Is Dosing Necessary? Frustrated.

[Canadianeh]

In the past few days I had spent numerous hours testing different test kits trying to find that one close to perfect all around test kit. My wife scolded me for spending hours and days on it. I then realized that I have been spending more hours on equipments, water chemistry, test kits, and etc. than actually sitting down and enjoying the view of my tank.

The more I read and watch articles, the more I feel like I still need to buy this and that and do this and that. It makes me think when do I get to enjoy my tank?!? LMAO

I prefer to not add husbandry onto my list other than WC and once a week water testing, but is dosing really necessary? I know that they have the automatic ones but it still requires me to mix and set it up and I don't have the luxury of extra space and time.
I just want to keep a handful of fishes, anemone, softies coral, and maybe only one or two LPS or SPS.
I was told that doing regular WC should be enough for most cases.
My questions are:
-is there a specific salt brand that contains enough chemistry that allow me to do water change only without dosing?
-how much water change is enough to replenish the chemistry if I do per week?

 

[nathan]

For most tanks simple water changes take care of your tanks needs if you own a heavily populated sps tank then yes . But just a few small frags it's not needed

 

[SpongeAl]

Sure, the "Reef Crystals" vs the regular "Instant Ocean" is great for corals.

Nobody could answer the second question without testing, but a 25% change would be reasonable. If you have a big tank, then dosing may become necessary simply because of the cost and logistics of changing huge amounts of water.

Regardless of what your regular water change regime is, every once in a while I feel people should change out more then 50% a few times. If you do less, eventually things will build up and get out of wack.

 

[Dingets]

I would try and keep the tank LPS/softie dominated. You will find these corals use little in the way of calc/Alk/mag. Then I would think that a weekly water change with a quality salt would be quite sufficient.


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[TORX]

There is no one salt or dosing regime that works. It all depends on your tanks need and your goal for the tank.

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[TORX]

Also to note, you only dose if you have to or want to adjust numbers. Most smaller tanks are perfectly fine with never dosing and water changes are enough. The only ones who really need to dose are large sps dominant tanks. Some heavy skeleton tanks, like hammers and torches might need to as well. But again, your average tank, 50 gallons or lower may never need to dose.

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[Kjmsmith]

Not sure what the exact definition of "dosing" is but the only things I add to my 90g which has a number of lps and leathers, anenome, fish etc is Seachem Phyto and Zoo once a week and an occasional dose of Aquavitro Fuel. It takes me 2 mins tops - no prep work at all. Along with a 10% H2O change biweekly everything flourishes nicely. I have used Aquavitro Salinity for my salt since day one. I wonder how much the lighting has to do with successful growth along with the need to dose? I think there are too many variables to say if dosing is necessary or not but as Torx suggests, it is more of the unique needs of your tank.
As for the obsesssion with water testing, I test my tank very rarely. I used to obsess with it and like you, i was more concerned with what could go wrong with it than what was going right. I do the occasional dip of the strip to make sure my nitrates are in check and always use my refractometer with each water change but other than that, I use my time to enjoy the tank.

 

[Salty Cracker]

I have to dose even with water changes, but it's 90% sps in there.

I just look at it as stability insurance, it's always dosing the same amounts at the same time every day. Corals get used to that.

 

[SpongeAl]

Rethinking what I said earlier, I will say that adding kalkwasser to the top off water on my tank does yield better results then just using the reef crystals.

My tank is not too demanding, but everyone like to see the coralline grow, the LPS definitely appreciate it.

 

[AdInfinitum]

Rethinking what I said earlier, I will say that adding kalkwasser to the top off water on my tank does yield better results then just using the reef crystals.

My tank is not too demanding, but everyone like to see the coralline grow, the LPS definitely appreciate it.

Until my 180gal had a lot of large fast growing SPS colonies all I used was Kalk in the ATO and monthly additions of magnesium (a couple of scoops of ice melter and some Epsom salts...lol) and only because at that point I was doing minimal water changes.

 

[Canadianeh]

The downside of kalkwasser is if your PH already at 8-8.2 range it can push it up further high to the bad level, and if you use PH monitor which shut off kalkwasser then your tank doesn't get top off due to high PH. Where is the win win situation on this case?

 

[AdInfinitum]

Ph is almost irrelevant and definitely something not worth chasing or even monitoring unless you are using a calcium reactor. As long as Alkalinity is stable the systems buffering capacity will be solid and ph will be fine providing the system has adequate gas exchange.

Once growth starts to deplete Alk faster than water changes alone can deal with then you can start adding Kalk just in the concentration necessary to keep alk stable. If you hit the point that you are maxing concentration, a bit of vinegar in the mix will buffer Ph as well as adding useful acetate ions.

 

[kapelan]

Basically we have 2 options:
1. Dosing chemicals or Calcium reactor.
2. Wait until system crash and then go to option 1.
Option without dossing working fine for fish and growing different kind of algae.

 

[ALowe]

Pretty much already stated but I will chime in. Totally depends on what you want species of corals to keep. stony corals will consume your elements and will therefore deplete them much faster than you can replenish with water changes ultimately requiring outside dosing. If you want to keep an SPS dominated system as I do and salty cracker, ericTmah, and may others than you will definitely look into dosing options. I personal have found success with ESV b-ionic. If you are looking at a softy tank with some lps or even some sps frags, you can get away without dosing. Also for salt with good enough elements, I am looking in to switching to Deltec H20 salt as I have heard and read steller reviews on its quality.

 

[Canadianeh]

I am only thinking to keep some fishes (2 clowns, 1 yellow watchman goby, 1 bi-color blenny, 1 purple firefish, 1 Cardinal bangai), CUC, one or two shrimps, one starfish, BBTA, majority softies corals, and MAYBE one SPS and one LPS in my 40 gallons tank.
I am using Fauna Marin salt right now, but I am thinking of switching to Red Sea Coral Pro salt or Aquaforest.

 

[ALowe]

no dosing required. until you get bored of that and start stocking with coral

 

[Canadianeh]

no dosing required. until you get bored of that and start stocking with coral

What's yout livestock and the salt that you are using ,?

 

[Canadianeh]

I have question for someone who uses Kalkwasser in their ATO.

Let's say if you have add 1 teaspoon of Kalk powder in a 2.5 gallons reservoir. Do you add more Kalkwasser powder each time you refill, OR do you just shake the reservoir jug only since there will be some kalkwasser powder left in the jug, OR do you completely rinse it out and add a new RODI water and add 1 teaspoon of Kalk powder?

Also, before did you test for Alk everyday for one week to see how much Alk your tank uses, and then use the Kalk powder? How do you know how much Kalk powder to use in ATO?

 

[ALowe]

What's yout livestock and the salt that you are using ,?

A lot of sps, mostly acros. suckers eat your elements. Using a mixture of salinity and IO reef salt right now but looking to switch maybe to H20 or red sea or maybe something else.

 

[Canadianeh]

A lot of sps, mostly acros. suckers eat your elements. Using a mixture of salinity and IO reef salt right now but looking to switch maybe to H20 or red sea or maybe something else.

Well I am not planning to keep a lot of SPS. Maybe..MAYBE...only one.

I am using Fauna Marin salt right now and looking to switch to Red Sea Coral Pro, but I read many people got cyno or GHA bloom right after switching to RSCP, and the problem solved after they switched back. Any idea?