When do I need to start dosing?

[WIReefer]

So a little about my tank I have a 55 gallon with just a hob filter will soon be adding a 35 gallon sump to the tank. Have 60 pounds of live rock in the tank which started as dry rock and just seeded it. Tank has been running for almost 8 months now and have had some ups and downs lost all my fish to ich and let the tank run for 76 days fallow to eliminate. Since then still have not introduced any fish for coral I have some sps just a birds nest, acro, and a monti cap. Other corals I have some acans, hammers, torch’s, zoas, basically pretty easy soft coral have 17 frags in the tank and I just purchased 11 more frags which I will be picking up shortly tank and corals look amazing currently just wondering if adding all these frags/corals will make me have to dose not really sure what determines that. I just now do a small water change weekly or bi weekly depending on parmenters. Was just curious on how or when to dose if needed! Thank you guys for the help in advance!

 

[DarthSimon]

As your calcium and alk demands start going up. You can start testing for alk and calcium and see what the demands are now. If the numbers don't change much your are most likely fine for now. Eventually as you add more corals, they will use up and demand more alk and calcium. That's when you will have to start dosing and supplementing. Your water changes are providing you alk and calcium for now.

 

[ZoWhat]

You dont dose anything until you have at least a month of ABSORPTION rates on

Calcium
Alkalinity
Magnesium
Possibly Potassium

Your small WCs could be all that you need.

Start testing for those 4 elements and track your absorption to see any deficiencies

 

[Greg P]

+1 ^^
Start a log book and track your tank's usage. And if you want it to be accurate, test your DT and your New Water before a WC, or test your DT right before and right after a WC. I do the former.
This will all come into play as you get comfortable tracking and analyzing your tank's uptake.