Is testing calcium and magnesium necessary if alkalinity is stable with weekly water changes and dosing AFR?

[camilenoel]

I just set up a 14g tank and am currently cycling it with one juvenile maroon clownfish. I plan on doing a mixed reef with primarily softies and LPS but would like to have a few SPS up top at some point. I’m trying to keep it simple and plan on dosing All For Reef when corals are added to make sure my Cal, Alk and Mag are stable and available for them. I’ve seen many people talking about afr on here and how if you’re dosing a balanced additive like that then you only really need to consistently test alkalinity as it’s the one that will fluctuate the most and be representative of the others. Is that true? If so, does anyone know why? Something about the relationship between the 3 I’m sure but I would love to know more if anyone has any insight! Thanks!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

No, I would not regularly test them. Magnesium testing is more likely to cause problems than fix them in such a scenario, and calcium deviations will be quite slow to develop in a scenario as you describe. I'd check calcium after a month of using AFR to control alk.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/just-say-no-to-magnesium-testing-rmm-is-born.1017528/https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/just-say-no-to-magnesium-testing-rmm-is-born.1017528/

 

[Tired]

Can't help on the parameters, but you need to go to the store and grab some sort of bottled bacteria. Fish-in cycling isn't considered a good method any more- too much risk of harming the fish, even with a tough species that you likely won't kill. Since you have the fish in, you're going to need to do all you can to ensure a biofilter, and you're going to need to frequently test for ammonia until the cycle is confirmed.

Also, maroon clownfish get about as big as your hand. That gal will murder anything else put in there with her, and will need an upgrade at some point.

 

[camilenoel]

No, I would not regularly test them. Magnesium testing is more likely to cause problems than fix them in such a scenario, and calcium deviations will be quite slow to develop in a scenario as you describe. I'd check calcium after a month of using AFR to control alk.

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/just-say-no-to-magnesium-testing-rmm-is-born.1017528/https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/just-say-no-to-magnesium-testing-rmm-is-born.1017528/

Thanks Randy! Love to hear it from the expert on here!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Thanks Randy! Love to hear it from the expert on here!

You're welcome.

Happy Reefing.

 

[camilenoel]

Can't help on the parameters, but you need to go to the store and grab some sort of bottled bacteria. Fish-in cycling isn't considered a good method any more- too much risk of harming the fish, even with a tough species that you likely won't kill. Since you have the fish in, you're going to need to do all you can to ensure a biofilter, and you're going to need to frequently test for ammonia until the cycle is confirmed.

Also, maroon clownfish get about as big as your hand. That gal will murder anything else put in there with her, and will need an upgrade at some point.

Hey! Thanks for the concern! I have an established FOWLR tank that I got some mature bio block from in the filter as well as live sand, live rock and quick start for good measure. Cycle completed before adding fish. I’m just letting it mature before corals, so I suppose cycling wasn’t the right word to use there.

I actually work at an LFS and have a BS in Marine Bio as well as experience keeping and breeding clowns in the past. The reason I brought him home is because he’s been in my store for 8 months and killed a couple fish before he wasn’t allowed to have friends in his tank anymore. I wanted him to get a home where he can be the only fish so I set this tank up specifically for him and to venture into reefing. I plan on upgrading his tank as needed and monitoring closely!

 

[camilenoel]

You're welcome.

Happy Reefing.

Hey Randy! I have another question. If I were to dose a balanced supplement like All For Reef and use an ATO, could I dose the ATO basin to hack a dosing pump sort of? If so would I need additional aeration or something in the basin?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Hey Randy! I have another question. If I were to dose a balanced supplement like All For Reef and use an ATO, could I dose the ATO basin to hack a dosing pump sort of? If so would I need additional aeration or something in the basin?

You are asking about using an ATO to dose diluted AFR? I wouldn’t. Bacteria will begin to consume the formate in the AFR after dilution, and that is likely to lead to calcium carbonate precipitation.

 

[camilenoel]

You are asking about using an ATO to dose diluted AFR? I wouldn’t. Bacteria will begin to consume the formate in the AFR after dilution, and that is likely to lead to calcium carbonate precipitation.

Sounds good! It seemed too easy a solution for everyone not to do it! Glad I asked! Thanks again!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

You're welcome.

Happy reefing.