No more water changes?

ivan

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#2
What will be the cheapest way
salt and water
Or
Paying for Test lab + suplements ?

In my OP I think if you can't test at home why even dose !
 

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#3
ATI Lab Test Kit

What will be the cheapest way
salt and water
Or
Paying for Test lab + suplements ?

In my OP I think if you can't test at home why even dose !
This is the golden question for some of us and I think the answer is not black and white because of the variables (tank size, frequency of testing, cost of salt mix and RO/DI water, etc.) and the fact that each aquarium is different. While using this method to replenish elements and have a good handle on all your parameters it is still just as important to control nutrient levels. For those who can effectively control nutrients without water changes I believe this would be a great way to maintain coral growth in the tank. For most, I think a water change will still be required but on a far less frequent basis and the test kit is still beneficial because you can easily get an accurate snapshot of how your maintenance and supplementation regime is performing.

In terms of testing at home, it is pretty difficult for any level of hobbyists to get accurate results for all the included parameters without substantially more effort and investment in testing equipment.

We are currently going through some testing of our own here in the office and please feel free to share your thoughts/experience with us!

-Robert @ MD
 
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#4
Thanks Robert @ MD
I really like to give this a try.
With skimming, large size refugium and strong light over Chaeto, my 100 G tank can run without WC for ever with undetectable NO3 and PO4 all the time.
The only reason I do weekly WC is to get those minor elements in balance.
I am dosing 100 ml of Alk/CA/MG daily, shouldn't be too expensive to switch to this method I think.
 

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#5
ATI Lab Test Kit

Thanks Robert @ MD
I really like to give this a try.
With skimming, large size refugium and strong light over Chaeto, my 100 G tank can run without WC for ever with undetectable NO3 and PO4 all the time.
The only reason I do weekly WC is to get those minor elements in balance.
I am dosing 100 ml of Alk/CA/MG daily, shouldn't be too expensive to switch to this method I think.
Awesome! Let us know how it works out. We are beginning to use the ATI Essentials system ourselves and will certainly share our experiences with all of you.

Take care and happy reefkeeping!

Robert @ MD
 
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#6
Just started to dose ATI elements few days ago, first thing I realized is my PH has dropped significantly.
I suspect element 1 should be Sodium Bio carbonate instead of Sodium Carbonate.
I suggest for reefers with not too high PH to bake Element 1 before mixing to get rid of excess CO2.

Robert @ MD, what was your observation?
 

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#7
Just started to dose ATI elements few days ago, first thing I realized is my PH has dropped significantly.
I suspect element 1 should be Sodium Bio carbonate instead of Sodium Carbonate.
I suggest for reefers with not too high PH to bake Element 1 before mixing to get rid of excess CO2.

Robert @ MD, what was your observation?
ATI states "various carbonate sources" so I would not feel comfortable baking it without knowing how it might affect the other components in the ATI Essentials 1 Supplement. If we were talking DIY Dosing with Baking Soda, I would say break out the oven mitts and have at it.

For us, I have been dosing into a small 20 gallon system with mostly Soft Corals, Gorgonians and Macro-algae so the demand is minimal. The daily pH fluctuation has stayed pretty much the same with no noticeable change since using ATI Essentials.

-Robert @ MD
 
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#8
Thanks for reply Robert @ MD,
I actually emailed ATI and they confirmed I can bake the element 1 without impacting the result.

My PH dropped to 7.7 from 8.0 after switching to ATI elements.
Since I already mixed the powder with RO/DI, I can't try it out until the next batch.
 

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#10
Thanks for reply Robert @ MD,
I actually emailed ATI and they confirmed I can bake the element 1 without impacting the result.

My PH dropped to 7.7 from 8.0 after switching to ATI elements.
Since I already mixed the powder with RO/DI, I can't try it out until the next batch.
Let us know how it works out! :nerd:

-Robert @ MD
 
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#11
Let us know how it works out! :nerd:

-Robert @ MD
Sure Robert @ MD,
Since you didn't have Element 1 in stock, I just ordered a new set of 3 elements to just use the element 1 and bake it and replace the previous one which I already mixed with RO/DI.

Until I get this shipment, I am going to use my previous ALK part of my 2 parts.

This is what Dr.Funk from ATI suggested:

"you can bake Essentials 1 to get rid of the CO2.
Keep an eye on KH and Calcium. If there is an uneven demand switch to alternative dosage (see User manual)."

"Essentials 1 consists of various carbonate source. The sodium content is adjusted to keep sodium and chloride in natural balance. If you use another carbonate source like NaHCO3 only, this balance will be lost by time and have to be corrected from time to time via water changes. If you only use the alternative source until Essentials 1 is available again, Essentials will auto correct the balance slowly."

I guess it's better than having PH to drop to 7.6 over night.
Hope this helps other reefers trying this method.

Omid
 

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Sure Robert @ MD,
Since you didn't have Element 1 in stock, I just ordered a new set of 3 elements to just use the element 1 and bake it and replace the previous one which I already mixed with RO/DI.

Until I get this shipment, I am going to use my previous ALK part of my 2 parts.

This is what Dr.Funk from ATI suggested:

"you can bake Essentials 1 to get rid of the CO2.
Keep an eye on KH and Calcium. If there is an uneven demand switch to alternative dosage (see User manual)."

"Essentials 1 consists of various carbonate source. The sodium content is adjusted to keep sodium and chloride in natural balance. If you use another carbonate source like NaHCO3 only, this balance will be lost by time and have to be corrected from time to time via water changes. If you only use the alternative source until Essentials 1 is available again, Essentials will auto correct the balance slowly."

I guess it's better than having PH to drop to 7.6 over night.
Hope this helps other reefers trying this method.

Omid
Thanks for shopping with us and sharing your feedback! ATI has been a great partner for us and I am happy to hear they are working with you directly. I look forward to hearing how it works out!
 

five.five-six

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#13
Is this testing a suitable solution for someone who intends on continuing WCs but would just liek to get a more detailed snapshot of their preamiters and calibration of their tests on a semiannual basis?
 

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#14
Is this testing a suitable solution for someone who intends on continuing WCs but would just liek to get a more detailed snapshot of their preamiters and calibration of their tests on a semiannual basis?
Yes, this is great for just about any type of hobbyist. The beauty is you do not need to use the ATI additives in order to get all the benefits of the comprehensive water test.
 
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#16
I been using System for about a month. My water was good but they tested hi in nitrates 15. I tested it yesterday and show <5 maybe need a diff test kit everythg else is failed in Alk 8.2, Calc 457, Mag 1320, Po3 shows 0 on Hanna. Tank looks good also dosing red sea nop and aminos


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