Should I dose a small zoa only frag tank?

[zoaman3182]

I dose All For Reef in my mixed reef display tank with great results. I’m using Tropic Marine reef salt also with great results. I’m setting up a small 25 gallon zoa only frag tank using a 25 gallon Innovative Marine tank I’ve had for years. I’m only planning to grow and propagate Zoas in this tank. My question is should I also dose this tank with All For Reef? I do bi-weekly 15 gallon water changes in my 60 gallon display and will do a bi-weekly water change for the zoa frag tank as well. The frag tank will only have pair of clownfish. I’m thinking I should let water testing results answer my question but I thought I would put it out to the community for other thoughts.

 

[bluemon]

I wouldn’t, a waste of money.

I’d just keep the nutrients high (maybe put in a fish or two that needs a lot of feeding), and keep up the water changes for trace elements

 

[Jekyl]

By the sound of it regular water changes should be fine.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

The foods fed to the clownfish may or may not provide adequate N and P, and I'd monitor them.

Trace elements are more complicated, but I think dosing them will be cheaper than water changes . AFR would not be the best way to supply trace elements in this scenario since calcification will be low so the AFR dose will be low.

I think AFR is a fine way to maintain alk and calcium if whatever water changes you do will not maintain alk. The expected dose is very low so cost will be very low.

 

[chazman113]

I've got one that I don't want to keep fish in and I'm going to experiment with brightwell neonitro to keep nitrates at maybe 2-5 to start out. I have a brs dosing pump so I'm probably going to use that. I'm definitely going to start *very* slowly. Adding nitrates seems like blasphemy, but mine are zero right now.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I've got one that I don't want to keep fish in and I'm going to experiment with brightwell neonitro to keep nitrates at maybe 2-5 to start out. I have a brs dosing pump so I'm probably going to use that. I'm definitely going to start *very* slowly. Adding nitrates seems like blasphemy, but mine are zero right now.

Adding N is a fine plan, although I'd personally use food grade ammonium bicarbonate, sodium nitrate, or calcium nitrate. They are less expensive, have a purity guarantee the hobby product does not provide, and can be made to whatever convenient concentration you want.

I use ammonium bicarbonate to dose N to my reef tank.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/diy-ammonia-dosing-for-low-nitrate-systems.987087/

 

[chazman113]

I've got one that I don't want to keep fish in and I'm going to experiment with brightwell neonitro to keep nitrates at maybe 2-5 to start out. I have a brs dosing pump so I'm probably going to use that. I'm definitely going to start *very* slowly. Adding nitrates seems like blasphemy, but mine are zero right now.

Adding N is a fine plan, although I'd personally use food grade ammonium bicarbonate, sodium nitrate, or calcium nitrate. They are less expensive, have a purity guarantee the hobby product does not provide, and can be made to whatever convenient concentration you want.

I use ammonium bicarbonate to dose N to my reef tank.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/diy-ammonia-dosing-for-low-nitrate-systems.987087/

Yea honestly I think if it works I'll get the raw ingredients, for my first time I just figured something pre packaged was safest. It wasn't exceedly expensive, 2 liters was like $35.

 

[Mr. Mojo Rising]

I use coral pro salt on my 15 gallon softie tank and change about 30%-35% water every week, and I don't dose. Its a mature 4 year old tank, everything grows coraline grows. In my case I believe the salt choice and large water changes has a lot to do with not needing to dose anything.

 

[zoaman3182]

Thanks a million for the responses.