Aquaforest probiotic method

[dcw1sfu]

Nice improvements Myka. I have alot of trouble taking photos with my Samsung S5 so I dont usually bother any more.

Hey for your component 1+ 2+ 3+ the Alk seems to be sodium bicarbonate rather then Sodium Carbonate according to the dose/dkh rise. Am I right in assuming this? Its another reason I stick with my own mix as I like to use soda ash which ends up being about 1/2 the liquid dose of sodium bicarbonate. If I'm dosing 85mls right now id probably be dosing closer to 170mls of Component 1+ 2+ 3+ and it would end up being very pricey.

[Myka]

Originally Posted by dcw1sfu

Nice improvements Myka. I have alot of trouble taking photos with my Samsung S5 so I dont usually bother any more.

Hey for your component 1+ 2+ 3+ the Alk seems to be sodium bicarbonate rather then Sodium Carbonate according to the dose/dkh rise. Am I right in assuming this? Its another reason I stick with my own mix as I like to use soda ash which ends up being about 1/2 the liquid dose of sodium bicarbonate. If I'm dosing 85mls right now id probably be dosing closer to 170mls of Component 1+ 2+ 3+ and it would end up being very pricey.

Yes, it's bicarb. Component 1+2+3+ is NOT cost effective. It really only makes sense for nano tanks and new tanks where the demand isn't very high yet (like mine). Some people go through the Component 1+2+3+ in like 3 weeks, and by my calculations that's like $1000 a year.

As far as I know, when you buy the AF Calcium, KH Buffer, and Magnesium powders they are just raw materials - the same as most other powder recipes, and nothing special. However, if you're using "raw" materials, you should also be using the Reef Mineral Salt and the Components Strong for all the heavy metal and microelement additions.

Component 1+2+3+ is equal to:

RO/DI, Calcium chloride, Sodium bicarbonate, Magnesium (I'm not sure on the sulfate/chloride mix), Reef Mineral Salt, and Components Strong all mixed together in RO/DI in three handy totes.

[dcw1sfu]

OK that's what I thought. I buy bulk soda ash and calcium chloride from reefsupplies Canada then buy the AF mineral salt and component strong for balling method. I dose magnesium by hand when needed.

[intarsiabox]

Originally Posted by Myka

Scroll back to post #228 where I explain it.

Found it, thanks! Any idea if they changed the formulas or just the names?

[dcw1sfu]

Originally Posted by intarsiabox

Found it, thanks! Any idea if they changed the formulas or just the names?

Just the names

[Myka]

Originally Posted by intarsiabox

I guess I just add Component 2 to bring up my Alk to 7.5 and then maintain it at this level until calcium drops to about 420 and then start dosing all 3 components from this point on to maintain levels?

No you can't do this with Component 1+2+3+ because you can't buy the Components separate -they only come in a 3 pack so you have to dose all three equally. You need to dose Sodium bicarbonate to maintain alkalinity until calcium comes down. Once Ca is 410, alk is 7.0, and Mg is 1240 then you can start using the Components 1+2+3+.

[intarsiabox]

Originally Posted by Myka

No you can't do this with Component 1+2+3+ because you can't buy the Components separate -they only come in a 3 pack so you have to dose all three equally. You need to dose Sodium bicarbonate to maintain alkalinity until calcium comes down. Once Ca is 410, alk is 7.0, and Mg is 1240 then you can start using the Components 1+2+3+.

Arm and Hammer it is then! Thanks Mindy, I only recently inherited and then bought a couple more SPS frags. In the last month they have kept nice colors and have grow a bit. I never really bothered testing since most of my corals were soft with a few LPS mixed in so water changes alone always sufficed.

I'm not sure about the fluffy algae I'm getting but I'll let it run its course (it comes off easy with a toothbrush and 5 minutes of time). The AF bacteria seems to be working well as Nitrates are immeasurable and phosphates on my Hanna ULP are showing 0 were they used to show 0.03ppm. Since I removed the Phosguard I've dosed a few drops of Fozdown to try and get rid of the algae but I going to have to stop for awhile. I only have one little fish in the tank so I don't feed much but got some Coral Frenzy to get a bit of nitrate and feed the corals. I guess I can look at ordering the Coral A, V, E, B now to try it out as well.

[Myka]

Originally Posted by intarsiabox

I don't have any other salt, used it all up before starting with the AF. I used a Salifert test kit on the tank and a new batch of water. For the tank the color started changing at 430 and went fully blue at 440. The newly mixed salt only came out at 400, I did the test twice and got the exact same result. So the AF isn't high on calcium and will require dosing in a few days.

Sorry, I misunderstood, I thought you said the fresh AF saltwater mixed up with high calcium since you said "I don't know why calcium is so high but I'm guessing the salt mix." If you are indeed getting 400 ppm out of the AF salt mix that should be correct then. AF is designed around natural seawater parameters. Imo, it is not a good salt mix to use for those who just want to use water changes to maintain parameters. AF salt mixes are designed to have parameters that match the tank so there should not be any increases or decreases in the "big three" after a water change.

Originally Posted by intarsiabox

I guess I can look at ordering the Coral A, V, E, B now to try it out as well.

I'd suggest you don't use Coral A, E, or V until you have the algae under control. Also, unless you have a large SPS load, I think for most LPS and softy tanks the Coral A, B, E, and V aren't really needed and may cause more grief than anything (as they are mostly foods/nutrients).

Fyi, the names have changed:

Coral A = AF Amino Mix
Coral B = AF Build
Coral E = AF Energy
Coral V = AF Vitality

The names and packaging have changed, but the products are the same.

[Myka]

Originally Posted by intarsiabox

So I don't know why calcium is so high but I'm guessing the salt mix.

I think it's the Hanna Checker. What other salt do you have around? Maybe mix up some IO (since it has lower calcium) and see if you can get the proper reading from it.

[intarsiabox]

Originally Posted by Myka

I think it's the Hanna Checker. What other salt do you have around? Maybe mix up some IO (since it has lower calcium) and see if you can get the proper reading from it.

I don't have any other salt, used it all up before starting with the AF. I used a Salifert test kit on the tank and a new batch of water. For the tank the color started changing at 430 and went fully blue at 440. The newly mixed salt only came out at 400, I did the test twice and got the exact same result. So the AF isn't high on calcium and will require dosing in a few days.