I have a 7 gallon Minibow, with a 2.5 gal sump.... I do 2 gallons water change every other week ~20%, and top off with RO/DI every other day... I believe my LFS supplies me with Instant Ocean, is that enough water change to not require dosing magnesium, calcium, iodine, and other stuff?
With frequent water changes, is dosing necessary?
- Thread starter TopNotch
- Start date
jefnalyssa
New member
Test and you will find out.
AZDesertRat
In Memoriam
You are probably doing more harm than good by dosing anything. I can't imagine you have anything in a 7G that would create enough demand for any supplements at all. Never ever dose anything whatsoever unless you have a good quality test kit for it and use it regularly. It really easy to get a system out of whack by dosing and not testing before and after to confirm its even needed, especially a small tank.
Stop adding anything and do regular water changes and I'll bet your system perks up.
Stop adding anything and do regular water changes and I'll bet your system perks up.
It depends on your salt mix. I was depending on water changes, but it turns out my Mg was way too low. Ca too.
Now I do a 10% - 20% WC each week, add sufficient MG, and add trace elements, Salifert brand. My tank is doing much better than it was.
If you don't test, you don't know what's in your salt.
Now I do a 10% - 20% WC each week, add sufficient MG, and add trace elements, Salifert brand. My tank is doing much better than it was.
If you don't test, you don't know what's in your salt.
pledosophy
Active member
Water changes do not replenish everything if it is being depleted by the system, your only replacing a percentage. A water change will never bring the level back where it needs to be, only replace a part of t, and then a part of it, then a part of it. Dig?
I do a 20% WC once a week. Back when water was free for me I'd do a 30% change twice a week. I still needed to dose certain elements like Ca, MG, Alk, and Iron to keep levels where I needed them. JME
I do a 20% WC once a week. Back when water was free for me I'd do a 30% change twice a week. I still needed to dose certain elements like Ca, MG, Alk, and Iron to keep levels where I needed them. JME
Billybeau1
Premium Member
Re: With frequent water changes, is dosing necessary?
Regular water changes are great at keeping up with trace elements. However, IO is deficient in calcium and magnesium.
With a system your size, you could either supplement a little cal and mag once in awhile or switch to a salt mix higher in those two major elements.
Regular water changes are great at keeping up with trace elements. However, IO is deficient in calcium and magnesium.
With a system your size, you could either supplement a little cal and mag once in awhile or switch to a salt mix higher in those two major elements.
fuschia_red
In Memoriam
Top,
Dosing with any kind of supplement CAN be detrimental. 7 gallons? That is TOO small of a tank to be dosing with any supplements whatsoever. As a matter of fact, there is NO way to truly control the outcomes of supplemental dosing in nanos.
Do what everyone said; test it and see what you have. 20 percent water changes every two weeks is good. As matter of fact, if you were to include the volume of live rock/coral/substrate into the calculations, you could be changing more than you think. If you're truly concerned about the minerals you need, I would suggest you change salt mixes (prefer. reef crystals) and perhaps do smaller water changes more often; say...10 percent/week instead.
I don't know why nanos are such a huge hit. IMHO, the only things that should be kept in nanos is perhaps, soft corals (zoas, xenia, small sarcos, nepthelias, capnella, etc.) and some small inverts. Just too hard to monitor.
Dosing with any kind of supplement CAN be detrimental. 7 gallons? That is TOO small of a tank to be dosing with any supplements whatsoever. As a matter of fact, there is NO way to truly control the outcomes of supplemental dosing in nanos.
Do what everyone said; test it and see what you have. 20 percent water changes every two weeks is good. As matter of fact, if you were to include the volume of live rock/coral/substrate into the calculations, you could be changing more than you think. If you're truly concerned about the minerals you need, I would suggest you change salt mixes (prefer. reef crystals) and perhaps do smaller water changes more often; say...10 percent/week instead.
I don't know why nanos are such a huge hit. IMHO, the only things that should be kept in nanos is perhaps, soft corals (zoas, xenia, small sarcos, nepthelias, capnella, etc.) and some small inverts. Just too hard to monitor.
Peter Eichler
New member
Re: Re: With frequent water changes, is dosing necessary?
Re: Re: With frequent water changes, is dosing necessary?
I was going to suggest the same. Something like Oceanic saly might be a better choice. I'm sure there are others out there that run a little high in the magnesium and calcium department as well.
Re: Re: With frequent water changes, is dosing necessary?
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12556803#post12556803 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Billybeau1
Regular water changes are great at keeping up with trace elements. However, IO is deficient in calcium and magnesium.
With a system your size, you could either supplement a little cal and mag once in awhile or switch to a salt mix higher in those two major elements.
I was going to suggest the same. Something like Oceanic saly might be a better choice. I'm sure there are others out there that run a little high in the magnesium and calcium department as well.
Billybeau1
Premium Member
Well, I don't know if i'd go the Oceanic route. A little unbalanced for his tank, but there are some salts with a little higher levels.
You can compare levels here.
A General Guide to Salt Mixes
www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1287118
You can compare levels here.
A General Guide to Salt Mixes
www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=1287118
