Let's talk dosing.

Andrew_bram

Tiger Shark
M.A.S.C Club Member
#1
What do you use?
How long have you been using that method?
What do you like or not like about it?
Cheapest supplement or media you have found?
Do you have any plans of switching?

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#3
I use ghl dosing pumps with aquaforest. It works well enough but it’s kind of pricey. I plan on switching to a cal reactor when I run out
 

jda123

Dolphin
M.A.S.C Club Member
#4
CaRx - same reactors for at least 10 years. $14 bottle refill about ever year. Media is about $100 for three tanks, but I grow a lot of stuff and use more than most people. I have no plans to switch.

I like that it replenishes every element that a coral up took when it created a skeleton, in perfect balance. Just some routine water changes is all that I ever need to grow stonies, coralline and softies.
 

scmountain

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#5
how often do you all re asses your tanks Ca/Kh consumption?
 

jda123

Dolphin
M.A.S.C Club Member
#6
For me, about every two months. My ideal dKh would be about 7.0. Let's say that I set my CaRx to work at 7.0 perfectly right now, over the next month or two, it will go down to 6.8 as stuff grows. Then I turn it up... it takes a week, or so, but then it gets to 7.2 and stabilizes. Then over the next few months, it goes back down again.

I test alk once a week, but I do look for drips and bubbles every day. I lift the bottle about every week to see how empty that it is getting.
 

flagg37

Anthias
M.A.S.C Club Member
#7
I started out dosing 3 part (BRS) with a jaebo doser on my old 30 gallon tank. There was absolutely nothing wrong with that method with that tank. If I had another tank smaller than say 100 gallons that would be my go to dosing option.

When I upgraded to my 120 I switched to dosing kalk (BRS again) (not with my ato) and was planning to add my carx when demand grew. I never got that far before we moved and I sold that tank. The only problem I had with the kalk was that I’d go through a 5 gallon bucket like every week. If I was to do it again, I’d probably figure out some way to automate it more. Probably with a reactor with a stirrer that had fresh RODI water topping it off.

The next tank is slated to be around 300 gallons. I plan on starting the carx from the get go and maybe include some kalk to boost pH a little. I haven’t decided yet though. I may use a co2 scrubber or nothing at all.
 

Andrew_bram

Tiger Shark
M.A.S.C Club Member
#8
What do you use?
How long have you been using that method?
What do you like or not like about it?
Cheapest supplement or media you have found?
Do you have any plans of switching?

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I dose 2 part.
I have been dosing 2 part 20 years
Calcium reactor 3 years
I buy bulk soda ash 35 pounds at a time and bulk ca
I use a dos and previously brs dosing pumps.
I like the set and forget of calcium reactor. But I think I get better growth with 2 part due to a ph boost.
I mix 5 gallons at a time and that last me 2 or 3 months on 650 gallon water volume sps dominate.

I monitored my alk weekly before the trident.

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TheRealChrisBrown

Reef Shark
M.A.S.C Club Member
ex-officio
#9
What do you use? Calcium Reactor
How long have you been using that method? about 1 year
What do you like or not like about it? Stability, and it's not really set it and forget it....but it sort of is?
Cheapest supplement or media you have found? I have only had to fill the chamber once, and still have plenty left.
Do you have any plans of switching? Nope, CaRx feels like a winner to me.

Previously I tried Kalkwasser dripped via ATO, I had a brain fart and mixed a fresh batch of Kalk and then did a water change (as I siphoned water out the ATO kicked on and flooded sump with pure Kalk....which I didn't notice) end result was a nuked tank. I would never run Kalk through and ATO again.

After that I went to the BRS 2 part with magnesium, using BRS dosers. I like their supplements, and I thought their dosers worked just fine. Probably for a variety of reasons, my tank never took off with it, I never dialed in the correct dosage and was also bothered that I dosed more of 1 element than the other....I don't think it is supposed to work that way. Eventually I switched to a Dos via Apex, this was even nicer but again I never had a great success. I used 3 part dosing for about 4 years.

Now I'm using the Calcium Reactor. I feel like it has a big learning curve, and I only have about a 30% grasp on it. But it is dialed in, and I am starting to see consistent test results and some actual SPS coral growth. I'm happy, going to continue to let it run for the foreseeable future.
 

scmountain

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#10
for those running 2-part, how do you have your dosing pumps to containers to tank/sump ran? is there any benefit to having the least amount of tubing? I would presume trying to keep the Dos as close to the sump as possible?
My shipment gets in on Wednesday and I am trying to cleanly map it out.
 

Andrew_bram

Tiger Shark
M.A.S.C Club Member
#11
for those running 2-part, how do you have your dosing pumps to containers to tank/sump ran? is there any benefit to having the least amount of tubing? I would presume trying to keep the Dos as close to the sump as possible?
My shipment gets in on Wednesday and I am trying to cleanly map it out.
A dos pump can go like 20 or 30 feet you will just need to prime the line and calibrate. I am in the camp of spreading the dose out evenly throughout the day. I do know some like to dose over 4 to 6 hours or much shorter times.

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JuanGutz

Reef Shark
M.A.S.C Club Member
#12
Started off with kalk in my ato. Wasn’t the best way but the tank did well on it. I did screw up a few times and the ATO dumped a bunch in the tank but I luckily never had the tank crash. I d
on’t advise kalk in the ATO.

next I tried a CARX, I didn’t like that at all honestly. Was so hard to tune in and I was consistently testing. Was happy to sell it.

Now I’m using BRS 2 part with 1.1ml dosers and I’ve never been happier. My tank is growing quicker then it ever has and it’s not even a year old with 80% new rock. I have them dose equal and split it out hourly over the day using this site
Makes it nice and easy to test alk and not over think it at all. Ive got it dosing in the sump above my skimmers water exit which is very fast/turbulent and I have no precipitation issues at all.

If I owned a newer apex and trident I would for sure use a kalk stirrer with continuous doser for the main source and 2part with dos controlled by the trident to keep it consistent. This honestly seems like the best way for me. Honestly the science that I’ve read shows there’s a huge benefit to having a higher PH, Instead of chasing PH I’d rather just use the two options that raise it for me.
 

scmountain

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#13
I love all the info you all are giving!

how about calibration tips or lessons learned for 2part + Mg?
 

jda123

Dolphin
M.A.S.C Club Member
#16
If you add a balanced product like dissolving aragonite/calcite/dolomite in a CaRx or dripping calcium hydroxide, then you only need to test alk. If you add stuff independently, then you need to test them all.
 

SkyShark

Dolphin
M.A.S.C Club Member
#18
I think most people don't dose magnesium daily, probably more commonly added as a weekly boost after testing. I've always decided on a set level done a weekly test and then adjusted accordingly. Or added magnesium with a water change.
Yep, I do two part and just add mg when I do a water change. Seems to be working well though my water change schedule has gotten pretty lazy lately.
 

scmountain

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#20
Yep, I do two part and just add mg when I do a water change. Seems to be working well though my water change schedule has gotten pretty lazy lately.
Ideally I could be just as lazy with my setup.
 
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