, but doesn't provide mag or traces. kalkwasser does provide a big pH boost. I would not use AFR if my pH dropped below 8.0, but that's just me.

 

[ScottF]

I also want to mention that I was never able to just use AFR. My tank, like a lot of others uses a higher ratio of alk to calc than AFR provides. So I always had to supplement it with another dosing pump and soda ash. So really I had AFR dialed in to maintain my calcium and then fined tuned the soda ash to maintain alk.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Hello everyone, I am looking for correction/guidance. I was just watching a YouTube video on someone explaining how to use All for reef on their tank. So are you supposed to check your alk and see if it's at were you would like it to be and if it's not, then add the recommended all for reef for your tank size and then recheack your levels two days later and say it's were you want it then do you wait a week and see how much it goes down and then calculate how much you need to dose per day? I am hoping this makes since, and I am completely new to dosing, so all tips are greatly appreciated, as well as recommended dosing pumps and I have hanna reagent coming for alk tmr.

What you are suggesting is a fine plan. Exact timing if measurements is not important. I strongly recommend dosing based on alk, and you should adjust the dosing up or down to stabilize the alk where you want it.

If alk starts low, it is fine to use AFR to slowly raise it, or boost alk in other ways then start AFR. Both work perfectly well. I used the former.

 

[Saltwater_Reefing]

AFR is calcium formate. The problem with calcium formate is that it can take a couple of days for it to be converted to alk. This makes it a little difficult to dial it in at first.

When I used it, I used soda ash to maintain my alk while I slowly increased the AFR and slowly decreased the soda ash as needed to maintain my alk until it was dialed in. I have a Trident that tests alk/calc/mag three times per day. This helped a lot, but the Hanna Alk checker is super quick and easy.

The problem with AFR is that it doesn't raise pH. I switched to kalkwasser which also provides both alk and calc, but doesn't provide mag or traces. kalkwasser does provide a big pH boost. I would not use AFR if my pH dropped below 8.0, but that's just me.

My concern is my salt bucket is the blue red sea with dkh of 8 and my tank is currently 6.7 in dkh

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

My concern is my salt bucket is the blue red sea with dkh of 8 and my tank is currently 6.7 in dkh

Is just slowly start AFR and monitor alk as it slowly rises toward your target. No need to complicate things.

 

[Saltwater_Reefing]

Is just slowly start AFR and monitor alk as it slowly rises toward your target. No need to complicate things.

I’m guessing do that daily and use a calculator for a starting amount

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I’m guessing do that daily and use a calculator for a starting amount

I would not start at the dose needed to boost the alk all the way. That’s going to be much more than the maintenance dose, and it would be better to start slowly and let it slowly rise.

What alk do you want to keep?

 

[Saltwater_Reefing]

I would not start at the dose needed to boost the alk all the way. That’s going to be much more than the maintenance dose, and it would be better to start slowly and let it slowly rise.

What alk do you want to keep?

Around 8 probably 8.3-8.5

 

[Rhetoric]

I like AFR for its simplicity.

I only use AFR, and I use only AFR to make adjustments. If its little low on ALK increase the daily dose. If its a little high I'd decrease same amount.

In the beginning I would make .5ml - 1.0mls adjustments until I got it dialed in. I tested once a week and made adjustments. Im in no hurry to do anything with my aquarium.

I try to always test around the same time (example: always the same day at the same time Mondays after lights are on ect.)

The simplicity is what I liked, everyone does things their own way but in my opinion most are making this product to complicated.

My 2 1/2 yr old 20 gallon - AFR from day the beginning

 

[Saltwater_Reefing]

I like AFR for its simplicity.

I only use AFR, and I use only AFR to make adjustments. If its little low on ALK increase the daily dose. If its a little high I'd decrease same amount.

In the beginning I would make .5ml - 1.0mls adjustments until I got it dialed in. I tested once a week and made adjustments. Im in no hurry to do anything with my aquarium.

I try to always test around the same time (example: always the same day at the same time Mondays after lights are on ect.)

The simplicity is what I liked, everyone does things their own way but in my opinion most are making this product to complicated.

My 2 1/2 yr old 20 gallon - AFR from day the beginning

What dosing pump do you use

 

[X-37B]

What dosing pump do you use

Kamoer dosing pumps work well.
I run 6 for 2 part on 3 systems and will use one for A4R on a new ext 112.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Around 8 probably 8.3-8.5

I’d start with the equivalent of 0.25 dKH AFR per day and see where that gets you after several days. :)

 

[Rhetoric]

Kamoer F1 - pretty sure they are still under a hundred bucks. Has an app for my phone easy to adjust and simple calibration

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

What dosing pump do you use

I use a BRS 1.1 mL/ min doser on a timer.

 

[Saltwater_Reefing]

Kamoer F1 - pretty sure they are still under a hundred bucks. Has an app for my phone easy to adjust and simple calibration

Why are all the reviews horrible

 

[Saltwater_Reefing]

I’d start with the equivalent of 0.25 dKH AFR per day and see where that gets you after several days. :)

So start doing that much and I have the 32 bio cube and It takes 2 days for it to start raising your alk right? So dose 0.25 and test in 2 days and then test in a week and keep water changes as normal? I mix 4 gallons a week at 1.025 77degrees

 

[Indiana Reefin]

Like others have said, just adjust based off of ALK. I only need to dose 1-2 ml a day for my little 9 gallon to maintain 8.3. I have mostly soft corals with 1 hammer and one SPS frag.

 

[X-37B]

Why are all the reviews horrible

Like I said I run 6 of them and they have performed perfect over the last year. I run 2 kamoer peristaltic pumps on 2 reactors also.