Dialling in dosers

[scotty333]

Guys,

I’m getting a 4 head doser this week and I’m already calculating my dosage amounts
How do you set up yours?

I’ve gone for setting my kh to 8 and will test again in 24 hours and that’ll give me my dosage as per tritons site
Then I’m thinking of dosing into a ml marked container for 6 hours and x 4 to get the dosage total and adjust accordingly
Repeat after adjustment until correct

Calcium I’ll set at 400 and then test a week later for better accuracy

As for the base elements I haven’t decided yet but I had an icp 2 weeks ago and done no water changes or dosed elements since

Is there a better way ?

 

[ryanjohn1]

Don’t dose anything. And check how much per day is used.

 

[scotty333]

Wow
Too much detail but thanks

 

[Lavey29]

Test alk 3 consecutive days at the same time to determine consumption. This will give you a baseline for alk and calcium dosing. If you do weekly water changes you don't need to bother with magnesium or trace elements.

 

[ryanjohn1]

That’s how I did it. Personally I’m not totally sold on trace. Basically a once a week from premixed bottles seems to mostly take care of it. Except for iodine.

 

[scotty333]

I don’t get what your advice is but as for water changes I don’t do them

 

[ryanjohn1]

I don’t get what your advice is but as for water changes I don’t do them

What I’m saying is. Don’t dose anything in. And test your alk at same time 3 days. Then the number should drop almost the same amount daily. That number is what you have to make up for in dosing. If it doesn’t drop you don’t need to dose anything yet.

 

[Lavey29]

I don’t get what your advice is but as for water changes I don’t do them

I'm sure that will end up not the way you want it to....good luck

 

[KStatefan]

Guys,

I’m getting a 4 head doser this week and I’m already calculating my dosage amounts
How do you set up yours?

I’ve gone for setting my kh to 8 and will test again in 24 hours and that’ll give me my dosage as per tritons site
Then I’m thinking of dosing into a ml marked container for 6 hours and x 4 to get the dosage total and adjust accordingly
Repeat after adjustment until correct

Calcium I’ll set at 400 and then test a week later for better accuracy

As for the base elements I haven’t decided yet but I had an icp 2 weeks ago and done no water changes or dosed elements since

Is there a better way ?

What are you going to dose?

Measure consumption then dose to make up for that.

Calibrate doser then verify you get the amount you think you should.

 

[scotty333]

I'm sure that will end up not the way you want it to....good luck

Went 8 years without one

 

[scotty333]

Test alk 3 consecutive days at the same time to determine consumption. This will give you a baseline for alk and calcium dosing. If you do weekly water changes you don't need to bother with magnesium or trace elements.

You don’t mention numbers I.e are you resetting after each day to a set level or are you starting high like 12 then say it reduces to 11 one day then 10 the next and 9 the next because that won’t work because consumption will be different at different levels

 

[Lavey29]

Went 8 years without one

And you don't know how to dose?

 

[scotty333]

What are you going to dose?

Measure consumption then dose to make up for that.

Calibrate doser then verify you get the amount you think you should.

As said in the op , triton

 

[scotty333]

And you don't know how to dose?

Never used a doser no

 

[Lavey29]

You don’t mention numbers I.e are you resetting after each day to a set level or are you starting high like 12 then say it reduces to 11 one day then 10 the next and 9 the next because that won’t work because consumption will be different at different levels

There are multiple variables involved here mainly type and quantity of corals in the tank. Light stock or heavy stock, salinity consistency, are the corals small frags or do you see noticeable growth, etc... you're fine checking it 3 days in a row to determine your dosing needs. This gives you the baseline which you can tweak up or down based on your preferences. Alk and calcium typically deplete proportionally. Magnesium depletes at 1/10 the rate of alk. Dosing trace elements is a whole different thing though because we can't test for them regularly but companies like red sea base their trace dosing on calcium consumption.

 

[Lavey29]

Never used a doser no

So your tank was a fowler and now you have corals.

 

[scotty333]

Always had mixed reefs

 

[Lavey29]

Always had mixed reefs

This is confusing. You state you never do water changes and had a reef tank with corals for 8 years but never dosed anything. How did you maintain parameters in the prior tank with no dosing or water changes?

Assuming your method was successful with your prior tank over 8 years then why change what works for you?

 

[scotty333]

Bit of Lady Luck I guess

This change in stock will be sps dominant and they can’t handle out of whack values

This tank is 8 years old and my previous was 6 , previous to that 10 years

 

[scotty333]

Usage is .8 per 24hrs