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cbear9494 · 12/15/2016, 08:47 PM

I haven’t seen many reports of the experience of an AF start per their guide so I thought I’d share my experience to date. My goal is a mixed reef and I’m SPS curious but not committed to SPS only. This is my first real tank (previously had 29g) and I’ve been out of reefing for almost 10 years so it’s been fun getting back in. I’m a month in and can tell you what I have seen. I haven't progressed 100% by the book but results are good.

Aquarium: 180g tank with a rubbermaid sump with 90g of water for total volume of about 270g (1000L).
Skimmer: Reef octopus 200EXT
Lighting: 2x Kessil AP700 - just added 2x 80W T5
Flow: MP40 (x2) and return at 1200GPH on Sea Swirl
Rock: 50# of pukani from BRS (dead)
Sand: Fiji Pink Caribsea (dead)
Filtration: 10L of siporax in sump + small marine pure block - recent add Seachem Matrix
Reactor: GFO and Carbon running both from BRS.
Doser: GHL Doser 2.1
Testing: Salifert Nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, calcium, and Phosphate. Hannah ALK.
Water: RO/DI (0 TDS)

0-14 days
Started with dead rock cured for 2-3 months in fresh then salt water while I got things in order. I checked phosphates and used periodic lanthanum to control them. Added rock to the sump with circulation and heating while I added the BioS daily for 14 days. Ran the skimmer to break in but not GFO or Carbon. All salt was from Instant Ocean mix to 1.025 SG. I intermittently added small amounts of ammonia. I never understood how you could get the BioS to seed without some sort of ammonia source. Never got a nitrate or ammonia spike. Phosphate climbed to about 2.5ppm and controlled with lanthanum. Nitrates went up to 2.5. Added sand and took 3 days for the water to clear - ran carbon and continued BioS until the bottle ran out. Nitrates dipped to 0.2 so was ready to add some livestock.

14-21 days
Prior to adding livestock I added some Dr. Tims One and only which I have had good luck with and a block of marine pure that had been in my cycled quarantine tank. Added 3 fish that had been in quarantine. Ammonia was detectable at 0.12 2 days and then dropped to 0. Nitrates peaked at 2.5 about 1 week in. Continued to dose the leftover BioS. Never started NPpro/ProBio and just was patient. After 1 week Nitrates were down to 0.2 after first water change and phosphates undetectable. Ran a small amount of GFO and Carbon (much less than what was recommended for 270g).

21-30 days
Continued with really the only AF product being BioS to finish the bottle. Feeding was conservative only 1-2 times a day. Nitrates stay at 0.2 and phosphates undetectable. Added first coral frags and started watching ALK and Ca. ALK started at 8.5dKH and Calcium at 450. Didn’t do any dosing and saw the ALK drift down to 7.8 over 5 days.
Then I started dosing 1+2+3+ made from mixed chemicals from AF. Got a precipitate in 1+ that others also report. 2+ took some time to dissolve. Made up 4L and dialed in my GHL doser. Again throughout this period phophates undetectable and nitrates steady at 0.2 so I am still not dosing NPpro/ProBio.

30-45 days
Diatom bloom started but began to go away on its own. Added more corals and am still in the process of tuning the doser. Over time I couldn’t keep up and had to increase to 45mL per day of each with ALK at 7.7. Then for some reason started going up to 8.5 so I’m backing off. This coincided with a Dino bloom so maybe they didn’t like it.

Around this time I wasn’t seeing much coral growth so I started Coral ABEV supplements and increased the flow with another MP40. Dosing BA alternating with BEV daily at night. I'm dosing based on the 180g size of the display just to be conservative at first.

Starting to feed my corals as well and they are looking quite healthy. Had an acro frag that is building nice tissue and the tentacles are all out at night on my LPS. Nitrates at 0.2 and phosphates undetectable. I increased my GFO and Carbon dose in the reactors. Continuing with 5-8% water changes weekly with aggressive cleaning of detritus off the sand and on the rocks. Filter socks changed every 2-3 days (mainly to get the diatoms out of there) Added Seachem Matrix on top of the siporax to try to increase filtration further. Am starting to add some Probiotic Reef salt to the tank.

So it’s still a young tank but seems like it’s settling in. I’m not sure if I’m going to get to need ProBio and carbon dosing or not. I'm not going to chase the nitrate number but maybe I'll get there.

Hopes this helps others - I know that it would have helped me. The AF guide was a basic formula for success in my case in a new tank start. I think the experience would have been totally different if I started with live rock with die off. Obviously I don't have a large bio or coral load yet - but I can only dream!

12/15/2016, 08:47 PM	#1
cbear9494 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Posts: 14	My AF start experience I haven’t seen many reports of the experience of an AF start per their guide so I thought I’d share my experience to date. My goal is a mixed reef and I’m SPS curious but not committed to SPS only. This is my first real tank (previously had 29g) and I’ve been out of reefing for almost 10 years so it’s been fun getting back in. I’m a month in and can tell you what I have seen. I haven't progressed 100% by the book but results are good. Aquarium: 180g tank with a rubbermaid sump with 90g of water for total volume of about 270g (1000L). Skimmer: Reef octopus 200EXT Lighting: 2x Kessil AP700 - just added 2x 80W T5 Flow: MP40 (x2) and return at 1200GPH on Sea Swirl Rock: 50# of pukani from BRS (dead) Sand: Fiji Pink Caribsea (dead) Filtration: 10L of siporax in sump + small marine pure block - recent add Seachem Matrix Reactor: GFO and Carbon running both from BRS. Doser: GHL Doser 2.1 Testing: Salifert Nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, calcium, and Phosphate. Hannah ALK. Water: RO/DI (0 TDS) 0-14 days Started with dead rock cured for 2-3 months in fresh then salt water while I got things in order. I checked phosphates and used periodic lanthanum to control them. Added rock to the sump with circulation and heating while I added the BioS daily for 14 days. Ran the skimmer to break in but not GFO or Carbon. All salt was from Instant Ocean mix to 1.025 SG. I intermittently added small amounts of ammonia. I never understood how you could get the BioS to seed without some sort of ammonia source. Never got a nitrate or ammonia spike. Phosphate climbed to about 2.5ppm and controlled with lanthanum. Nitrates went up to 2.5. Added sand and took 3 days for the water to clear - ran carbon and continued BioS until the bottle ran out. Nitrates dipped to 0.2 so was ready to add some livestock. 14-21 days Prior to adding livestock I added some Dr. Tims One and only which I have had good luck with and a block of marine pure that had been in my cycled quarantine tank. Added 3 fish that had been in quarantine. Ammonia was detectable at 0.12 2 days and then dropped to 0. Nitrates peaked at 2.5 about 1 week in. Continued to dose the leftover BioS. Never started NPpro/ProBio and just was patient. After 1 week Nitrates were down to 0.2 after first water change and phosphates undetectable. Ran a small amount of GFO and Carbon (much less than what was recommended for 270g). 21-30 days Continued with really the only AF product being BioS to finish the bottle. Feeding was conservative only 1-2 times a day. Nitrates stay at 0.2 and phosphates undetectable. Added first coral frags and started watching ALK and Ca. ALK started at 8.5dKH and Calcium at 450. Didn’t do any dosing and saw the ALK drift down to 7.8 over 5 days. Then I started dosing 1+2+3+ made from mixed chemicals from AF. Got a precipitate in 1+ that others also report. 2+ took some time to dissolve. Made up 4L and dialed in my GHL doser. Again throughout this period phophates undetectable and nitrates steady at 0.2 so I am still not dosing NPpro/ProBio. 30-45 days Diatom bloom started but began to go away on its own. Added more corals and am still in the process of tuning the doser. Over time I couldn’t keep up and had to increase to 45mL per day of each with ALK at 7.7. Then for some reason started going up to 8.5 so I’m backing off. This coincided with a Dino bloom so maybe they didn’t like it. Around this time I wasn’t seeing much coral growth so I started Coral ABEV supplements and increased the flow with another MP40. Dosing BA alternating with BEV daily at night. I'm dosing based on the 180g size of the display just to be conservative at first. Starting to feed my corals as well and they are looking quite healthy. Had an acro frag that is building nice tissue and the tentacles are all out at night on my LPS. Nitrates at 0.2 and phosphates undetectable. I increased my GFO and Carbon dose in the reactors. Continuing with 5-8% water changes weekly with aggressive cleaning of detritus off the sand and on the rocks. Filter socks changed every 2-3 days (mainly to get the diatoms out of there) Added Seachem Matrix on top of the siporax to try to increase filtration further. Am starting to add some Probiotic Reef salt to the tank. So it’s still a young tank but seems like it’s settling in. I’m not sure if I’m going to get to need ProBio and carbon dosing or not. I'm not going to chase the nitrate number but maybe I'll get there. Hopes this helps others - I know that it would have helped me. The AF guide was a basic formula for success in my case in a new tank start. I think the experience would have been totally different if I started with live rock with die off. Obviously I don't have a large bio or coral load yet - but I can only dream!