Tropic Marin All-for-Reef

[callenogal]

Hi I just started dosing all for reef
Q : do you guys dose 24hrs , during lights on or off ?

 

[Rybren]

I dose 24hrs; every hour on the hour.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Hi I just started dosing all for reef
Q : do you guys dose 24hrs , during lights on or off ?

Like other alk additives, long term I'd probably dose during the day when corals use the most alkalinity. Initially it may not matter since the alk will not be available instantly.

 

[SliceGolfer]

Greetings all,

Been dosing AFR for 3 months now. I’m finding my Alk and Mg staying quite stable at 8 and 1320 respectively. My Ca is a different story and it’s hovering between 475-495. Has anyone else experienced the same? Thinking of lowering my dose and supplementing Alk and Mg as needed until Ca drops near 440. Interested in hearing your experience.

 

[GabeM]

Greetings all,

Been dosing AFR for 3 months now. I’m finding my Alk and Mg staying quite stable at 8 and 1320 respectively. My Ca is a different story and it’s hovering between 475-495. Has anyone else experienced the same? Thinking of lowering my dose and supplementing Alk and Mg as needed until Ca drops near 440. Interested in hearing your experience.

Mine hovers around there as well. Why is this an issue? Juat curious thanks.

 

[SliceGolfer]

That’s what I‘m trying to understand as well. If this will become an issue. Glad to see you’re having similar results. The level of Ca is much higher than I keep in my other tank. If I knew it would top out at 475-495 and stay there, then I wouldn’t be alarmed. This tank is still young and once things grow some I’m expecting to draw to increase. Like everything else in this hobby, it’s a wait and see type of game.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Greetings all,

Been dosing AFR for 3 months now. I’m finding my Alk and Mg staying quite stable at 8 and 1320 respectively. My Ca is a different story and it’s hovering between 475-495. Has anyone else experienced the same? Thinking of lowering my dose and supplementing Alk and Mg as needed until Ca drops near 440. Interested in hearing your experience.

That level is fine.

What is the level in your salt mix? It might be high as well.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Mine hovers around there as well. Why is this an issue? Juat curious thanks.

It's not, IMO.

 

[User1]

Greetings all,

Been dosing AFR for 3 months now. I’m finding my Alk and Mg staying quite stable at 8 and 1320 respectively. My Ca is a different story and it’s hovering between 475-495. Has anyone else experienced the same? Thinking of lowering my dose and supplementing Alk and Mg as needed until Ca drops near 440. Interested in hearing your experience.

What was your Ca prior to dosing TM AFR and what salt are you using? I use Instant Ocean Reef Crystals but haven't performed a water change in three months . Hip replacement recovery. In any case my Ca is holding steady. I actually have the opposite whereas Alk fluctuates and Ca/Mg hold steady.

I add about 6 ml of Alk (previously dosing ESV 2 part) and about 60 ml of TM AFR. Both using a dosing pump. I also use the DIY TM AFR since it is cheaper and I like to pretend I'm a chemist. I'm not but for whatever reason making this stuff is super fun (I'm not kidding).

This is in my 210 gallon that is about 2 years old and still maturing.

 

[Res_Ipsa]

I've been dosing A4R for a few months and it's been great! I really like the simplicity of dosing and knowing that I have a balanced solution going in so I can hopefully more easily detect any abnormalities.

I just increased my dosing from 4ml/day to 5ml after adding some more corals and my tank consumes about 0.5dkh/day. Works well maintaining an alkalinity of +/-8.5

 

[kwall737]

Also running AFR. Had to more than double the dosage since adding the Maxima clam a couple weeks ago. Dosing 1ml 3 times a day for a total of 3ml/day with a Kamoer x1. It's a 20g with just a HOB and a Mame glass skimmer. I use IO Reef crystals and keep my Alk at 10 and Ca at around 430. Also have to separately dose nitrates twice a week to maintain 5ppm.

Really love the AFR but for some reason after about a week in the dosing container it's accumulated brown residue at the bottom of the container. Doesn't seem to have effected it at all but still odd.

I know this is a little off topic, but just started dosing AFR and my nitrates are low as well ... what’re you dosing twice a week to bring those up? Thanks!

 

[Jenuvio]

Why is the calcium going higher? Shouldn’t the ratio of AFR match the calcium & alk consumption?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Why is the calcium going higher? Shouldn’t the ratio of AFR match the calcium & alk consumption?

Improper ratio in the product (like kalkwasser), other processes depleting alkalinity (such as rising nitrate), or other processes adding calcium (such as top off with tap water).

In general, no system can be perfectly designed for all tanks because no one can know in advance how much magnesium is getting into deposited calcium carbonate in place of some of the calcium, which can lead to accumulating (or depleting) calcium .

 

[CyberGuy]

I am setting up a 20 gallon reef and will be dosing AFR.

 

[Jenuvio]

I want to give it a try but what is stoping me is the fact that people tend to dose 5ml a day average and that means a 250ml will last about a month. I am currently using Seachem Reef Builder with success, my calcium seems to stay stable with water changes.