coral dosing

[DustinBa]

I have been doing a lot of reading and watching videos and still can't seem to find the right answer. First off, my tank is not even cycled yet, I am just trying to get a head up on the game. That way when the time comes, i will be ready and know what to do.

So here is my question(s)... Would it be right to say that soft corals do not need any dosing as long as you are feeding them and have the correct light, flow and parameters? 

Also are there any SPS corals that would not need dosing? I really love and respect corals, but am also trying to make this a more budget and lower maintenance friendly tank. I am hoping to get away with not having to buy extra calcium or whatever else to dose. 

Thank you. Curious to see what people have to say.

[ReefGoat]

You won't need to dose for a while. Even with Sps, your water changes weekly should replenish what a small amount of Sps is going to consume. Now when you get a tank full of encrusted fuzzy sticks. That's a different story. 

[Clown79]

Soft corals don't use alk and ca like stony corals so weekly waterchanges is normally enough to replenish the tanks elements.

 

In the beginning with lps dosing may not be required, as they grow this can change.

 

Tanks dosing requirements change with coral growth and consumption so the only way to properly dose is through testing.

 

Often its recommended to test after a waterchange

Then every day for a week

 

This will show you your tanks consumption and if there is a need to dose and how much/often.

 

Then testing alk 1-2 times a week afterwards will allow you to keep up with any changes in consumption so there is no over/under dosing.

 

 

[empresto]

Also, if you plan to have larger amounts of macro algaes (e.g. cheato in a fuge), never underestimate how much alk they can consume!  These plants have the ability to derive carbon from the carbonate hardness in the water column for photosynthesis.