kmacc05 Posted October 19, 2012 Share Posted October 19, 2012 So I have been reading about dosing since I just put my first coral in the new 55g. It's a green torch coral about 3-3.5" when it is out all the way. I'm sure for now I don't need to be dosing much if at all, but down the road when I get more corals I'll need to. I don't have a sump. So is it ok to just dose right into the tank? And is it better to use a dosing pump to slowly add throughout the day/week, or can I just use the recommended amount at one time? Also, is B-Ionic a good thing to dose? From what I have read, it replenishes trace elements along with dosing calcium, If anyone has any links to good reading on dosing, I would greatly appreciate it. I've been reading, but it's still not real clear as to what I need to do. I also want to say thanks to everyone who has helped out with any newb questions I have asked here on the forums. I do a lot of reading and when it seems I can't find much, or I'm not clear on something, I come here to get more opinions. I wish I had more info to spread to others like you all have done with me. But it will take time to learn and you all are helping in a great way! Thanks again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+brian.srock Posted October 19, 2012 Share Posted October 19, 2012 As long as it's a high flow area your fine. I also cut my dose in half and put it in the am and pm. Since I use the 2 part BRS then I also use the BRS calculator to figure out how much http://www.bulkreefs...reef-calculator Before you dose make sure you test and don't dose anything your not testing. Its up to you and your budget if you want to do daily, weekly, or automated dosing but either way works. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DerrickH Posted October 19, 2012 Share Posted October 19, 2012 Do not dose anything you dont test for. Brian already stated this but its the most important part of this hobby till your tank is seasoned. Also, dont panic when your levels are not "prime", corals can adjust to a very wide range of parameters. Using a prem salt mix like RSCP or Coralife should be sufficient. Instant oceans reef crystals is also an underestimated salt. Ive had the best luck with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+etannert Posted October 19, 2012 Share Posted October 19, 2012 You can dose right into a high flow area in your tank. (Better than not dosing at all!) Corals are the healthiest when they have steady levels, but how often you dose depends mostly on your usage. If you're only dropping half a point of alk per week, you can probably get by on water changes. If you're dropping 1-2 points in alk and 100 points of calcium per day, it's probably time to invest in a dosing pump. Monitoring your tank through weekly testing and the daily "eyeball" test (do the corals look happy?) is the best way. Most people dose the "Big 3": Calc, Alk, and Mag. Some will do more supplemental dosing (iodine, potassium, etc.) but a good salt mix will replenish these trace elements pretty readily, especially if you don't have a lot of tricky corals yet. It's best to start out with just Calc, Alk, and Mag. Personally, I use B-Ionic and find it really encourages growth, but it can get pricey in a big tank! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmacc05 Posted October 20, 2012 Author Share Posted October 20, 2012 Ok. Thanks everyone. That helps settle the confusion a little. I will keep reading for a week or so to get a better understanding in it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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