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tbrown · Apr 15, 2023

I'm not advocating dosing metals I just find it odd that ICP says they're all 0.

pandaparties · Apr 15, 2023

stoney7713 said:
I wonder if an occasional dose of chaetogro would help or just encourage algae growth.

I've dosed in the past for macro growth and algae in my tank EXPLODED

billyocean · Apr 15, 2023

In the end..it's hard to beat water changes. Even though my icp is fine, things always perk up after water changes.

Edit.
I do match my water change water as close I can to my display water. Dose nitrate, mag, phosphate to new water in brute

tbrown · Apr 15, 2023

billyocean said:
In the end..it's hard to beat water changes. Even though my icp is fine, things always perk up after water changes.

Yeah, I really need to get back to regular water changes. Thursdays I typically sit in front of my tank for 10 hours anyway. No reason I can't stand up and mix a couple buckets of water...

pandaparties · Apr 15, 2023

billyocean said:
In the end..it's hard to beat water changes. Even though my icp is fine, things always perk up after water changes.

Edit.
I do match my water change water as close I can to my display water. Dose nitrate, mag, phosphate to new water in brute

Couldn't agree more, ever since I added my AWC things have just been way more steady and predictable

billyocean · Apr 15, 2023

It is important to know where your alk, cal, and mag are in the salt though. Dose it up if necessary. A couple days after water change I add the kz and trace stays good

stoney7713 · Apr 15, 2023

I've thought about switching to AFR, I do water changes, they just are not regular intervals anymore.

billyocean · Apr 15, 2023

stoney7713 said:
I've thought about switching to AFR, I do water changes, they just are not regular intervals anymore.

Still have to dose alk or mag I think

stoney7713 · Apr 15, 2023

billyocean said:
Still have to dose alk or mag I think

Mag hasn't been an issue, IO reef crystals runs high, and very little gets used.

AFR covers Alk, it's in a different form, it has to be broken down first biologically since it's a calcium formate. A day or two before you get a reading from it. This is the reason you use so much less than kalk to maintain the same Alk and Cal levels.

I already bought a large dry tub of it. Just haven't used it yet since it doesn't provide the pH boost kalk does and I was doing regular water changes.

My corals are really starting to take off so it probably wouldn't hurt to start dosing some to keep trace elements up.

billyocean · Apr 15, 2023

I think people dose extra alk from a other source as to not raise calcium and mag anymore because alk won't stay high enough with afr alone. I thought I read some people having this happen...could be wrong

stoney7713 · Apr 15, 2023

billyocean said:
I think people dose extra alk from a other source as to not raise calcium and mag anymore because alk won't stay high enough with afr alone. I thought I read some people having this happen...could be wrong

That might be, I know people do dose Alk and Cal separately occasionally to pull them back into spec.

Some people does both AFR and Kalk still to keep the pH bonus going.

One other thing AFR added not to long ago was iodine. You know, one of those trace elements we talk more and more about already. So that's a plus IMO.

Smaller tanks I think AFR is a nice solution, but larger tanks or tanks like yours that might have a very high consumption rate, it would probably get expensive.

I just don't want to be dosing 12 different things down the road. Maybe an automatic water changer would be better?

stoney7713 · Apr 15, 2023

tbrown3589 said:
Yeah, I really need to get back to regular water changes. Thursdays I typically sit in front of my tank for 10 hours anyway. No reason I can't stand up and mix a couple buckets of water...

Get some trash cans! Just watch out! Heard they are real back, I mean, foot breakers!

StatelineReefer · Apr 15, 2023

billyocean said:
I think people dose extra alk from a other source as to not raise calcium and mag anymore because alk won't stay high enough with afr alone. I thought I read some people having this happen...could be wrong

Mostly because AFR raises cal and alk in balance, but usage favors alk more than calcium.

stoney7713 · Apr 15, 2023

StatelineReefer said:
Mostly because AFR raises cal and alk in balance, but usage favors alk more than calcium.

I check Alk 4 or so times a week, I don't have a trident......yet.....

Cal I check every few weeks, I haven't had to dose it separately yet, Kalk and water changes keep it up.

BroccoliFarmer · Apr 15, 2023

stoney7713 said:
I check Alk 4 or so times a week, I don't have a trident......yet.....

Cal I check every few weeks, I haven't had to dose it separately yet, Kalk and water changes keep it up.

Honestly, if I checked my alk 4 times a week and it didnt bother me, I would consider skipping the trident. It is nice but it is ridiculously expensive and questionable accurate. I would prefer to have it the other way around.