What is dosing?

[Mineman]

I have heard a lot of reefkeepers talking about it but know nothing about it. I have a 55 with about a dozen small corals and am wondering if this helps them grow.

 

[pokmijn]

It really depends on what corals you are keeping, but i dont think you have enough for you to be dosing anything. Just regular waterchanges and you'll be good.

 

[Gregcoyote]

Agreed. The salt mix contains all you need unless you have your tank really loaded up. A calcium supplement and PH buffer (if needed) are all I would consider adding. Reef Complete is a good vitamin additive, as a protein skimmer will reduce those.

 

[mr_X]

a calcium supplement and an ALK supplement are what i would suggest, if needed of course. using a "reef" grade salt mix and doing regular water changes usually covers this unless you have a large coral load as stated above.
i would think if you needed a ph buffer, you don't have proper gas exchange, and can correct this with more surface agitation.
i have never added vitamins to any of my tanks and have never had ill effects, except for one time when i was early on and added a squirt of "kent coral-vite" to a 100 gallon system (that was doing fine) and overnight all the corals declined. it took me multiple water changes to pull that crap out of the tank and now i always tell folks to never add anything you can't test for and aren't sure you actually need it. in many cases, it can do more harm than good.
IMO, you can put a 6' protein skimmer on a 50 gallon tank and not pull out enough vitamins to matter to your livestock. to date i have not seen any data disproving that.

 

[Gregcoyote]

I agree that adding vitamins to the tank is a waste of time, but soaking their food is another matter. Not adding chemicals to correct Ph is also a fine idea, unless there are factors involved that would prevent more natural methods. But I am agreeing with MrX, just clarifying my previous statement.

As far as skimming goes, it is well documented that they will strip trace elements from the water. Their benefit greatly out weights this effect and the trace elements are easily replaced by water exchanges. This is what I meant, I wrongly stated they strip vitamins from the water.

 

[mr_X]

amen...no offense meant back at ya!

 

[Gregcoyote]

You have spent tireless hours helping forum members. Keep up the good work.

 

[bavass]

test your calcium, alkalinity and magnesium to see how much they drop and how much they come back after a water change if you find you need to add them then you can set up pumps to dose or just add a 2 part calcium/alk and magnesium. It is easier to set up dsoing pumps. I have a 55g tank with about a dozen or so corals and I find that I need to add all three on a regular bases. So I have 2 dosing pumps and I only add 20ml of each and that keeps my calcium at 480ppm and my alk at 10dkh. Bulkreefsupply has a great video and/or write up on it.

 

[Sarcothelia]

I just dose purple up and pH buffer, because my bioload is low at this point and calcium is taken up faster than I need to do water changes. Also, for whatever reason my pH is around 7.9 if I don't use buffer, but I guess the fact that I don't dose Kalk instead of just purple up makes a difference (Kalk has pH boosting hydroxide ions).

I just really want my rocks and back wall to be purple :

 

[Gregcoyote]

I should think the Kalkwasser addition is a good start.

 

[Sarcothelia]

Yes I know, but at this point I still have a lot of purple up and liquid calcium as well as pH buffers/raisers, but once they run out I'm for sure dosing kalk instead.