When do i start dosing?

lolgranny · 08/03/2010, 12:31 AM

Should i start after the "cycle" ends and everything is stable / when i start to see coraline grow? Its been about 3months and everything looks good / healthy and i would like to start dosing so i can put corals in.

Thanks
-A

shifty51008 · 08/03/2010, 12:37 AM

you start dosing when your tests say your levels are low

Toddrtrex · 08/03/2010, 12:51 AM

Yep, test for Cal, Alk, and Mag, and if the test show that your levels are too low, then dose. But, if you don't have any big calcium hogs in your tank, you might by with weekly water changes.

Tuscaquatics · 08/03/2010, 01:01 AM

If you really want to kick-start the coralline, you will have to jack your levels up a little higher than where they will be with your salt mix. But like what was said before me, you are going to need to test for at least calcium, alkalinity and pH. Magnesium is advisable to test for as well if you have access to a kit; they are a little harder to find. Though in my experience, even with quite a load of corals and/or coralline, magnesium will not drop any faster than can be replenished through regular water changes.

Once you have the kits, and you know where your levels are, you can begin to bring them where you want them. For maximum coralline growth, I keep my levels at:

SG: 1.026
pH: 8.5
Cal: 450-500
Alk: 10-12 dKH
Mag: 1300-1400
Nitrate: 0
Phosphate: 0

But don't you dare even think about putting calcium or alkalinity in there without a test kit. You will almost certainly foul up your chemistry.

AaronM · 08/03/2010, 04:41 AM

In my short experience: PH and calcium were spot on, but the coraline which came with my LR wasn't taking off. Infact i think it was starting to recede. I started dosing Mag and the coraline growth has picked up. I don't have a mag test kit, so i dose about 20% what the product recomends. I'd say keeping cal, alk and mag at correct levels during and after cycle would be good...

billdogg · 08/03/2010, 06:45 AM

IMO, dosing without testing make what you have a chemistry experiment with unknown outcome!

TEST, and understand the results, BEFORE you begin to dose!

Palting · 08/03/2010, 07:17 AM

No need to dose when starting out. A quality salt and water changes is all you need for good parameters. Coraline will come and can be supported easily with the water changes. A few LPS can even be easily supported with just water changes and a quality salt. When you have a larger population of stony corals, then the first step is monitoring with tests, then dose appropriately. Any thing else is a waste of money, IMO.

KeMo · 08/03/2010, 07:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by billdogg

IMO, dosing without testing make what you have a chemistry experiment with unknown outcome!

TEST, and understand the results, BEFORE you begin to dose!

I agree

AaronM · 08/03/2010, 08:05 AM

Sorry! I keep assuming LR + cycle like mine.

Even if not LR, why would dosing to maintain these paramters, i.e inline with natural levels, after and not during cycle be better? Genuine question.

Palting · 08/03/2010, 08:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AaronM

Sorry! I keep assuming LR + cycle like mine.

Even if not LR, why would dosing to maintain these paramters, i.e inline with natural levels, after and not during cycle be better? Genuine question.

I don't know who or to what post you are directing this question to, but I'll try to answer it. Quality salt WILL maintain the proper parametrs just with routine water changes unless you have livestock aggressively consuming alk and ca and mag etc. No sense in dosing during the cycle since you have no livestock, and bacteria is all you are tryig to grow. After the cycle, again, water changes properly done will maintain your parameters, until such a time that you have a lot of livestock consuming ca, mag, alk, etc faster than your WC can keep up with. The only way to know when this time is is to do tests.

DustinB · 08/03/2010, 09:34 AM

I have a 90 gal tank with 150lbs of coraline covered live rock, several soft corals, a few large LPS, and several small SPS. I don't dose and I only do monthly water changes. Alk and Calcium stay between 8-10 and 390-420 respectively. Instant Ocean salt. No problems with coraline growing. Now with the addition of a clam and a couple larger acros I suspect I will need to start dosing kalk.

You won't have to dose for a while.

08/03/2010, 12:31 AM	#1
lolgranny The DQ King Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Chicago (McHenry) Posts: 2,414	When do i start dosing? Should i start after the "cycle" ends and everything is stable / when i start to see coraline grow? Its been about 3months and everything looks good / healthy and i would like to start dosing so i can put corals in. Thanks -A

08/03/2010, 12:51 AM	#3
Toddrtrex Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Carol Stream, IL Posts: 23,162	Yep, test for Cal, Alk, and Mag, and if the test show that your levels are too low, then dose. But, if you don't have any big calcium hogs in your tank, you might by with weekly water changes. __________________ Click my name and then "visit toddrtrex's homepage" for tank pictures Current Tank Info: 210g reef and 65g reef

08/03/2010, 06:45 AM	#6
billdogg Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Grove City, Ohio Posts: 10,806	IMO, dosing without testing make what you have a chemistry experiment with unknown outcome! TEST, and understand the results, BEFORE you begin to dose! __________________ I'll try to be nice if you try to be smarter! I can't help that I grow older, but you can't make me grow up! Current Tank Info: 120 mixed reef with 40b sump, RO 150 skimmer, AI Sol Blue x 2, and a 60g Frag Tank with 100g rubbermaid sump. 2 x Kessil A360w lights, BM curve 5 skimmer

08/03/2010, 07:17 AM	#7
Palting Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Ohio Posts: 6,912	No need to dose when starting out. A quality salt and water changes is all you need for good parameters. Coraline will come and can be supported easily with the water changes. A few LPS can even be easily supported with just water changes and a quality salt. When you have a larger population of stony corals, then the first step is monitoring with tests, then dose appropriately. Any thing else is a waste of money, IMO. __________________ Anything I post is just an opinion. One of many in this hobby. Believe and follow at your own risk of rapid and complete annihilation of all life in your tank :) Current Tank Info: Incept 3/2010, 150 RR, 50g sump, 20g fuge, 150w 15K MH x3, T5 actinics x8, moonlight LED x6, 1400gph return, Koralia 1400 x4, 300 g skimmer, 4 tangs, 2 mandarins, 2 perc, 6 line, 3 cardinals, 2 firefish, SPS, LPS, zoas, palys, shrooms, clam

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08/03/2010, 12:37 AM	#2
shifty51008 12-5 Chiefs record Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: NW Iowa Posts: 10,134	you start dosing when your tests say your levels are low

08/03/2010, 01:01 AM	#4
Tuscaquatics Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Tuscaloosa, AL Posts: 1,324	If you really want to kick-start the coralline, you will have to jack your levels up a little higher than where they will be with your salt mix. But like what was said before me, you are going to need to test for at least calcium, alkalinity and pH. Magnesium is advisable to test for as well if you have access to a kit; they are a little harder to find. Though in my experience, even with quite a load of corals and/or coralline, magnesium will not drop any faster than can be replenished through regular water changes. Once you have the kits, and you know where your levels are, you can begin to bring them where you want them. For maximum coralline growth, I keep my levels at: SG: 1.026 pH: 8.5 Cal: 450-500 Alk: 10-12 dKH Mag: 1300-1400 Nitrate: 0 Phosphate: 0 But don't you dare even think about putting calcium or alkalinity in there without a test kit. You will almost certainly foul up your chemistry.

08/03/2010, 04:41 AM	#5
AaronM Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Sydney Posts: 480	In my short experience: PH and calcium were spot on, but the coraline which came with my LR wasn't taking off. Infact i think it was starting to recede. I started dosing Mag and the coraline growth has picked up. I don't have a mag test kit, so i dose about 20% what the product recomends. I'd say keeping cal, alk and mag at correct levels during and after cycle would be good...

08/03/2010, 08:05 AM	#9
AaronM Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Sydney Posts: 480	Sorry! I keep assuming LR + cycle like mine. Even if not LR, why would dosing to maintain these paramters, i.e inline with natural levels, after and not during cycle be better? Genuine question.

08/03/2010, 09:34 AM	#11
DustinB Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2010 Location: Texas Posts: 1,532	I have a 90 gal tank with 150lbs of coraline covered live rock, several soft corals, a few large LPS, and several small SPS. I don't dose and I only do monthly water changes. Alk and Calcium stay between 8-10 and 390-420 respectively. Instant Ocean salt. No problems with coraline growing. Now with the addition of a clam and a couple larger acros I suspect I will need to start dosing kalk. You won't have to dose for a while.