New at SPS, dosing?

[plunderisley]

I just started a 75gal tank and with my new lights coming in, I want to hold some SPS in there. But since I really only messed around with softies and nano tanks where the dosing is a water change, I'm a bit new at the whole SPS thing.
Reading the sticky about the Ca, Mg, Alk, and other additives, I am a bit confused. What exactly will I need to be monitoring and dosing and what way to dose a SPS tank? Of course in any reef tank, the pH, Sg, temp are all important.

So from what I can see I need to work on my
Ca
Mg
Alk

What else would I need to dose the tank? What is the best way to do it. I plan to get automated controllers to make sure it is a constant dosing without any fluxuations.

 

[ek9vboi]

Stability is more important.

Considering your new, I doubt you will fully stock the tank with big colonies so it won't be an issue right away. I would do an initial test to see what your parameters are. If everything is in the proper levels, leave it be. Once you start stocking more SPS and have growth you can see, test and see how much calc/alk/mag is being used and dose accordingly. As long as your parameters are in line and decrease the same amount, then you would just need to dose calc/alk for the most of it or maintain it via ATO/Kalkwasser. There are many options but your best bet is what I've advise above.

 

[Holyreefer]

And dont over think it
when you dose make sure you dose equal amounts of (A) Alk (B) Calcium on your softy tank are you dosing anything?

 

[MammothReefer]

The main thing I check is ALK. I check it a few times a week. It's a really quick test (2-3mins max). When ALK holds steady everything seems to do fine and it's the first to swing. I dose Alk & Calcium equally, secondary I check Mag. If your mag isn't holding steady your alk won't hold steady. If your mag gets to low you will have a hard time holding anything.

I'm currently using a neptune controller with 2 BRS dosing pumps and dosing Mag by hand.. but I'm switching things shortly and moving it over to a GHL Doser that I bought last week. I will now dose all 3 now since my mag consumption has gone up I can't get away with hand dosing it anymore or my alk swings all over the place. Just waiting to setup the new frag tank and re-doing my wiring and dosing tubes before I make the switch since I need to calibrate it when I figure out what the distance is going to be.

Outside of that, I check everything else (salinity, ph, nitrate, phosphate, calcium) before I do a water change; weekly which is now getting scaled back to bi monthly as things seem to be getting more "routine".

So to answer your question more directly. You need to add Alk + Calc (equal parts works for the majority of people), and magnesium or you can use a calcium reactor and it will take care of all 3. Kalk works great as well, I would still be running it in my top off water if my evaporation was more consistent.

 

[plunderisley]

I don't dose anything in my softies tank. It's 8gal and a water change weekly works just fine.
I want to do full automation, so I would need a 4 dosing pumps? Alk, Ca, Mg, and food then it seems.

 

[MammothReefer]

3? How are you going to dose food?

Unless the 4th is for ATO.

 

[plunderisley]

3? How are you going to dose food?

Unless the 4th is for ATO.

plankton?

 

[MammothReefer]

seems unnecessary, are you going to plumb the doser into a fridge?

 

[plunderisley]

seems unnecessary, are you going to plumb the doser into a fridge?

What sbout the marine snow? Does that need to be refrigerated? I'm just thinking what else my tank would need as there will be also some LPS and softies in there...

 

[sirreal63]

Test for all 3 major components, test daily until you understand what your consumption is, and don't just dose the same amounts blindly. Keep in mind that as things grow, your consumption will change. When the coraline is taking off, your alk consumption will be very high but won't always be at that level. Test, test and test until you have an understanding of what is happening in the tank. Don't fall into the trap of thinking that adding a bunch of food will help the tank, it won't but it can crash it or you can end up with a lot of algae. Remember to go slow and keep the water parameters in check.

 

[MammothReefer]

I would just avoid food until you get parameter stability. When things are stable then start adding food. (outside of fish food for your fish)

 

[BongoSolo3]

I have same size tank and got 3 acro frags a few months ago. I have not noticed a change in any of those params since they've been in there - consumption must be very low when they are small...

Might not need to dose for a while.