New to intensive testing and dosing

[WhatsReef]

The background info:

 

Trying to decide on a dosing regime that produces great water but isn't total overkill and existing threads found by searching are all over the place talking about 40 different specific systems/brands.

 

So far I've been running by tank on reef crystals since it's only a couple weeks old. Right now coral-wise it's just some Xenias and Zoas that came free on a piece of live rock I scored. But I will be adding corals and will be at least trying to keep and provide SPS frags with a good environment to thrive.

 

Fusion 40 with plenty of bio filtration using RO/DI ATO water and not doing water changes regularly. I don't plan to use a skimmer ever and I don't use any chemical filtration as of now.

 

My impressions on what to do:

 

If I understand, I need Kalkwasser powder to more or less handle both Calcium and Alkalinity and I put this into my ATO water when I fill the tank. I dose that for Calcium amount needed and it just sorts out the pH buffering? I mean I'll still test for alk with my Hanna tester but it seems like alk won't be much of a concern with this method?

 

Then I gather that the next most important single parameter is Mg so I should test and dose magnesium individually.

 

The questions:

 

Are Cal, Mag and Alk the 3 things to test/dose for individually and the rest I can use a catch all supplement and maintain great water?

 

Will certain elements in a catch all micro-elements supplement build up and cause problems?

 

Is there one more element or parameter I should test and dose for individually? If there was one more parameter/element that was NEXT in line of importance what would it be?

 

Thanks in advance for any advice.

 

- Jacob

 

 

[Donny41]

You dont need to use kalk, but that's one method you can use. If you do use kalk it will be overall less precise than using a two part calcium and alkalinity additive, but should be slightly easier. And yes kalk will keep a stable pH of 8.3. If you are dosing you should definitely be testing alkalinity, calcium, and magnesium. Kalk doesn't provide magnesium so you will need to monitor that and dose as necessary. 

[WhatsReef]

24 minutes ago, Donny41 said:

You dont need to use kalk, but that's one method you can use. If you do use kalk it will be overall less precise than using a two part calcium and alkalinity additive, but should be slightly easier. And yes kalk will keep a stable pH of 8.3. If you are dosing you should definitely be testing alkalinity, calcium, and magnesium. Kalk doesn't provide magnesium so you will need to monitor that and dose as necessary. 

Thanks - that seems easy enough.

 

Assuming all that is in place, what additional supplements/elements would you go with to complete the dosing regimen from a "this is high quality water" without going down the rabbit hole?

 

 

[Donny41]

I dont test for anything else. Assume my weekly water changes take care of the trace elements.

[WhatsReef]

I'll just do occasional small water changes with reef crystals I guess. Thanks again.

[Clown79]

You shouldn't dose until corals are actually consuming the elements. 

 

So regular testing will be required to determine what the daily consumption rate is.

 

At this stage with the corals you have, it shouldn't be much. Once you start adding lps and sps it will change.

 

Consumption changes according to how many stony corals you have and even their growth spurts.

 

I only test alk regularly and dose 2 part liquid(esv bionic) according to alk consumption.

2 part liquid keeps alk and ca balanced.

 

Ca, mag, and nitrates I test monthly.

 

In the beginning, i tested ca, mag, nitrates 1 time a week, alk twice a week.

[WhatsReef]

Thanks @Clown79 - in retrospect I think I was over-thinking the whole thing. It's actually not as complicated as I thought and I could have figured it out from online articles and other posts but these responses helped me wrap my head around it a little.

 

I also want to keep my calcium up because I have a bunch of dry rock mixed in there with live rock that I want to get coralline going on asap. I went ahead and got the 2 part ESV B-Ionic, a Red Reefer mag pro test kit and some seachem magnesium powder. I also like the idea of having the levels be good for the general health of the system as a whole.

 

I am building the system around RO/DI ATO with lots of bio filtration and no frequent water changes to control nutrient levels, but if I just do like 5 gallon WC every week or two with reef crystals that's probably enough to keep the micro-elements up I'm guessing.

[MrObscura]

Don't dose until you need to. 

 

Once you do start dosing, if you do somewhat regular water changes you'll likely only need to dose Alk and cal.