To dose or not to dose, that is the question.

How often do you dose?

  • Always.

    Votes: 25 54.3%
  • Never.

    Votes: 4 8.7%
  • When needed.

    Votes: 17 37.0%
  • What is dosing?

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • Total voters
    46
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olonmv

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7C46F43F-6CB1-4517-9124-2A6FB44232A5.jpeg AFAAD778-7A11-4441-A3E8-ED9326BA2859.jpeg 27A1025E-F7EC-4E79-8FB7-4E40232619BC.jpeg 1F52DA66-B4DB-4E4F-B3D1-9F53E6D843BD.jpeg I’m ashamed of where it’s gotten. It feels like it’s been a downward spiral since the last time I fed reef roids. I fee terrible for the animals. The skinny mandarin is currently being hopefully fattened up. He eats frozen brine and mysis 2 times daily. There’s a whole thread on that.
 

Aqua Man

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there’s been no significant change in coral for the worse.
That’s good. 7.8 to 9.2 is border line of too much of a jump in 24 hrs. Might be the cause of the stress in coral you’re seeing.
I’m ashamed of where it’s gotten. It feels like it’s been a downward spiral since the last time I fed reef roids.
Doesn’t look that bad to me. Use roids sparingly. Definitely would not feed the recommended amount on the container!
 
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olonmv

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That’s good. 7.8 to 9.2 is border line of too much of a jump in 24 hrs. Might be the cause of the stress in coral you’re seeing.

Doesn’t look that bad to me. Use roids sparingly. Definitely would not feed the recommended amount on the container!
I mistook the stress in my coral for the alk being 7.8. All my other parameters looked good so I freaked and added baking soda to bring it up. I’m worried about the white spots on my hammer and the fact that my zoas, that have been happy forever, look spaced apart. They’re usually tightly packed. Could they just be on the move kinda how my palys started to spread out? The birdsnest, well, I think that guy is doomed. I’m picking up a Hanna tester today. Leaning towards the alk as my first then probably calcium to follow. I just want to wrangle everything back in, especially my husbandry.
 
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olonmv

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That’s good. 7.8 to 9.2 is border line of too much of a jump in 24 hrs. Might be the cause of the stress in coral you’re seeing.

Doesn’t look that bad to me. Use roids sparingly. Definitely would not feed the recommended amount on the container!
The corals were already stressed hence the freak out. I’m gonna completely stop the reef roids entirely until I get this reeled in. Today I picked up Hanna calcium and alk test kits and some poly lab reef prime. I dipped my hammer in there along with my birdsnest for 5 minutes. The hammer looks a little happier. Test results were

9 on alk
And 396 on calcium.

I ordered an ATI ICP today off Amazon and will send off the sample ASAP.
 
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olonmv

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Sorry, I replied twice to the same comment. My browser didn’t load my previous and I completely forgot that I had responded. Whoops!
 

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I do consistant small weekly water changes on my systems and dosing is still necessary. The reef ecossytems are very complex and very dynamic. Having multipole systems I've maintianed for decades I can say from experience you will have to dose. You may or may not have to dose all the time but you need to be paying attention to your system to know when you will. For the first year to get a grasp of how the biology and chemistry is working you probaly should do weekly testing for pH, alkalinity, calcium, magnesium, phosphate and nitrates.
 

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zoas, that have been happy forever,
Zoa can be finicky sometimes. I see a snail, the snail could of been close by the zoas cleaning the rocks. 7.8 Alk did not cause the stress IMO.
 
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olonmv

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I do consistant small weekly water changes on my systems and dosing is still necessary. The reef ecossytems are very complex and very dynamic. Having multipole systems I've maintianed for decades I can say from experience you will have to dose. You may or may not have to dose all the time but you need to be paying attention to your system to know when you will. For the first year to get a grasp of how the biology and chemistry is working you probaly should do weekly testing for pH, alkalinity, calcium, magnesium, phosphate and nitrates.
I plan on starting a dosing regimen as soon as I get a handle on things. Things were goin great with just water changes but seems like it’s catching up with me. I’m sending off an ICP as soon as I get a chance to see where I’m at chemically in the tank. I also have got it in my head to do daily alk, calcium and magnesium tests.
 
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Zoa can be finicky sometimes. I see a snail, the snail could of been close by the zoas cleaning the rocks. 7.8 Alk did not cause the stress IMO.
The eagle eye zoas had been bullet proof until now. I’m not sure if they’re making a move and that’s why it seems dwindled or if they’re stressed out. I hope that the ICP test results give me direction.
 

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I plan on starting a dosing regimen as soon as I get a handle on things. Things were goin great with just water changes but seems like it’s catching up with me. I’m sending off an ICP as soon as I get a chance to see where I’m at chemically in the tank. I also have got it in my head to do daily alk, calcium and magnesium tests.
Youve just got to try and keep things stable as far as the water parameters are concerned

I keep alkalinity at around 8, calcium 440 and magnesium at 1350. The later is vitally important for the chemical interactions to work.

Try and get the levels were they should be and then just test once a week and adjust the additives as required.

You dont really need to do daily testing because kit accuracy and test error will always produce slightly different results If you have major issues then maybe every few days but not constantly

All you need to do to have a successful reef tank is maintain the correct and stable water parameters and thats it. Your a ‘water keeper’
 
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Youve just got to try and keep things stable as far as the water parameters are concerned

I keep alkalinity at around 8, calcium 440 and magnesium at 1350. The later is vitally important for the chemical interactions to work.

Try and get the levels were they should be and then just test once a week and adjust the additives as required.

You dont really need to do daily testing because kit accuracy and test error will always produce slightly different results If you have major issues then maybe every few days but not constantly

All you need to do to have a successful reef tank is maintain the correct and stable water parameters and thats it. Your a ‘water keeper’
I’ve been pretty good as far as keeping parameters stable and according to my recent rounds of tests they are where they usually are but I’ve just been noticing that my corals haven’t been their happy selves. My LFS which kinda knows my tank history suggested I do a ICP test based on my concerns because they also agree that my parameters are within specs. I’m at a loss. This stuff bums me out.
 

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I plan on starting a dosing regimen as soon as I get a handle on things. Things were goin great with just water changes but seems like it’s catching up with me. I’m sending off an ICP as soon as I get a chance to see where I’m at chemically in the tank. I also have got it in my head to do daily alk, calcium and magnesium tests.

I think daily testing for a while might give you an idea of how things might fluctuate in a reef ssytem but realisticly weekly is adequate unless you have a heavy demand for something (almost always alkalinity but phosphorus can by consumed aggressively too). I would reitierate the admonishment not to chase numbers, there's a lot more going on in our systems than just what we can test for.

ICP testing is a huge improvement in our testing ability but it's not perfect. See this review by Rich Ross
http://packedhead.net/2015/triton-lab-icp-oes-testing-of-a-certified-artificial-saltwater-standard/

Here's some videos you might find informative also:

Forest Rohwer "Coral Reefs in the Microbial Seas" ALso get his book with the same title. Both cover the same subject but there are differences in the someof the information presented and they complement each other. (kindle is ~$10, paperback ~$17)


Changing Seas - Mysterious Microbes


Nitrogen cycling in hte coral holobiont


BActeria and Sponges


Richard Ross What's up with phosphate"
 
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I think daily testing for a while might give you an idea of how things might fluctuate in a reef ssytem but realisticly weekly is adequate unless you have a heavy demand for something (almost always alkalinity but phosphorus can by consumed aggressively too). I would reitierate the admonishment not to chase numbers, there's a lot more going on in our systems than just what we can test for.

ICP testing is a huge improvement in our testing ability but it's not perfect. See this review by Rich Ross
http://packedhead.net/2015/triton-lab-icp-oes-testing-of-a-certified-artificial-saltwater-standard/

Here's some videos you might find informative also:

Forest Rohwer "Coral Reefs in the Microbial Seas" ALso get his book with the same title. Both cover the same subject but there are differences in the someof the information presented and they complement each other. (kindle is ~$10, paperback ~$17)


Changing Seas - Mysterious Microbes


Nitrogen cycling in hte coral holobiont


BActeria and Sponges


Richard Ross What's up with phosphate"

It almost seems like when I did very little my tank was happy (especially when it was Fallow). That sure was a ton of information to digest. I just hope it’s not disease that’s in my tank. I’m not a number chaser. I definitely like richard Ross’ approach. Easy is always nice but, until I can understand what’s goin on I’ll continue to test and medicate as needed. I’m convinced that something came in on one of my corals coupled with the reef roids that I target fed that reeked havoc on my tank or so I feel. My dipping habits will definitely tighten up. Instead of just reef dip, I’ll also do either a bayer dip or the poly lab reef prime and possibly all 3. This reef stuff can sure be nerve wracking.
 

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Is there a visual sign that u should dose? Im starting up a new tank focused on soft and lps, water change is enough for now, but when am I be warned that its time to start dosing? I will be able to see that just when the situation is pretty bad?
 

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Instead of just reef dip, I’ll also do either a bayer dip or the poly lab reef prime and possibly all 3. This reef stuff can sure be nerve wracking.
First, I’ve been there! Find your happy place! Don’t go from one extreme to the other. Pick a good dip and use it. Please don’t dip your coral in 3 different concoctions!

Make small changes. Give each one time. What we do today, we may not see the benefit/down side for couple months.

Test frequently if you can. Not the end of your tank if you miss a day. Become confident on test procedures and get a feeling of how your tank is doing.
 
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Is there a visual sign that u should dose? Im starting up a new tank focused on soft and lps, water change is enough for now, but when am I be warned that its time to start dosing? I will be able to see that just when the situation is pretty bad?
I’m still learning here myself. I can be only of little help. From what I gather, test, compare and, adjust. Water changes were doin me good for a while. I only just noticed that my zoas (just one colony) was in unhappy. My hammer coral was starting to reduce in how open it would get. And the birdsnest was starting to stn. My water parameters have remained consistent when I tested and was under the assumption that water changes were doin the trick. Apparently the little I was doing was keeping things happy. There is a ton to know and the process of elimination is a must. I’m in that process. Aaaaaaand my ICP just literally got delivered.
 

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I’m still learning here myself. I can be only of little help. From what I gather, test, compare and, adjust. Water changes were doin me good for a while. I only just noticed that my zoas (just one colony) was in unhappy. My hammer coral was starting to reduce in how open it would get. And the birdsnest was starting to stn. My water parameters have remained consistent when I tested and was under the assumption that water changes were doin the trick. Apparently the little I was doing was keeping things happy. There is a ton to know and the process of elimination is a must. I’m in that process. Aaaaaaand my ICP just literally got delivered.
Ow, thanksss! I know that the environment will warn us, my only fear is that warning arriving too late to fix the problem, got it?
My tank is pretty new, I don't even have a colony stablished, I will keep an eye on my lil green hammer :)
 
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First, I’ve been there! Find your happy place! Don’t go from one extreme to the other. Pick a good dip and use it. Please don’t dip your coral in 3 different concoctions!

Make small changes. Give each one time. What we do today, we may not see the benefit/down side for couple months.

Test frequently if you can. Not the end of your tank if you miss a day. Become confident on test procedures and get a feeling of how your tank is doing.
I’ll definitely dip as per recommended. The way I’ve read is that depending on what’s being dipped, bayer dipping is the first dip then a reef dip because it has soothing properties because it contains iodine. Last night I did a dip with polypabs reef prime on my hammer and birdsnest. Showed my LFS a pic of it and they mentioned that my hammer had tissue damage. It looks like it’s extended more today so I may do another round of reef prime. The birdsnest looks like the necrosis has slowed but that may just be me.
 
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olonmv

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Ow, thanksss! I know that the environment will warn us, my only fear is that warning arriving too late to fix the problem, got it?
My tank is pretty new, I don't even have a colony stablished, I will keep an eye on my lil green hammer :)
My hammer was doing great for a loooooooong time. I bought it as one head there are 3 now. Luckily that’s about the only coral that hasn’t encrusted nor glued down so I could dip it last night. Keep an eye on it but definitely be diligent in what else goes in your tank. Apparently reef dip doesn’t do enough to “clean” off all corals and pests can survive the dips.
 

A worm with high fashion and practical utility: Have you ever kept feather dusters in your reef aquarium?

  • I currently have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 68 37.2%
  • Not currently, but I have had feather dusters in my tank in the past.

    Votes: 62 33.9%
  • I have not had feather dusters, but I hope to in the future.

    Votes: 25 13.7%
  • I have no plans to have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 28 15.3%
  • Other.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
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