Moving away from AFR?

Gungo · Aug 11, 2024

So in all the threads I’ve read everyone is moving to AFR. I've been using it for about a year since I started my tank which is a year old. I could say that the cycle this time was different (it's the 4th tank I set up). I've never dealt with Cyano for so long, and few other things I've noticed that I could probably relate to the small carbon dosing AFR does. Don't get me wrong, the corals are fine and the tank is fine overall, but I've noticed very small pods population, a lot of cyano problems and filmy algaes that comes and go. Parameters have always been on check, and I'm just wondering if moving away from AFR will take my tank where I want it to be. I remember with normal two-part dosing algaes went away at the six-month mark, and the pods were everywhere. The algae that grew were hair algae for the most part, but now I feel carbon dosing is playing a part in how the tank is doing. Anyone has noticed the same? Should I move away or give it more time?

For reference my parameters have always been stable for the most part:

KH: 7.7
No3: 10
Po4: 0.03

Spare time · Aug 11, 2024

It's probably unrelated trouble the cyano imo but you can try and use regular 2 part.

leepink23 · Aug 11, 2024

I felt the same way, couldn’t get detectable nutrients and have suffered some coral loss, I can’t say yet if it was worth changing but I switched to the BRS modified balling method. I have friends with extremely good success with it though.

shcrimps · Aug 11, 2024

i’ve only used AFR for the past two years and haven’t had those problems & i have booming point of sale populations
however if you aren’t getting what you desire out of it then switch
a year is more than enough time to give it a shot
each tank takes to certain things differently

slingfox · Aug 11, 2024

When I started my reef aquarium I went with ESV 2-part since it seemed easy to implement and is more cost effective with AFR. I plan to eventually dose kalk but don't have enough core to make it worthwhile yet.

areefer01 · Aug 11, 2024

If you are not happy feel free to change. Switching to a 2 part shouldn't be that much of a challenge. I'd probably start slow and test to see how the change in demand is so you can adjust accordingly.

I've been using AFR on my 210 for a couple of years now and don't see any issues. I didn't see any issues when I was using ESV 2 part either so probably not a good judge. I switched because I wanted a single dosing solution.

For what it is worth I also run a high nutrient system with phosphates peaking at 2.2 ppm and nitrates in the 30's. I do not have any algae issues.

rc8t6353 · Aug 11, 2024

Just my opinion, but I would get those phosphates up. I too was dealing with a small cyano problem. I used to syphon it out or break it up to get pulled in the overflow. I started feeding more( phyto, pellets,coral max). My nitrates and phosphates were about the same as yours. Between the increased feeding and very very small doses of phosphate, I'm usually between. 06-.13 with phosphates. Nitrate is steady around 12-14. Since increasing phosphates my sand has been white and the cyano has disappeared.

Gungo · Aug 12, 2024

I could probably try increasing the phosphates a little to see if that helps, probably they're too low. I'll give it a shot for a few weeks to see what changes I see. I decided on AFR mainly for the single dosing solution. but I am completely open to move away if the tank continues to struggle.

Thanks everyone!

RoanokeReef · Aug 12, 2024

Gungo said:
I could probably try increasing the phosphates a little to see if that helps, probably they're too low. I'll give it a shot for a few weeks to see what changes I see. I decided on AFR mainly for the single dosing solution. but I am completely open to move away if the tank continues to struggle.

Thanks everyone!

Another option for single solution, be interesting if it shows a DKH rise right away unlike AFR https://aquaforest.eu/en/product/component-3-in-1/

Doctorgori · Aug 12, 2024

I’d bet the cyano issue is unrelated…
I switch to AFR on all my tanks, not the most cost effective but easiest …
I’ll switch when they make a pH boosting formula

GlassMunky · Aug 12, 2024

RoanokeReef said:
Another option for single solution, be interesting if it shows a DKH rise right away unlike AFR https://aquaforest.eu/en/product/component-3-in-1/

That stuff is formate same as AFR

Miami Reef · Aug 12, 2024

It’s most likely not related to all for reef.

I had cyano patches in my 2-part tank that didn’t go away until I dosed chemi clean. I don’t have cyano even after a year later. I do the exact husbandry.

Skimming, activated carbon, and higher flow helps, but it’s sometimes it’s not enough, like in my case.

vahegan · Aug 13, 2024

Gungo said:
I've never dealt with Cyano for so long, and few other things I've noticed that I could probably relate to the small carbon dosing AFR does.

I wouldn't call it small. Not sure how much you dose, but AFR is calcium formate: it contains 18.5% carbon and 30.8% calcium. At the time, many years back when AFR wasn't on the market yet, I have experimented for calcium formate as a 2-in-1 calcium + carbon source (I was trying to fight high phosphate in my tank then, so I thought that was a perfect solution for me). After dosing a significant amount for a while (I don't recall the details, but it was much higher than the recommended AFR dose) I found that the pipes on my pumps were clogged with bacterial slime: this is due to too much organic carbon going into the system.

Gungo · Aug 13, 2024

Wow, I never thought it was that much. Thanks for the information. I'm leaning toward moving away from it. It's really convenient but man, I don't feel I need that much carbon in my tank.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Aug 13, 2024

Gungo said:
Wow, I never thought it was that much. Thanks for the information. I'm leaning toward moving away from it. It's really convenient but man, I don't feel I need that much carbon in my tank.

I would not be concerned about that aspect at all. The carbon dose effect is very small because formate is nearly CO2 already and there is little useful energy to be gained from metabolizing it.