Aquaforest products- Component 1+2+3+

[Tastee]

Hi all, I am 1 month into my first saltwater tank and have just started adding corals. I am using the Aquaforest 3 part additive mix. I an a long time freshwater keeper but this is my first dive into the reefing tank. So far so good.

My question is what automated dosing options does the reefing community suggest?

I am strongly considering investing in the Apex 2016 controller (as soon as I can determine if it is available in Australia yet), but one issue is that their dosing options are based on 2 part. Obviously I can just invest in 2 of the DOS modules and use them. I am also considering their container solution - expensive but very convenient. I could host 2 of the container units in a cupboard next to the tank connected to 2 of the DOS units.

What are the experts in the community's thoughts?

Thanks, Brad.

[onetootreefor]

I just started dosing Aquaforest and is my first time diving into the dosing realm. My Calc and Alk seemed to be depleting by equal amounts before starting to dose.

I started off by getting my Alk and Calc to desired levels before starting on a dosing regimen. I got alk stable at 8.9-9.0 dKH and my calc stable at 425-450.

I started dosing Aquaforest 25ml (30 gallon tank) throughout 6x per day. I have a kore 5th doser. For the first 4 days everything stayed really stable Alk right at 9.0 dKH and calc 425-435.

Today (the 5th day) I checked and saw my Alk shoot up to 9.2 dKH and my calc was at 397. I use hannah checkers and check my water chemistry at the same time every day. Should I change my dosages? I know we are supposed to dose all 3 parts equally but it seems like my reef is consuming at unequal parts.

The only change between yesterday and today is I started Vodka dosing to help with my phosphates. (I only added .2 ml of Vodka before testing), could that be the reason for the change in alk and calc? I wouldn't think so.

[Aquaforest]

Yes I would lower your dosage equally. I would drop it down 5ml per . So make your new setting 20ml per day.

What salt are you currently using and what is your salt batch parameters?


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[onetootreefor]

Originally Posted by Aquaforest

Yes I would lower your dosage equally. I would drop it down 5ml per . So make your new setting 20ml per day.

What salt are you currently using and what is your salt batch parameters?


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Im using instant ocean right now. Its what my LFS mixes for me so I am not mixing my own. The only other option would be Red Sea.

[onetootreefor]

and salt batch parameters are:
7.4 dKH and 350 calc

[Aquaforest]

Originally Posted by onetootreefor

and salt batch parameters are:
7.4 dKH and 350 calc

This is one of the battles your going to have. When you run your system parameters different than your water change parameters. Stability is important.

You should try to run your system to closely match your water change parameters.

I believe you'd have better success if you'd lower your Alkalinity slowly on your tank over time to match that of your water change water.

For example: Alk 7.4 , Calcium around 410 to 415ppm and magnesium 1300 to 1400ppm

Every time you do a water change your are currently working against yourself in a sense.




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[onetootreefor]

Originally Posted by Aquaforest

This is one of the battles your going to have. When you run your system parameters different than your water change parameters. Stability is important.

You should try to run your system to closely match your water change parameters.

I believe you'd have better success if you'd lower your Alkalinity slowly on your tank over time to match that of your water change water.

For example: Alk 7.4 , Calcium around 410 to 415ppm and magnesium 1300 to 1400ppm

Every time you do a water change your are currently working against yourself in a sense.




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Thanks for the heads up,

I have not done a water change yet since starting to dose Aquaforest, I might try a different LFS or a different salt mix to try and get higher Alk and Calc because my system has had good results with the higher numbers that Aquaforest has been providing.

[paal]

Lets say that nitrates and phosphates are non-detectable due to a large refugium and skimmer and one wants to run a none- ( or at least minimal) water change system;

Would the comp1/2/3 be an OK replacement for the standard triton dosing regiment, or does the comp1/2/3 require "help" from water changes?
Are there other aquaforest products that would be more suited than comp1/2/3 in this scenario?

[cchomistek]

Is there any way to tell whether the mag is in component 3 or compenent 1. I bought the set of three in September at my local LFS and they are in the purple 5L jugs. Just wondering as the label on the bottles still state that the Mg is in component 1. Any way to confirm which bottle the Mg is in.

Thanks

[Aquaforest]

I'm sure the purple jugs have the magnesium in component +3


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[MichaelW]

Originally Posted by Aquaforest

I'm sure the purple jugs have the magnesium in component +3


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I have a set of purple jugs that clearly state mag still in comp1.

[cchomistek]

Mine also has the Mg in component 1. I am assuming it is just a label issue. But thwt is why I asked.

[Aquaforest]

I'm sure this is possible as we made the change . There was a transition from having the magnesium in component +1 to component +3


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[cflow]

I've been dosing 1,2,3 for the past few months and at first most of my corals looked great, but I've noticed a decline in growth and overall health and even death of some frags for some reason. I've noticed that my Mg is always very close to 1500, Ca 450, and dkh 7.3-7.8 range. I started dosing 1,2,3 as the instructions read in equal parts, for my tank it's 10ml per day. This i do just to keep my dkh up. My corals eventually turned brown or looked like the life is literally being sucked out of them from the outside in. I thought it was my nutrients being too low so i added more fish, started feeding more aggressively, started supplementing amino acids and power food, and started skimming much dryer and holding the skimmer off for longer periods of time. I also removed my zeolites and stopped dosing energy. My corals continued to decline. I thought that maybe my light had burned them so i decreased the photoperiod and intensity, but this seemed to do nothing. I don't know exactly what is happening but i have a theory that I'm overdosing components 1 and 3. 1 contains copper and barium in addition to calcium and magnesium. Maybe copper is being overdosed. I have an icp test coming soon. Hopefully this will help. I stopped dosing 1 and 3. The overall tank looks great but my corals looks very bad. It seems that corals that I've had for a longer period of time look the worst. Where they were quickly encrusting before i started supplementing 1,2,3, now are hardly alive.

[shermanang]

Component 3 contain MG,Reef Mineral Salt,K and B

If we mix our own . Where to get B?
B is boron right?

[Aquaforest]

Originally Posted by shermanang

Component 3 contain MG,Reef Mineral Salt,K and B

If we mix our own . Where to get B?
B is boron right?

Reef Mineral Salt contain B.

[shermanang]

Thank You

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[JonMayo]

Quick question. I have a 90gal aquarium with the following readings
Mg 1400
Ca 400
dKh 8.4
I have component 1, 2, 3. I have doses with #2 only at 150cc to increase my akalinity prior to my first dose my reading was only 6.8. I dosed again today and will recheck tomorrow. I dose manually and will do so about 3/week. My question is at what point at should I be using all 3 components and at what doses?

[Bronx19]

Had an interesting conversation today regarding 123. Are we supposed to dose per our dkh consumption or per water volume?

[Bracka345]

Hello, Looking to start dosing Components and was wondering whats the shelf life of the products if they haven't been opened? Reason asking is i want to buy a few bottles of each to have as backups.

[Rebnik]

I have a question regarding Component 123 - I'm using it and also with Zeo Mix / Carbon / Phosphate Minus in one reactor for nutrient control. Just wondering if the Zeo Mix will deplete the trace element from the dosing of Component 123?

And the sequence: Component 123 is dosed behind the Zeo/Carbon/Phosphate Minus reactor and directly pumped into the display tank by the main pump.

[Aquaforest]

Originally Posted by Bronx19

Had an interesting conversation today regarding 123. Are we supposed to dose per our dkh consumption or per water volume?

Hello,
It should be dosing of course based on KH consumption.

Originally Posted by Bracka345

Hello, Looking to start dosing Components and was wondering whats the shelf life of the products if they haven't been opened? Reason asking is i want to buy a few bottles of each to have as backups.

It could be used within few years....

Originally Posted by Rebnik

I have a question regarding Component 123 - I'm using it and also with Zeo Mix / Carbon / Phosphate Minus in one reactor for nutrient control. Just wondering if the Zeo Mix will deplete the trace element from the dosing of Component 123?

And the sequence: Component 123 is dosed behind the Zeo/Carbon/Phosphate Minus reactor and directly pumped into the display tank by the main pump.

Zeo Mix could adsorb excess of trace elements but the main role is to adsorb ammonia and cut nitrifying process and don't let NO3 rise.

In our group we are supporting Aquaforest users and we have live chats with experts. Yesterday we spoke about Zeo Mix:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1490...7816118513925/

Regards,
Aquaforest

[Rebnik]

Originally Posted by Aquaforest

Hello,

Zeo Mix could adsorb excess of trace elements but the main role is to adsorb ammonia and cut nitrifying process and don't let NO3 rise.

In our group we are supporting Aquaforest users and we have live chats with experts. Yesterday we spoke about Zeo Mix:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1490...7816118513925/

Regards,
Aquaforest

Thanks for your prompt reply. So this means Zeo Mix won't really deplete trace elements. How about carbon? Why I'm asking is because though my tank parameters are stable with the current volume of dosing, but at the pretty low range, esp. Alk. I'm thinking of pushing them up slowly with increasing the dosing but concerned about the affects from Zeo Mix and Carbon.

Alk: 6.2
Ca: 420
Mg: 1290
K: 380

BTW, I remember I ever asked a similar question on AF Facebook but seems no response.

[justy]

Originally Posted by jason78

So like the original method. When using 1,2 and 3 in equal parts for example 50ml of each for a total of 150ml. Do you need to the remove 150ml of tank water to keep the salinity in check?

As above I don't understand why you don't have to remove the same amount of tank water as you dose.
otherwise sodium chloride and mineral salts build up?
original balling method you remove tank water this makes sense to me unless I am missing something?
Many thanks justin

[Aquaforest]

There is no need to remove water.
We recommend to make water changes weekly.

Here you can read how reef Mineral Salt Works: https://aquaforest.eu/en/how-reef-mineral-salt-works/