Adding elements to Red Sea salt

Jdavis8824 · 05/12/2015, 07:29 AM

I'm about to start supplementing red sea's reef foundation to my 20g nano tank. But I use Red Sea coral pro salt as well. My frags growth has slowed a bit since I've added more. The only issue I have is that when I do a water change which I do every week, it will add more elements to the aquarium making it hard to figure out how much to add that day. I want to add a dosing pump so what is the best way to do this? I don't know much other then what levels my elements should be at but its my first time dosing. Can anyone go through the process with me and what to do when I do a water change? I want consistent levels. Thanks

scooter31707 · 05/12/2015, 08:39 AM

First what type of coral are you keeping. When I was using RSCP before whiching to Salinity, I was getting good steady numbers during a 10% weekly water change. IMO, during 10% water changes, LPS will be ok or fish-only tanks. SPS, you might have to start dosing for stability. What I did was did a 30% water change. Got my parameters where I wanted them, then waited 4 days and tested parameters and divided that number by 4 to figure out my dosing per day. You have to be careful when you do water changes, I would be overdosing the first 2 days because of the replenishment of everything from the water change.

Jdavis8824 · 05/12/2015, 08:59 AM

It's kinda a mixed reef. I have zoas, frog spawns, mushrooms, ducans, and 2 birdsnest. I want a few more less difficult sps. I have the light and consistent clean water, just need stability now.

scooter31707 · 05/12/2015, 11:55 AM

ya, you can start dosing, just do some research and figure out what dosing pump you want, there are plenty out there. For as the supplements, I prefer Bulk Reef Supply verison. Good Luck..

andrek787 · 05/12/2015, 01:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by scooter31707

First what type of coral are you keeping. When I was using RSCP before whiching to Salinity, I was getting good steady numbers during a 10% weekly water change. IMO, during 10% water changes, LPS will be ok or fish-only tanks. SPS, you might have to start dosing for stability. What I did was did a 30% water change. Got my parameters where I wanted them, then waited 4 days and tested parameters and divided that number by 4 to figure out my dosing per day. You have to be careful when you do water changes, I would be overdosing the first 2 days because of the replenishment of everything from the water change.

I am in the same boat in trying to calculate my Ca\KH\Mg consumption, so I can start dosing. I tested the water a week ago after a 40% water change with salinity: 450 Ca, 10.6KH, 1330 Mg. I had the water tested again by LFS (with my own RedSea kit) and my parameters didn't budge. I have quet a few LPS in my tank now that I added over the past month

Jdavis8824 · 05/12/2015, 03:10 PM

Why do you do such a large water change? My levels are a little lower 400 cal 10 dkh and 1200 mag. The pump I'm gonna use is a jabeo pump. There cheap and work really well. I have a jebao wave maker. $50 bucks and couldn't be happier, 4 months now I've had it. Can't decide if I want a reactor with bio pellets or a dosing pump with red seas foundation kit. My tanks perimeters even though low are still in a ok range and my water is very clear with little algae but Father's Day is coming up and I want to add something to it while I can. Can't decide which thing I want to improve first though... Any thoughts

andrek787 · 05/12/2015, 04:59 PM

I had get rid of nitrates/phosphates that built up during a long "mini"-cycle. I changed about 20 gallons out of the 120 and that didn't make much difference so I bit the bullet and swapped another 40 gallons a week later.

I have a friend with 110g SPS tank and he uses the RS ABC+ and seems to be happy with it. That was my original plan as well, but I got over excited and bought a Kore 5th dosing pump instead, which is now sitting idle.

I actually considered trying to rig up an electric pepper mill on a timer to dose the ABC+ automatically.

My suggestion would be to get a GFO or bio-pellet reactor before getting a doser. There are all-in-one bio-pellets now if you can only run one reactor.

BTW, what kind of lights do you have?

Jdavis8824 · 05/12/2015, 05:14 PM

I have a 120w ocean revive led with timer. Works really well. I'm a buget shopper, my wife and I are buying a house soon which is when I plan to get a large custom tank that goes with the house we buy.

Jdavis8824 · 05/12/2015, 05:17 PM

If your doser isn't working then check out the jabeo dosing pump, it's only a $100 bucks and from what I hear works just as good as the high end brands. Not sure if that's what u meant about it sitting idle

andrek787 · 05/13/2015, 09:41 AM

The doser works great, it just I don't how much I need to dose. I tried doing tiny doses of Aquavitro Ca\Alk\Mg a month ago, but my parameters went too high (500/12/1500) so I stopped. I got it because it the only one programmable via PC, has 2 years warranty and can actually do 0.05ml doses. But for what I ended paying for it, I could have had a stack of Jebao's.

05/12/2015, 07:29 AM	#1
Jdavis8824 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Posts: 371	Adding elements to Red Sea salt I'm about to start supplementing red sea's reef foundation to my 20g nano tank. But I use Red Sea coral pro salt as well. My frags growth has slowed a bit since I've added more. The only issue I have is that when I do a water change which I do every week, it will add more elements to the aquarium making it hard to figure out how much to add that day. I want to add a dosing pump so what is the best way to do this? I don't know much other then what levels my elements should be at but its my first time dosing. Can anyone go through the process with me and what to do when I do a water change? I want consistent levels. Thanks

05/12/2015, 08:39 AM	#2
scooter31707 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: Virginia Posts: 4,971	First what type of coral are you keeping. When I was using RSCP before whiching to Salinity, I was getting good steady numbers during a 10% weekly water change. IMO, during 10% water changes, LPS will be ok or fish-only tanks. SPS, you might have to start dosing for stability. What I did was did a 30% water change. Got my parameters where I wanted them, then waited 4 days and tested parameters and divided that number by 4 to figure out my dosing per day. You have to be careful when you do water changes, I would be overdosing the first 2 days because of the replenishment of everything from the water change.

05/12/2015, 08:59 AM	#3
Jdavis8824 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Posts: 371	It's kinda a mixed reef. I have zoas, frog spawns, mushrooms, ducans, and 2 birdsnest. I want a few more less difficult sps. I have the light and consistent clean water, just need stability now.

05/12/2015, 11:55 AM	#4
scooter31707 Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2015 Location: Virginia Posts: 4,971	ya, you can start dosing, just do some research and figure out what dosing pump you want, there are plenty out there. For as the supplements, I prefer Bulk Reef Supply verison. Good Luck..

05/12/2015, 03:10 PM	#6
Jdavis8824 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Posts: 371	Why do you do such a large water change? My levels are a little lower 400 cal 10 dkh and 1200 mag. The pump I'm gonna use is a jabeo pump. There cheap and work really well. I have a jebao wave maker. $50 bucks and couldn't be happier, 4 months now I've had it. Can't decide if I want a reactor with bio pellets or a dosing pump with red seas foundation kit. My tanks perimeters even though low are still in a ok range and my water is very clear with little algae but Father's Day is coming up and I want to add something to it while I can. Can't decide which thing I want to improve first though... Any thoughts

05/12/2015, 04:59 PM	#7
andrek787 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Albuquerque, NM Posts: 378	I had get rid of nitrates/phosphates that built up during a long "mini"-cycle. I changed about 20 gallons out of the 120 and that didn't make much difference so I bit the bullet and swapped another 40 gallons a week later. I have a friend with 110g SPS tank and he uses the RS ABC+ and seems to be happy with it. That was my original plan as well, but I got over excited and bought a Kore 5th dosing pump instead, which is now sitting idle. I actually considered trying to rig up an electric pepper mill on a timer to dose the ABC+ automatically. My suggestion would be to get a GFO or bio-pellet reactor before getting a doser. There are all-in-one bio-pellets now if you can only run one reactor. BTW, what kind of lights do you have?

05/12/2015, 05:14 PM	#8
Jdavis8824 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Posts: 371	I have a 120w ocean revive led with timer. Works really well. I'm a buget shopper, my wife and I are buying a house soon which is when I plan to get a large custom tank that goes with the house we buy.

05/12/2015, 05:17 PM	#9
Jdavis8824 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2014 Posts: 371	If your doser isn't working then check out the jabeo dosing pump, it's only a $100 bucks and from what I hear works just as good as the high end brands. Not sure if that's what u meant about it sitting idle

05/13/2015, 09:41 AM	#10
andrek787 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2015 Location: Albuquerque, NM Posts: 378	The doser works great, it just I don't how much I need to dose. I tried doing tiny doses of Aquavitro Ca\Alk\Mg a month ago, but my parameters went too high (500/12/1500) so I stopped. I got it because it the only one programmable via PC, has 2 years warranty and can actually do 0.05ml doses. But for what I ended paying for it, I could have had a stack of Jebao's.