What are the best methods for dosing and maintaining Sps corals???

[smoq]

A lot of good advice here. I am gonna repeat others, but the best way to dose for sps is to develop a routine and follow it. I have a Doser One Evolution that doses 120ml of DIY Alk&Cal in my 100g tank and I also dose Mag manually. As Randy stated, you should test daily in the first week/2 weeks of dosing to determine the amount of Alk&Cal needed on a daily basis. Use quality test kits. I used Salifert, now switched to Red Sea and they're both comparable in terms of accuracy, Elos Alkalinity test is inaccurate while their Calcium test kit is little more complicated than Salifert/Red Sea IMO. Once you have your daily schedule determined, keep checking your parameters weekly to see if there are any adjustments needed. It's also important not to panic if your Alk swings a little bit from times to times, it happens and you shouldn't be worried (if it's not a large swing of course). As stated before, Mg levels are equally important and keep the ionic balance in the tank. In smaller systems, weekly water changes usually keep Mg levels within optimal range (1300-1500ppm). I personally have to dose about 100ml/week with water changes done every other week. I also dose Red Sea Coral Colors supplements with good results (using half the recommended dose) but I won't state it's a miracle in the bottle because I still believe maintaining fine balance between alk&Cal and Mag as well as regular water changes&low PO4 levels are enough to successfully keep sps. As for feeding, I feed my SPS Preis Aquaristik Coral V-power twice a week early in the morning before my lights turn on and they really respond to that particular food. However, I recommend developing a good dosing routine backed up by water changes before experimenting with anything else.

 

[MikeC]

It is simply amazing how much we need to dose a sand bed.

Before I went Bare bottom I needed to dose 192mils of Alk & Ca per day Mag is always good (red sea pro salt)

I removed my sand and went BB now only need to dose 24mils of each per day and I added even more sps and things are growing nicely.

 

[ecvernon]

Wow from 192 to 24 mL!!!!!!
That's significant. We're you using coral pro salt before and during that transition? I am seriously wondering where all that alk and calcium was going. Did your sand bed contain solidified parts when you removed it?

It is simply amazing how much we need to dose a sand bed.

Before I went Bare bottom I needed to dose 192mils of Alk & Ca per day Mag is always good (red sea pro salt)

I removed my sand and went BB now only need to dose 24mils of each per day and I added even more sps and things are growing nicely.

 

[MikeC]

Wow from 192 to 24 mL!!!!!!
That's significant. We're you using coral pro salt before and during that transition? I am seriously wondering where all that alk and calcium was going. Did your sand bed contain solidified parts when you removed it?

Yes I have always used RSP salt and yes I did have solidified parts but assumed it was from a Ca over dose.
when I was first setting up my dosing pumps and my Apex I left it on for too long (major water Chang to fix it)

 

[saltwaterinbrooklyn]

Funny you should speak of Red Sea coral pro , ever since I switched I have noticed an amazing growth of all my corals , not sure if it was a coincidence or a real improvement in salt quality for h20 , either way all of my corals started to grow and branch , it's very wild to see frags growing like crazy into full size pieces again

 

[Geraud]

First thing is: test, test test. If you do not have much in terms of calcium consumers initially, no real need to dose if you use a good salt. Once you see the Calcium, KH, Mg levels going down, start dosing. Note that obviously fast growing corals will consume more. Clams are also huge Ca consumers.

Now when it comes to dosing: it actually depends on the volume of your tank, if you have a controller etc.

Roughly speaking: if you have a large tank, a calcium reactor is the cheapest solution. Possibly with Kalkwasser in an ATO (huge pH swings in a small tank). But you need to monitor the pH to avoid dumping too much CO2 in the water.

For a smaller tank, dosing 2-part solution (like ESV's B-ionic) and Mg is great and easy.

Personnally I am using ESV 2-part B-ionic and Mg, through peristaltic pumps (like this) controlled by my APEX, and I love it... very stable pH, and once you have found how much your tank consumes a day, you only need to control (test) once a week to make sure things are kept in check.

In general, sure you can dose manually, but doing it drop by drop for 10 minutes... not fun. And dumping the whole dose in your tank will create swings (depending on the dose/total volume of the tank obviously).

ps: regarding dosing calcium and Alk... not only can you dose both together, but you should, otherwise you will end up with a chemical imbalance in your tank. That is why both are always sold together in 2-part products.

 

[Geraud]

Funny you should speak of Red Sea coral pro , ever since I switched I have noticed an amazing growth of all my corals , not sure if it was a coincidence or a real improvement in salt quality for h20 , either way all of my corals started to grow and branch , it's very wild to see frags growing like crazy into full size pieces again

Regarding salts: if you have acros, they usually start by slow apparent growth because they are "busy" encrusting to make sure their are strongly attached to the substrate. Then the crazy growth starts. Others like branching Montiporas seem to just extend right away... and tend to break easily (M. hirsuta, M. digitata).

 

[prattreef]

There is no need to dose two-part drop by drop. Simply pour the proper amount into a high flow area wait a minute or 2 and repeat with part 2. I have seen absolutely zero negative effect from doing this daily for nearly 20 years.
Dosers are great because you don't have to think about dosing daily and if you are going to spend the money on a doser you might as well use it to dispense stuff slowly, but I am skeptical that doing so provides any significant benefit to the system.

 

[Geraud]

Hi Randy, as with all things it depends on the total volume of the tank.

I dose around 10ml every day (25 gallon nano) of parts 1 and 2. If I add that in one go I can see a pH swing of up to +0.5. Doing it drop by drop across several hours works way better in this case. The pH change is non-measurable by my pH probe. In the case of ESV-1 (KH), it also does not seem to mix as fast as other liquids even in front of my MP10.

 

[prattreef]

I don't doubt that, I just doubt that the pH swing has any negative consequences. I add 300 ML in one shot and see a similar temporary increase.

 

[smoq]

I don't doubt that, I just doubt that the pH swing has any negative consequences. I add 300 ML in one shot and see a similar temporary increase.

Same experience here. I dump 100ml Mg in one shot once a week and never seen any negative effects. I use doser for Calcium and Alkalinity but just because I tend to forget to dose

 

[troywalkerphoto]

Heres where I ask what do you guys consider the optimum water parameters. I get so many different thoughts, so many different articles, and when I get frags from different sources I ask the seller and they say this or that and a pre test of the water they pack the frag directly from tank is this or that. I know each tank has its own "personality" and the owner has his or her own agenda for specimens in the own tank. Chime in as to what you think are optimum as it relates to the start of this thread and if it differs for yours.

This is where I sit back and watch the fireworks. LOL No, really, it is germane to the spirit of the thread.
(grabbing some popcorn LOL!)

 

[prattreef]

I think the basic parameters are pretty well established and non-controversial. Some folks like to quibble over really minor differences with no real evidence beyond their opinions for doing so.
SG--1.024-26
Alk.--8-12 dKH
Ca--400-450 ppm
Mg 1300--1400 ppm
NO3--this one is most variable and IMO least important, but I'd say 5-10 ppm. is best
PO4 -- as low as possible
Temp-- also differences here--but minimal fluctuations within the 76-82 is fine.I target 78.

If you are consistently within these ranges, there is no reason you can't be successful, but striving for narrow bands within these ranges is really chasing ghosts IMO.

 

[Nottick]

You can also check out Randy Farley Holmes. He has quite a few great write ups that help you understand the chemistry behind the dosing your doing and how each can effect one another. He has a few articles out there. A quick google search will provide you with enough reading.

 

[jedimaster1138]

I use BRS powdered stuff and mix it with RO/DI myself, then transfer them to those super narrow jugs in the interest of saving space in my stand. I recently considered going to B-Ionic but found BRS to be much more affordable, plus you know exactly what they are made of whereas B-Ionic contains...stuff. (thanks MetroKat for pointing that out :meow

I also occasionally drip in some Julian Sprung trace elements, but I do that very un-scientifically...IE I squirt a few drops in once a week.

2/3 part is dosed with the BRS 1.1 ml/min dosing pumps and the Apex. As you can see, I dose small quantities often, which, I rationalize as being best for things as there are no rapid swings in any chemical. I have 0 scientific data to support though that...it just sounds logical

As others have said, check your levels, and check em often.

 

[smoq]

If you are consistently within these ranges, there is no reason you can't be successful, but striving for narrow bands within these ranges is really chasing ghosts IMO.

That's the biggest issue with dosing for sps. There is a lot of bad info online telling you to keep a very narrow range of parameters and people tend to dump chemicals in their tank hoping to achieve unnecessary goals. pH fluctuates during the day, it's a normal thing. You don't have to aim for ideal 8.2, as far as your pH swings are consistent over longer period of time (weeks-months) you are good. Same with kH- if you check your alkalinity every day for a week you could see there are slight differences. Corals have periods of enhanced growth and more calcium carbonate is used, therefore kH drops.

 

[Awibrandy]

I'd listen to Randy.
I'm not an SPS expert, or anything else for that matter. But I do like to keep things as simple as possible. I do have a doser (still in the box for a year now). I am attempting a mixed reef again. I have been dosing manually Alk, Cal, Mag, I run a dual reactor with GFO & GAC, and dose Lanthanum Chloride weekly.
So far my SPS, LPS, Gorgonians, shrooms are doing well.

I in particular don't like to put my trust in all these machines that can fail.
As far as chasing the perfect numbers has also gotten my tank horrible out comes.
Now I just strife to keep the numbers within certain values.

As far as test kits go; I have been using Salifert, and a Hanna Checker for P04. I ordered Red Sea test kits that should be here tomorrow. Let you know how they work out.

 

[vio]

That the reason i use both (dosing and Calcium Reactor ) + 1 in that " I in particular don't like to put my trust in all these machines that can fail. "

 

[saltwaterinbrooklyn]

Yeah this is why I dose manually , but I will go to Florida in August and want my tank alive upon return !! I want a doser but the moment I'm lookin them up I find someone go does t manually that stops me at the order page lol