I have been using Topic Marin Pro-Reef Salt and dosing All For Reef for just over a year. The results are really positive and all corals and fish are doing great. I know that there are thousands of factors that can affect success. However, stability is key - and that I have learned the hard way. I am by no means a expert but did A LOT of reading, research - and as most of us - watched hour and hour of Youtube video's. This is my second attempt at a reef tank, 8 years ago I failed miserably due to white spot. This time around it went a little bit better, however, I again got faced with all the challenges this hobby can throw at me. I stuck through it and just short of a year and a half into it things are really looking positive. Yes, I encountered the dreaded white spot once again (see my post on Achilles tang) but I managed to live with it by managing it.
The important point in my opinion as mentioned is stability. Regular testing is necessary, however I hate testing (Hanna Checkers made it much easier though), but let's face it, none of us wants to do test. However, this is where the use of Tropic Marin salt and All For Reef helped me a lot. They manufacture quality products and it delivers an easy way of getting closer to that stability goal. Yes, there are other products that will also result in success - I have used a lot of them! In my experience the Pro-Reef salt is all one need with all the necessary elements included, easy to mix and mixes very cleanly. I hate having to cleaning my mixing bins due to precipitation or impurities. The All For Reef is a complete all in one product and an easy dosing solution, keeping the elements at the required levels. I do monitoring alkalinity on a weekly basis with my Hanna Checker. This is a good indication of what is going on in my tank. Yes, I know this is a very simplified approach but it worked for me. I also test other key parameter (Mg, Ca, Nitrates and Phosphate) - for the first few months I also tested them weekly, but now about once a month. My dosing schedule is automated and I tweak the dosing amount depending on my Reefs' needs. As mentioned I use weekly alkalinity reading as my initial indicator, should things change, I then test for the other elements and react accordingly. I am also a firm believer water changes and do 10 -15% weekly .
Therefore, in my opinion a key success factor as it is easy and I only need two products (salt and All For Reef) in order to ensures a stable environment. I know this is not a guaranty of success, but it played a big role in my success of owning a reef tank. I have SPS, LPS and soft corals and a lot of fish (clowns, Flame hawk fish, Orchid dottyback, 3 x Anthias, 6-line wrasse, Achilles, yellow, purple and hippo tang.
The important point in my opinion as mentioned is stability. Regular testing is necessary, however I hate testing (Hanna Checkers made it much easier though), but let's face it, none of us wants to do test. However, this is where the use of Tropic Marin salt and All For Reef helped me a lot. They manufacture quality products and it delivers an easy way of getting closer to that stability goal. Yes, there are other products that will also result in success - I have used a lot of them! In my experience the Pro-Reef salt is all one need with all the necessary elements included, easy to mix and mixes very cleanly. I hate having to cleaning my mixing bins due to precipitation or impurities. The All For Reef is a complete all in one product and an easy dosing solution, keeping the elements at the required levels. I do monitoring alkalinity on a weekly basis with my Hanna Checker. This is a good indication of what is going on in my tank. Yes, I know this is a very simplified approach but it worked for me. I also test other key parameter (Mg, Ca, Nitrates and Phosphate) - for the first few months I also tested them weekly, but now about once a month. My dosing schedule is automated and I tweak the dosing amount depending on my Reefs' needs. As mentioned I use weekly alkalinity reading as my initial indicator, should things change, I then test for the other elements and react accordingly. I am also a firm believer water changes and do 10 -15% weekly .
Therefore, in my opinion a key success factor as it is easy and I only need two products (salt and All For Reef) in order to ensures a stable environment. I know this is not a guaranty of success, but it played a big role in my success of owning a reef tank. I have SPS, LPS and soft corals and a lot of fish (clowns, Flame hawk fish, Orchid dottyback, 3 x Anthias, 6-line wrasse, Achilles, yellow, purple and hippo tang.
