As I understand it, AFR is calcium formate based with magnesium and trace elements. The formate causes a carbon effect which lowers NO3 and PO4. I started using it 2 weeks ago and now my nutrients are down from 5-10ppm to 1ppm (or lower…very light shade of pink with Salifert test, when viewing from the side). PO4 has always been at trace levels due to rock and sand absorption. I have been feeding heavy frozen mysis and Rod’s as well as pellets and flakes to try to keep up with nutrients. I have been dosing NeoPhos for the past several months and have NeoNitro coming in a couple days. What I’m wondering is if this will eventually find an equilibrium to where I won’t need to dose either? The tank is a 25g mixed reef with the majority of corals being SPS. It is currently stocked with 5 fish and various snails, hermits and a shrimp. I’m dosing 3ml of Reef Energy AB+ daily to help ensure the corals don’t starve. They are all growing pretty quickly, though some of the zoas have adjusted and somewhat transformed (smaller polyps with shorter skirts) which I’m assuming is due to the nutrients being so low.
TM All For Reef lowering nutrients
- Thread starter Necrodaemus
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I doubt the all for reef is making any significant effect on nitrate and phosphate levels. You can skip neonitro, just feed the reef energy (+you can up the dosage more).
I guess I can assume it’s the increased coral growth that is consuming the nutrients so quickly then.
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I had a similar issue in my 25g sps dominant tank. It stayed at 0 nitrates for more than a year when I dosed all-for-reef. Started with 0.5ml/day and was dosing 18ml/day towards the end of it.
Now I dose ESV 2-part. Nitrates are still only around 1ppm, but my corals look much better. Colors are much deeper.
On the flip side, I use GFO now to keep phosphates under 0.8. Never had to worry about phosphates when dosing all-for-reef.
Overall, I am happy with the switch to ESV. Managing phosphates is much easier than dosing nitrates. I had to dose a lot of nitrates to see any detectable nitrates.
I will use all-for-reef again in a larger LPS dominant system that has decent fish load to go with it.
Now I dose ESV 2-part. Nitrates are still only around 1ppm, but my corals look much better. Colors are much deeper.
On the flip side, I use GFO now to keep phosphates under 0.8. Never had to worry about phosphates when dosing all-for-reef.
Overall, I am happy with the switch to ESV. Managing phosphates is much easier than dosing nitrates. I had to dose a lot of nitrates to see any detectable nitrates.
I will use all-for-reef again in a larger LPS dominant system that has decent fish load to go with it.
I will start in a few days with AFR !
My system has lower Nitrates (3ppm - Hanna) and Phosp (0ppm - Hanna).
I have a 650L system and dose today Kalk + CarboCalcium.
My target will be change CarboCalcium for AFR.
Well I found this thread and will try bring my experiences with AFR and lower Nutrients !
Sounds good. There should not be much effect, but since your tank is borderline, watching nitrate is appropriate!
Update: I only had to do one dose of NeoNitro about a week ago…just enough to bring NO3 up to 3ppm. It is now sitting around 10ppm consistently without any dosing. Not sure what was going on, but it seems to have balanced itself out.
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