Urgh seriously.

[tdlawdo]

And I will literally buy you quality test kits, salifert test kits, you can’t trust api and there is no low end which is what your dealing with primarily. Lol. I want you to have more continued success!

Here is my testing gear. All the Hanna ones and the Red Sea. And the Salifert Mag. The Red Sea allows me to “double” check the Hanna from time to time and als check a few things Hanna doesn’t have yet. I also have the copper one for my QT. I do have the refractometer which has never failed me. I also have the Apex to double check me. I check way too often but it’s the chemistry nerd in me . Plus I’ve been know to be a little “extra”. Haha

 

[Sarah24!]

I have had it since September, 2018. You need to calibrate it first. I test the output occasionally and the calibration has held. No issues at all and the price is so right.

Hello,

Well one of the issues I have with 2-3 part dosers is I would either need two or three of them. Alk, cal, mag, trace elements which is 4, and then noprox. But my tank varies at times and sometimes just when I get ready to dose I will test. Instead of seeing the normal usage drop, it’s still at 8 or close to 9. Another example that happened is, I kept dosing my noprox, and kept reducing it because I need some nitrates. Well yes my api test failed (that’s on me (slap on wrist), but what happens if my usage changes (normally within a day). Instead of being at 8 I’m at 9 or 10 which is a large swing and sps hate that. In theory the doser should dose once an hour right, so not knowing where it went wrong is probably bad. (I have no idea if they test automatically themselves to be honest), but I literally don’t have any room.

My stand is already maxed out even if I built shelf’s the bottles would never fit. (Could try and find smaller ones).

 

[Hemmdog]

Hello,

Well one of the issues I have with 2-3 part dosers is I would either need two or three of them. Alk, cal, mag, trace elements which is 4, and then noprox. But my tank varies at times and sometimes just when I get ready to dose I will test. Instead of seeing the normal usage drop, it’s still at 8 or close to 9. Another example that happened is, I kept dosing my noprox, and kept reducing it because I need some nitrates. Well yes my api test failed (that’s on me (slap on wrist), but what happens if my usage changes (normally within a day). Instead of being at 8 I’m at 9 or 10 which is a large swing and sps hate that. In theory the doser should dose once an hour right, so not knowing where it went wrong is probably bad. (I have no idea if they test automatically themselves to be honest), but I literally don’t have any room.

My stand is already maxed out even if I built shelf’s the bottles would never fit. (Could try and find smaller ones).

Start with just 2 part on a doser. Nopox varies to much so I see your point. Get a little cabinet next to your stand for dosers and bottles.

 

[Mark Novack]

Urine is the only thing that a friend of mine uses to start his dry natural rock cycling. He is a biologist and has a successful family fish business from marine to garden ponds and a visit to the store normally results in spending an hour in the outside gardens feeding the sturgeons and koi and exotic fowl.

No, don't urinate in your tank. But it sure does work to start a cycle from nothing. Plus, the price is very agreeable.

Mark

 

[neoGeorge]

Hello,

Well one of the issues I have with 2-3 part dosers is I would either need two or three of them. Alk, cal, mag, trace elements which is 4, and then noprox. But my tank varies at times and sometimes just when I get ready to dose I will test. Instead of seeing the normal usage drop, it’s still at 8 or close to 9. Another example that happened is, I kept dosing my noprox, and kept reducing it because I need some nitrates. Well yes my api test failed (that’s on me (slap on wrist), but what happens if my usage changes (normally within a day). Instead of being at 8 I’m at 9 or 10 which is a large swing and sps hate that. In theory the doser should dose once an hour right, so not knowing where it went wrong is probably bad. (I have no idea if they test automatically themselves to be honest), but I literally don’t have any room.

My stand is already maxed out even if I built shelf’s the bottles would never fit. (Could try and find smaller ones).

I auto-dose ALK and CA slightly on the lean side and test once per week, adding Bicarb and CACL as needed after testing. Haven't changed my NOPOX auto-dose setting in quite a while, and nitrates and phosphates stay within acceptable ranges (nitrates 0.25-0.75 and phosphates 0.02-0.04).

 

[Fin]

You gotta get a 2 part doser, it’s gonna change your life.

You do realize we can't even get her to set up an auto top off, right? That alone would enable her to quit obsessing about the tank's salinity. @Sarah24! Did you ever buy an RO/DI filter, or are you still lugging 5 gallon jugs of water from the LFS? Those two things would make maintaining the tank so much easier (and stable) for someone like you with limited time.

 

[crusso1993]

How would a refractometer even go bad like Sarah is saying? I don’t see how that could even happen lol.

When you have an electrifying and magnetic personality like @Sarah24! and I do you notice a lot of electronics and such go bad for no apparent reason! Lol

 

[tdlawdo]

You do realize we can't even get her to set up an auto top off, right? That alone would enable her to quit obsessing about the tank's salinity. @Sarah24! Did you ever buy an RO/DI filter, or are you still lugging 5 gallon jugs of water from the LFS? Those two things would make maintaining the tank so much easier (and stable) for someone like you with limited time.

Truth!!!!

 

[tdlawdo]

When you have an electrifying and magnetic personality like @Sarah24! and me you notice a lot of electronics and such go bad for no apparent reason! Lol

The key word there ole electrifying and magnetic one is .... apparent!! There is always a reason.

Lay some truth on them @Fin

 

[crusso1993]

It is a widely held belief that API SW test kits are junk. One would think API would have been made aware of this fact long ago and developed something more reliable/suitable for this hobby. I find it odd. Perhaps I should write them and offer my consultative services. After all, I have no degree in the sciences but can blow stuff up really well!

 

[crusso1993]

The key word there ole electrifying and magnetic one is .... apparent!! There is always a reason.

Lay some truth on them @Fin

 

[tdlawdo]

It is a widely held belief that API SW test kits are junk. One would think API would have been made aware if this fact long ago and developed something more reliable/suitable for the this hobby. I find it odd. Perhaps I should write them and offer my consultative services. After all, I have no degree in the sciences but can blow stuff up really well!

Please copy me on that email so I can see the response!! I’ll buy the first and third rounds at Katrinas block party if you do!

 

[crusso1993]

I’ll buy the first and third rounds at Katrinas block party if you do!

Huh? What? I was told by @Katrina71 and @dantimdad and @sfin52 and @Fin that YOU were supplying ALL the drinks!

 

[dantimdad]

Huh? What? I was told by @Katrina71 and @dantimdad and @sfin52 and @Fin that YOU were supplying ALL the drinks!

I am providing food and the location so SOMEONE has to provide drinks.

LOL!

 

[sfin52]

Huh? What? I was told by @Katrina71 and @dantimdad and @sfin52 and @Fin that YOU were supplying ALL the drinks!

You speak correctly sir

 

[Sarah24!]

Hello,

Wow so many responses I now have to catergorize my brain lol. Let’s see @crusso1993 from following her thread @Katrina71 you had to do umm oh were supplying all the food . @dantimdad now since your providing the place shouldn’t we just do this @Fin we can have two bonuses his family and his tank will get wet . Also if @tdlawdo provides all the drink then you guys won’t need me as the designated driver for every one lol. Most physicians suggest just water when thirsty but special occasions don’t count and this would be kinda like an epic occasion. I really hope Drink wise there is milk. Then @sfin52 sorry for the love of finding clean socks in the morning while in a rush (that match), I have no idea what you have to bring except you. But maybe you can be in charge of music, no need
To bring lights because between all of us we differently can have a disco effect on the floor.

 

[Lowell Lemon]

You speak correctly sir

@tdlawdo
@Sarah24! and I don't drink so you will save money on us! Unless you count milk and water as a cost? Your tank is looking good as well!

 

[dantimdad]

Hello,

Wow so many responses I now have to catergorize my brain lol. Let’s see @crusso1993 from following her thread @Katrina71 you had to do umm oh were supplying all the food . @dantimdad now since your providing the place shouldn’t we just do this @Fin we can have two bonuses his family and his tank will get wet . Also if @tdlawdo provides all the drink then you guys won’t need me as the designated driver for every one lol. Most physicians suggest just water when thirsty but special occasions don’t count and this would be kinda like an epic occasion. I really hope Drink wise there is milk. Then @sfin52 sorry for the love of finding clean socks in the morning while in a rush (that match), I have no idea what you have to bring except you. But maybe you can be in charge of music, no need
To bring lights because between all of us we differently can have a disco effect on the floor.

I love to cook. (Was a chef). The location will be the new store in the spring. I think we should have one before it's done and one right before grand opening to celebrate!

 

[Sarah24!]

Hello,

@Fin lol your sorta partial correct in that I don’t have an rodi system. It’s true I do have one (but in a very soft voice, it’s still in the box (moment similar where meg Ryan tells co workers she has no idea what the name is of the friend she emails that same action and look). It’s true I don’t have an auto doser errrrr well yet lol. I was kinda rolling on all this until my 425 kinda paused because of me being dumb and wanting to build a new house (sheepishly). I didn’t want to set everything up to tear it all out again. Moving my 240 is (I don’t like saying this but) it’s gonna really suck. If builders were not sooo oh what’s the word Mague! then I’d be moving faster. I mean I have done the math it checks out, but they like to stick to their building plans. Except when it comes to large fish tanks and if they add just in those spots a cement pad and extra 2x10 braces and blocks under neath they want like 12,000 (so the irony). I just want this stuff done during the build process of said House so I don’t have to use a sledgehammer I can barely pick up to make a hole in my wall (going straight through to the garage. So sadly I do lug water around still but since I fractured my sternum recently it still hurts too bad to do that. So I use the smaller three gallon ones and well still hurts but they kinda suck when my tank take almost half of one every day.

@Hemmdog yes api tests do suck really bad and well most of the lfs only sell this. Now two of them do sell the advanced redsea version for 80 dollars. This has three down sides, one price, two there instructions are terrible and that’s being nice. Third, nobody here even at the lfs has ever ever ever used or tried one. So if I have an issue or question they couldn’t answer it or would be guessing like me, as we try and figure the directions out. But I guess it can’t be much harder than one I ask a person what hurts, and they say I don’t know @tdlawdo how often has that happen with you lol.

@Mark Novack and @neoGeorge yes I can see dosing the alk and cal like most do, except my tank is insane. It has gone from 1/2 tablespoons of each every two days (about 6 months ago) to 2.5 tablespoons per day of alk and calcium. It’s now getting to where I even have to dose magnesium once a month roughly. Because at first I did 80 gallon water changes every two weeks and I couldn’t keep nitrates down. So I had to use noprox, nothing else was working. Well as most know once you start that, since it’s addictive, to the corals (not me lol), you can wheen it lower but based for example my water volume it’s still min 16ml a day or 1ml per 25 gallons. This is with me feeding the corals marine snow twice a week, and now spot feeding food as well. Plus I have 15 fish so that shouldn’t be an issue. Before the noprox I only feed the fish once a day and still do and it’s five of the frozen cubes. So because my tank is rapidly changing so fast I am not sure if an autodose calculates that before it doses. There are some days where when I go to dose alk and cal, it’s right on, so I leave it. But then the next day it’s way low and I may start to dose half in the morning and half at night.
But the four headed dosers I have looked into at my lfs they are all mine self adjusting. You program it say 1.5 tablespoons per day and it configures that over a 24 hour period and doses that amount. But it won’t stop if the tank hasn’t consumed it yet. Most of the time it does but once in a while it does slow down but that’s usually when I mess something up. Dosing the noprox on an auto doser may or may not work. My tank does do better with low nitrates but not crazy low. Usually if nutrients are low like your thinking then usually alk stays around 7 and a high of 8. But the main issue is, (even for me) is the risk of it not dosing enough or too much. The problem is also with me when I get in a hurry I can easily forget something or dose the wrong amount etc. it’s one reason why now I keep a log of the tank per day. It’s interesting to see the changes and how fast they change or slow.

 

[Sarah24!]

I love to cook. (Was a chef). The location will be the new store in the spring. I think we should have one before it's done and one right before grand opening to celebrate!

Hello,

Wow there is a a new store (what kind of store?) oh and where is the store or which state lol. Pretty sure I can rule out idaho but it definitely sounds amazing and would call for a celebration before and there is nothing like an after party (see iron man ).

@Lowell Lemon yay I won’t be alone lol and hey milk is only 1.08 here for a gallon. Too bad it won’t work for gasoline, but I do have the little liquid koolaide flavors to make water have more than one flavor lol.
Thank you for the kind words I’m trying it’s been doing good then minor setback then does great and trying to limit the minor setbacks. Reslly trying to keep my hands out of the tank. Last time I went to make improvements I sorta killed my Maximus clam. What’s worse is I have no idea how or why who knows. Healthy one day gone the next, and he never attached in over 15 months so I know I didn’t hurt the byssal. Pretty sure I don’t have pyramid snails but this happened super fast.