If you could start over..

[davy jones]

.. which method of element replacement would you go with?!

 

Im starting my new build soon now that the tank is shipping, so im hoping to finalize everything! Right now, i am looking at essentially 2-3 methods.

 

1. ATI Essentials (only using the icp tests once every 6 months or every year unless there are major issues)

2. ESV-B ionic AND Red sea trace elements 1-4 (or a small dose of their ABC+ powder)

 

I am apprehensive to go with the ati essentials as i will need another Dos or a different doser all together to handle 3 dosing heads. That is a detterent, but wont stop me if that is the overwhelming option here lol

 

Please post pics and thoughts if you are doing either of these (or something pretty close) or if you have an alternative!

 

Thanks all!

[HarryPotter]

ATI Essentials has gotten some pretty sweet reviews. A Jebao 4 headed doser is what, like $60?. 

 

I am am currently using ESV  Alk & Ca  and with ATI essentials part 3 for mg. 

[davy jones]

1 minute ago, HarryPotter said:

ATI Essentials has gotten some pretty sweet reviews. A Jebao 4 headed doser is what, like $60?. 

 

I am am currently using ESV  Alk & Ca  and with ATI essentials part 3 for mg. 

It scares me to trust the dosing of chemicals that could nuke the tank to the jebao doser.. Im sure it works great for a lot of people but in my life, luck is not one of my strong suits, so i do my best to atleast help it out by trying to buy things that are backed with a good reputation and warranty. I am considering the ATI doser which doesnt seem too bad but still not many reviews.

[HarryPotter]

5 minutes ago, dirtrider225 said:

It scares me to trust the dosing of chemicals that could nuke the tank to the jebao doser.. Im sure it works great for a lot of people but in my life, luck is not one of my strong suits, so i do my best to atleast help it out by trying to buy things that are backed with a good reputation and warranty. I am considering the ATI doser which doesnt seem too bad but still not many reviews.

 

ATI is identical sir, just rebranded. Look at it lol. Same thing xD 

 

big ripoff IMO, but that’s the free market. If you contact ATI about who manufactures it, they’ll tell you. They just have Jebao put on a private label, ATI.

[davy jones]

12 minutes ago, HarryPotter said:

 

ATI is identical sir, just rebranded. Look at it lol. Same thing xD 

 

big ripoff IMO, but that’s the free market. If you contact ATI about who manufactures it, they’ll tell you. They just have Jebao put on a private label, ATI.

I am an idiot. I knew it looked similar but didnt realize it was the exact same damn thing until looking at them side by side.

[markalot]

BRS two part, which I just switched too from C-Balance.

 

 

[davy jones]

1 minute ago, markalot said:

BRS two part, which I just switched too from C-Balance.

 

 

Thanks for the input!

[Clown79]

I manually dose esv bionic. I like the product. I wouldn't change it. I've had no issues with it.

Takes me 2 mins to do it.

 

I have 3 tanks, don't have the space/$$ for dosers. 

 

 

I stopped adding all other vitamins/amino's. I get only algae from them.

[davy jones]

5 minutes ago, Clown79 said:

I manually dose esv bionic. I like the product. I wouldn't change it. I've had no issues with it.

Takes me 2 mins to do it.

 

I have 3 tanks, don't have the space/$$ for dosers. 

 

 

I stopped adding all other vitamins/amino's. I get only algae from them.

I agree with the vitamins and aminos causing algae and bacteria issues. This was the reason I am going with an ATS on this tank. The ATS was designed locally and is able to grow 6-12 cups of algae every 12-14 days (atleast on the previous setup) so this should be plenty to keep nutrients low in the tank combined with the bubbleking skimmer!

[Clown79]

4 minutes ago, dirtrider225 said:

I agree with the vitamins and aminos causing algae and bacteria issues. This was the reason I am going with an ATS on this tank. The ATS was designed locally and is able to grow 6-12 cups of algae every 12-14 days (atleast on the previous setup) so this should be plenty to keep nutrients low in the tank combined with the bubbleking skimmer!

I never had issues with algae besides a few small things here and there.

 

I tried fuel 1 time a week half the dose- algae outbreak. Took 3 weeks of work and $20 loss to get rid of the algae.

 

Tried aquaforest products- within 48hrs I can see the algae start. 

Horrible! 

I am dealing with an outbreak right now. All over my sand. 

That's with using it 1 time a week.

 

I purposely didn't dose the first time it happened with the aquaforest. Got tank back on track.

2 mnths later tried 1 dose - problem back with a vengeance.

 

So I have decided to stick to less is more. Go back to my old ways.

Coral food, fish food, waterchanges, and dosing alk/ca. Tanks were better with this method.

[markalot]

I don't know what I would do in a small tank, I answered for my big one which doesn't really apply here.    Take the Aquaforest products, I use 1 drop in 150 gallons of water.  How do you do that in a 10 - 40 gallon tank?   My 40 is covered in algae, I like it, I'm weird like that.     

 

For a Vitamin product, I suggest 1 or 2 drops dially for 150 gallons.  Forget the Fuel crap, just as pure vitamins as you can get.   Usual recommended dose is 1 drop per 25 gallons.  So to properly dose this in a 15 gallon tank you would need to dilute with RODI and then dose by drop. 

 

For AF Vitality I do 2 drops daily in 150 ... so .013 drops per gallon.   

For a 20 gallon tank that is .026 drops per gallon per day.   Vitamins don't last long so you really want to do daily dosing, but you can see the issue.   Dilution would be the only way to do it without overdosing IMO.  And yes, I always underdose these products compared to recommended.  

 

[Clown79]

18 minutes ago, markalot said:

I don't know what I would do in a small tank, I answered for my big one which doesn't really apply here.    Take the Aquaforest products, I use 1 drop in 150 gallons of water.  How do you do that in a 10 - 40 gallon tank?   My 40 is covered in algae, I like it, I'm weird like that.     

 

For a Vitamin product, I suggest 1 or 2 drops dially for 150 gallons.  Forget the Fuel crap, just as pure vitamins as you can get.   Usual recommended dose is 1 drop per 25 gallons.  So to properly dose this in a 15 gallon tank you would need to dilute with RODI and then dose by drop. 

 

For AF Vitality I do 2 drops daily in 150 ... so .013 drops per gallon.   

For a 20 gallon tank that is .026 drops per gallon per day.   Vitamins don't last long so you really want to do daily dosing, but you can see the issue.   Dilution would be the only way to do it without overdosing IMO.  And yes, I always underdose these products compared to recommended.  

 

My tank is 25g.

 

Per aquaforest with smaller tanks you just don't use it often. Never daily.

 

They said in a 10g 1 time a week.

In a 25g no more than 2 times.

 

I have attempted diluting it and using 1 drop dose between 2 tanks- same outcome.

 

I just got my 10g back on track. Had algae issues after using it 2 times.

 

 

I have no issue with normal algae buy my 10g glass was covered in 48hrs.

My 25g the sand is covered. Been fighting it for weeks now.

 

This also happened with fuel.

 

I'm religious about maintenance and the only thing changed was going from distilled to rodi water and the vitamins.

 

I tested to ensure it was the fuel and then did it again with aquaforest.

 

Seems too coincidental that the tank is clean and running well, then you dose a product and you have issues. 

 

 

[markalot]

Oh I don't doubt it causes algae, not for a second @Clown79   I just don't mind it, but I still think it's useless for small tanks unless diluted.  2 drops in a 150 when i first started brought on some cyano here and there within days of using it.  That's just the nature of these products,  it's food and something will use it.  

[Travis]

ATI is running great on my tank.  The nice thing about ATI is that it is so diluted if your doser messes up a little your tank will hardly notice.

[Clown79]

43 minutes ago, markalot said:

Oh I don't doubt it causes algae, not for a second @Clown79   I just don't mind it, but I still think it's useless for small tanks unless diluted.  2 drops in a 150 when i first started brought on some cyano here and there within days of using it.  That's just the nature of these products,  it's food and something will use it.  

Oh, i didn't think you did.

 

I was trying to offer up a more thorough explanation of what I experienced.

 

I really think these products are better used in larger tanks and most likely unnecessary in nano's.

 

The algae I have looks like cyano in colour but not slimy. It's all over the sand. I hate it. Lol.

 

Wish I had bare bottom.

[Travis]

1 minute ago, Clown79 said:

Oh, i didn't think you did.

 

I was trying to offer up a more thorough explanation of what I experienced.

 

I really think these products are better used in larger tanks and most likely unnecessary in nano's.

 

The algae I have looks like cyano in colour but not slimy. It's all over the sand. I hate it. Lol.

 

Wish I had bare bottom.

Your Phosphates are too low.

[HarryPotter]

1 minute ago, Travis said:

Your Phosphates are too low.

 

Thats funny, I was going to say the algae was too high 

[Clown79]

9 minutes ago, Travis said:

Your Phosphates are too low.

Wouldn't know.

 

Since I started up my tanks they have always read 0. That's all 4 tanks read 0.

 

I have no issues in 2 of my tanks with algae.

 

 

[Travis]

My tanks that I have started with dried rock have done the brown sand thing until either a: I added PO4, or b: the tank matured to the point that the fish population kept the PO4 detectable.

[xthunt]

I’ll keep an eye on this cause one day I’ll be getting into lps. FWIW, I use Fuel at the full recommended dose in my 5gal once a week and only get slightly more dust algae on the glass. No chemipure or po4 media, just carbon.