To dose or not to dose

[arvin]

I have had a reef tank for 2+ years but there is one thing that has always been elusive is the ability
to keep SPS. I have managed to keep some here and there but never really seen them thrive in my tank. Water changes have been pretty regular. Never had any major algae outbreak or any such disasters. But at the same time the corals never really flourished so much. Btw, I never dosed anything in the tank.

With the goal of running a successful thriving reef aquaria, I am wondering what my options are as far as dosing supplements.

1) Randy Holmes' two part solution
2) Vodka
3) Zeovit (I see rafal & ricwilli swear by this)
4) Balling Salts

I am looking for "set it once and forget it forever" type of application, if there is ever one.

I appreciate your pointers. Thanks!

Arvind.

 

[Jcurry@wesketch]

If you want "set it once and forget it" I would reccommend 30% weekly or bi-weekly water changes. Once you start dosing trace elements you'll need to test your water parameters more regularly to make sure things don't get out balance.

 

[mnat]

Before you begin to dose you have to figure out what your starting point is. Test calcium, magnesium, PH, and alk and see where your levels are. If your levels are good then you don't have to dose them, if they are low then time to begin dosing. SPS like better water quality and require higher levels of elements to build their skeletons. Even though your levels might be good now, once you add SPS the key is to keep them there. Also you have to figure out what type of dosing:

Two part is great for keeping your alk, PH and calcium in line.
Vodka increases your beneficial bacteria which improves your water quality.
Zeovit I don't really understand but it falls inline with making your water crystal clear.
I know nothing about balling salts.

 

[rafal07013]

after spending endless hrs on this site as well as RC - I have asked myself simple question:

a) how do I want to control PH, Ca, and Alk?

options:

a) manual dosing

b) calcium reactor and alk reactor

c) dosing unit

d) Balling salts


Last option was not the option since there is no local dealer and getting salts from Canada was not that much appealing to me. First option went out the door since it is not practical. Second option - you need to know how to tune it in and mess around with Alk reactor - at first, it was my choice and decided to use MTC calcium reactor and GEO kalk reactor.

Than, I found this thread:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1601313&perpage=25&pagenumber=5

and everything has changed. it costed me about $500 for dosing unit and 4 buckets of media that I picked up from TB Aquatics that will last me for years.

Once you have PH, Alk, and Mg in place than you can venture into NeoZeovit, Vodka, Zeo etc

as far as dosing unit - Profilux controller with dosing pump unit - bought used one at half the original price.

 

[arvin]

after spending endless hrs on this site as well as RC - I have asked myself simple question:

a) how do I want to control PH, Ca, and Alk?

options:

a) manual dosing

b) calcium reactor and alk reactor

c) dosing unit

d) Balling salts


Last option was not the option since there is no local dealer and getting salts from Canada was not that much appealing to me. First option went out the door since it is not practical. Second option - you need to know how to tune it in and mess around with Alk reactor - at first, it was my choice and decided to use MTC calcium reactor and GEO kalk reactor.

Than, I found this thread:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1601313&perpage=25&pagenumber=5

and everything has changed. it costed me about $500 for dosing unit and 4 buckets of media that I picked up from TB Aquatics that will last me for years.

Once you have PH, Alk, and Mg in place than you can venture into NeoZeovit, Vodka, Zeo etc

as far as dosing unit - Profilux controller with dosing pump unit - bought used one at half the original price.

These are some good pointers. That is an interesting thread. Thank you.

 

[arvin]

If you want "set it once and forget it" I would reccommend 30% weekly or bi-weekly water changes. Once you start dosing trace elements you'll need to test your water parameters more regularly to make sure things don't get out balance.

Is Bi-weekly twice a week or once in two weeks? tfd.com says both ways.

Anyway, I have done water changes once in two weeks for my previous tank and weekly for the current one. Although I change only about 5-10% of the water because of space constraints in the sump currently.

30% water change weekly may be a good option for smaller systems. But I am afraid using a Tropic Marine Pro for a 30% weekly water change in a big system like mine is going to become an expensive affair.

If the water change only adds the trace elements and if I can figure out a cheaper/easier way to add the trace elements and reduce the frequency of water changes... goes my thinking.

 

[mnat]

My method is Brightwell Elemental with Brightwell Alk 8.3 and dose those. Not set it and forget it, but maybe 10 mins of work every other day.

 

[arvin]

My method is Brightwell Elemental with Brightwell Alk 8.3 and dose those. Not set it and forget it, but maybe 10 mins of work every other day.

that reminds me. Ricwilli also uses Brightwell. Not Zeovit as I mentioned in my OP.