Snake Oil or System Savior: Dosing Additives - What, When, and How Much.

[Fish Styx]

These days there seems to be no shortage of potions and powders designed to soothe our reefing woes. Got pests? There's a bottle for that! Coral not growing? There's a bottle for that! Spouse won't let you buy a new fish? There's a bottle for that! Okay, that last one is vodka, but you can dose that, too!

What are you guys adding to your systems, when, and why; and what advice do you have for new or inexperienced reefers when it comes to additives?

 

[Anna K]

Spouse won't let you buy a new fish? There's a bottle for that!

I can honestly say I don't really want to dose or do anything like that with my tank. I feel like the less additives added, the better natural overall state it would be. Is that dumb? Probably. I do have ph decreaser and things like that in my arsenal already, but I'd rather have just waited the few bucks it cost, then actually having to put it to use. I did the PH increase due to my test a week or so ago, and I feel like that frickidy fracked up my whole tank. I'd rather be slow as a snail, then fast like a cheetah and have to do extra things to have it 'thrive' better.

 

[Slocke]

Spouse won't let you buy a new fish?

There's a bottle for that...

 

[Fish Styx]

I can honestly say I don't really want to dose or do anything like that with my tank. I feel like the less additives added, the better natural overall state it would be. Is that dumb? Probably. I do have ph decreaser and things like that in my arsenal already, but I'd rather have just waited the few bucks it cost, then actually having to put it to use. I did the PH increase due to my test a week or so ago, and I feel like that frickidy fracked up my whole tank. I'd rather be slow as a snail, then fast like a cheetah and have to do extra things to have it 'thrive' better.

I don't think it's dumb at all, and in-fact, I believe you'll find that most reefers take that approach as well.

 

[Fish Styx]

There's a bottle for that...

This looks suspiciously like Bill The Butcher.

 

[Slocke]

Like a witch I dose

• All for Reef
• Ethanol
• Shrimp of mysis
• Flake of fish
• Acids of amino

Might do again

• Phytoplankton

 

[Nor'easter Reefer]

Short of All for reef i don't dose anything. That said, I've contemplated carbon dosing but haven't done enough research yet

 

[Projects with Sam]

I dose trace and aminos in addition to kalk and phyto.

My advice is to keep it simple. Most of whats needed is in water changes so do those till tehe tank has matured a lot. then evaluate what to add. There are so many products out there its easy to go down the rabbithole.

 

[Fish Styx]

I dose trace and aminos in addition to kalk and phyto.

My advice is to keep it simple. Most of whats needed is in water changes so do those till tehe tank has matured a lot. then evaluate what to add. There are so many products out there its easy to go down the rabbithole.

I agree, but you guys know what my tank and my dosing regimen look like. WCs alone cannot keep up with my consumption.

How about moonshiners like @Stang67, @danieyella , and countless others that rely on ICP tests to tell them what to add or, more importantly and to my point, don't do regular WCs?

 

[Gumbies R Us]

I've used All for Reef, neophos and neonitrate for my tank! All for different needs, haha.

 

[WhatCouldGoWrong71]

on auto dosers-
Big 3 (450mil alk (split between sod hydrox and bicarb), 350 of CA, 50ish of ma)
Kalk (4 g)
Carx (6.4 at 90 mil a minute 24/7)
Fluoride (mixed my own up to RM amounts. Divide monthly corrections by 30 days for dosing amount) (85 mil a day)
Manganese (4mil a day)
Amino (14 mil a day)
A&K (25 mil a day)
After my monthly ICP I manually do corrections.
15% AWC

 

[Fish Styx]

I've used All for Reef, neophos and neonitrate for my tank! All for different needs, haha.

Could you please elaborate for our community members that may be unfamiliar with those products, what they are, when you use them, and why?

 

[Fish Styx]

on auto dosers-
Big 3 (450mil alk, 350 of CA, 50ish of ma)
Kalk (4 g)
Carx (6.4 at 90 mil a minute 24/7)
Fluoride (mixed my own up to RM amounts. Divide monthly corrections by 30 days for dosing amount) (85 mil a day)
Manganese (4mil a day)
Amino (14 mil a day)
A&K (25 mil a day)
After my monthly ICP I manually do corrections.
15% AWC

I am unfamiliar with flouride dosing. Could you break that down for us?

 

[WhatCouldGoWrong71]

I did. When I get my monthly ICP, I don’t follow Andre’s recommendations here. I take the amount the tool says to dose, usually over 7+ days and instead divide it by 30. I do ICPs every 30 days. Reading and conversing with Randy, has me in the fence about fluoride.

 

[Fish Styx]

I did.

Yes, I saw the what, but meant break down the why. My apologies for not being more specific. Why is it important and what makes use of it in our tanks?

 

[Slocke]

I am unfamiliar with flouride dosing. Could you break that down for us?

Fluoride, ozone, hydrogen peroxide…. I think this is the aquarium arms race. First person to use an oxidizing agent so powerful they nuke their tank wins. I have several thousand gallons of HF I’m trying to get rid of if anyone wants to win.

Though I guess someone could just try fluorine..

 

[mjszos]

I try my best to add as little as possible to my tanks, but as they grow out that becomes less and less possible. Currently only dosing aminos, phyto, and coral snow. In the future will likely just add in All For Reef.

 

[WhatCouldGoWrong71]

Yes, I saw the what, but meant break down the why. My apologies for not being more specific. Why is it important and what makes use of it in our tanks?

That’s what Randy questions. The Moonshiner tool will tell you what and how much to add. Fluoride is a high consumption item, for me, with more than a 500g system, I stopped buying RM products and simply mix my own. While I can’t tell you what fluoride does. I am happy with where I am, today, so I prefer not to check up on what I am doing. I’ve got enough fluoride to mix up about 10g. Perhaps I’ll reevaluate this when I have to go reorder. Manganese I can tell you that my gonies love it. Before I did Moonshine I did lose gonies. Since doing RM and focusing in on manganese, knock on wood they are all still kicking and typically are fully out. Now, ask me about the NPS I accidentally bought this week, that’s a different story.

 

[Slocke]

Fluoride, ozone, hydrogen peroxide…. I think this is the aquarium arms race. First person to use an oxidizing agent so powerful they nuke their tank wins. I have several thousand gallons of HF I’m trying to get rid of if anyone wants to win.

Though I guess someone could just try fluorine..

I’m being sarcastic btw
Please be smart about keeping and tossing chemicals in your tank especially if you have kids. I personally don’t think it’s worth the risk of using a strong oxidizer.

 

[WhatCouldGoWrong71]

Fluoride, ozone, hydrogen peroxide…. I think this is the aquarium arms race. First person to use an oxidizing agent so powerful they nuke their tank wins. I have several thousand gallons of HF I’m trying to get rid of if anyone wants to win.

Though I guess someone could just try fluorine..

I did ozone to help with this view, meaning, that’s 8 foot of water, I want it to be clearer. I’ve not noticed a difference. Currently took it offline until I swap out my frag tank this month.