Switching to All For Reef

[CodyF.]

Did some math…. Scary!

From what I get using the AFR calculator. 7.57 mils per day gives about .28DKH. (Assuming I have 40 gallons of water in my WaterBox 50.3, which holds 40.9 gallon.) To account for a .6 DKH daily drop, I would need 16.2 mils daily…? This sounds kinda low. I’m sure I’m not doing something correct.

my 20 gallon takes 8ml daily. it is a highly concentrated solution. a bucket last me almost a year loll

What’s your stock like? Is it heavily stocked?

 

[CodyF.]

Just give it some time, also you can dose more than that without issue because nothing swings fast with AFR. If you put in 50 mils now you wouldn't see the alk go up for around 12 to 24 hours. Its the bacteria that are metabolizing the calcium formate into calcium and carbonate and it will take a while to find your level.

I’ve read that. What has me kinda puzzled is it’s been like 4 days and I haven’t noticed anything in the system.

Should I go to the 16 mils and wait…? Or… let it ride at 30mils?

 

[Danjoethepirate]

Just give it some time, also you can dose more than that without issue because nothing swings fast with AFR. If you put in 50 mils now you wouldn't see the alk go up for around 12 to 24 hours. Its the bacteria that are metabolizing the calcium formate into calcium and carbonate and it will take a while to find your level.

I’ve read that. What has me kinda puzzled is it’s been like 4 days and I haven’t noticed anything in the system.

Should I go to the 16 mils and wait…? Or… let it ride at 30mils?

Let it ride, the worst that happens is it slowly rises. Test daily and then back it off if it gets high.

 

[CodyF.]

Just give it some time, also you can dose more than that without issue because nothing swings fast with AFR. If you put in 50 mils now you wouldn't see the alk go up for around 12 to 24 hours. Its the bacteria that are metabolizing the calcium formate into calcium and carbonate and it will take a while to find your level.

I’ve read that. What has me kinda puzzled is it’s been like 4 days and I haven’t noticed anything in the system.

Should I go to the 16 mils and wait…? Or… let it ride at 30mils?

Let it ride, the worst that happens is it slowly rises. Test daily and then back it off if it gets high.

I’ve been testing like 4 times a day!! lol! I hate change in my reefs!!!!!! But RedSea was starting to get expensive!

 

[rowenaad]

What’s your stock like? Is it heavily stocked?

i would say moderate. mostly lps, torches, hammers, micromussa frags, goni frags, a clam, a few sps frag and gsp and leather

 

[Sam7]

My 40 breeder runs 25ml a day heavy stock mixed

 

[CodyF.]

Thanks!!

 

[CodyF.]

Dos AFR really take this long for it to register? My ALK is hovering around 6.7DKH, from about 8.5 with coral care.

Like at what point will AFR actually start doing its job? I have never seen a rise in DKH since I started using it. Today makes a week - 7days.

I did lower the dosage from 38mils to 20 after reading the chart and hearing how concentrated it is. Do I have a bad batch possibly?

I’m really worried about the number, I know we run out reef tanks with elevated number. I believe 6.7 is actually closer to seawater. I’m just wondering why after 7 days I have noticed any increase? I can easily correct the number, but I don’t want to create an alkalinity rollercoaster. Stability is stability.

@Randy Holmes-Farley, your input would be much appreciated. I believe you use it, if my memory is correct.

 

[rishma]

Dos AFR really take this long for it to register? My ALK is hovering around 6.7DKH, from about 8.5 with coral care.

Like at what point will AFR actually start doing its job? I have never seen a rise in DKH since I started using it. Today makes a week - 7days.

I did lower the dosage from 38mils to 20 after reading the chart and hearing how concentrated it is. Do I have a bad batch possibly?

I’m really worried about the number, I know we run out reef tanks with elevated number. I believe 6.7 is actually closer to seawater. I’m just wondering why after 7 days I have noticed any increase? I can easily correct the number, but I don’t want to create an alkalinity rollercoaster. Stability is stability.

@Randy Holmes-Farley, your input would be much appreciated. I believe you use it, if my memory is correct.

I have never heard of a bad batch. I think the first dose might take 24 hours for alkalinity to show up but it’s quicker for subsequent doses. Mine shows up in hours.


Can you double check your alkalinity test result with another kit?

Are you dosing manually or by a pump?. Any chance your dosing pump isn’t dosing the correct amount?

 

[BriDroid]

I’m dosing 9.8ml of AFR daily in my 11 cube. I have about 8 gallons of water after rocks and sand. This keeps my alk stable around 8dKH, 420-440ppm ca, and 1400-1450ppm mg. I also dose 0.3ml of A and K every 3 days. My last ICP test showed some low traces, so I started the A and K a couple months ago. I just sent another ICP test in to see how this dosing is doing. My corals are looking great though!

 

[X-37B]

It took 9 days for my old 20 to stabilize alk. Just dose alk to keep the number you want until a4r kicks in then stop dosing alk.
Follow the A4R directions. No need to reduce it.

 

[Samantha A]

Here’s a reference table for guidance. I’m dosing 26 ml on my 25 gal SPS dominated reef and I don’t measure Ca. Just adjust based on KH

My Ca and Mg are on target. Alk is low and the chart says to add Balling B.


Questions:

1). Does Balling Compenent B the same thing as BRS Alk?

2). If I us tropic Marin Balling Part B, can it be mixed into the All For Reef or should it be dosed 30 minutes later

 

[CodyF.]

Dos AFR really take this long for it to register? My ALK is hovering around 6.7DKH, from about 8.5 with coral care.

Like at what point will AFR actually start doing its job? I have never seen a rise in DKH since I started using it. Today makes a week - 7days.

I did lower the dosage from 38mils to 20 after reading the chart and hearing how concentrated it is. Do I have a bad batch possibly?

I’m really worried about the number, I know we run out reef tanks with elevated number. I believe 6.7 is actually closer to seawater. I’m just wondering why after 7 days I have noticed any increase? I can easily correct the number, but I don’t want to create an alkalinity rollercoaster. Stability is stability.

@Randy Holmes-Farley, your input would be much appreciated. I believe you use it, if my memory is correct.

I’ve used two different salifert test kits and have a 3rd that will be here in a few days. I ran Coral Colors by RedSea with the RedSea dosing pump. Saying that because I calibrated it before switching. I re-calibrated the head with AFR. So it is doing the proper amount and I have used more than one kit.

 

[CodyF.]

It took 9 days for my old 20 to stabilize alk. Just dose alk to keep the number you want until a4r kicks in then stop dosing alk.
Follow the A4R directions. No need to reduce it.

I was dosing almost 40mils a few days ago and now I’m dosing 20. Because I didn’t want my ALK to sky rocket due to concentration. I went a little above recommended dosage, by 4mils daily. I made this change about 2 days ago. Alk never went up or down really. I’ve been adding correction dosing but stopped because I wanted to see what my alk was really at. Anytime I don’t do a correction, my alk is in the 6’s. That’s dosing 38 mils or 20mil.

Maybe it takes like 2 weeks to show up? My daily consumption in a 50 gallon tank is .6mils. About