Anyone use the red sea complete reef care (4 part) and recommend it?

[dolpator]

In all honestly, I am more likely to do Kalk/AFR combo.

I have already purchased 1000ml of AFR, so this is the route I am probably going to take. I would rather know that I am getting everything from a well known entity in the hobby. I honestly cant find any information on Sea Lab. My buddy uses it with great success, but that doesn't mean it will translate to success for my tank. I think getting the teace elements in to the tank alone will be a huge improvement to the tank. Will let know know over the next few weeks how the process is going might start a thread with the journey. As I want to start from literally scratch when I start this so I have a base libe

 

[3sgterror]

Does anyone know the dimensions of the bottles in the Large package? I am trying to determine if the bottles will fit on a shelf that is in my cabinet.

 

[dolpator]

Does anyone know the dimensions of the bottles in the Large package? I am trying to determine if the bottles will fit on a shelf that is in my cabinet.

Calcium is like 2"w x 10"tall alk is 4" wide and 10" tall, and the other two are 2" wide by like 5' tall. It's how there are proportioned. Alk is twice Calcium, and the other two are half Calcium.

 

[dolpator]

Calcium is like 2"w x 10"tall alk is 4" wide and 10" tall, and the other two are 2" wide by like 5' tall. It's how there are proportioned. Alk is twice Calcium, and the other two are half Calcium.

That's how remembered it from RAP, when they were showing them off

 

[3sgterror]

Calcium is like 2"w x 10"tall alk is 4" wide and 10" tall, and the other two are 2" wide by like 5' tall. It's how there are proportioned. Alk is twice Calcium, and the other two are half Calcium.

Much appreciated. Thank you!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

To my prior comment, if people are against using Calc consumption for calculate dose of this red seas 4 part system, why does everyone here swear by AFR? Isn’t that the same with ultimately less control than 4 part since AFR is essentially 1 part and you need to manually dose other things based on consumption? I got a bottle of AFR and it says to dose based on calcium consumption as well so it seems similar to the new 4 part system by read sea

I also do not recommend AFR dosing by calcium, or kalkwasser by calcium. They all have the same problem, and all work by alk monitoring.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

This is what I am trying to figure out. I have a friend that uses Sea Lab #28 Automatic Replenisher Blocks. From what I am reading on this, it is a weekly block that replenishes 28 elements including calcium, strontium and 15 essential Trace elements, removes heavy metals and limits ammonia and phosphate while buffering PH. He has a 110 gallon total volume tank. Each weekly block is enough for 100 gallon system. Only thing he doses is alkalinity and Magnesium when needed. (See his tank Instagram @K4Fish). I talked with him in length yesterday. He keeps his alk @7-8 and Mag at 1400. Has used this product since tank build over 8 years ago, and his tank is amazing. So what is the difference between this product and Red Sea and AFR. Isn't it essentially the same thing. He said when he stopped chasing numbers and worked on stability over all else, all his worries went away and he can enjoy his tank. He test for Alkalinity, Nitrates and Phosphates weekly. That is it. The rest is handled through the Sea LAB #28 blocks....I am really confused on everything. Tropic Marin has been in this industry since the 1960's, are we to believe they do not have the best interest of the inhabitants of our tanks. That this AFR product is a bogus product. Wasn't Tropic Marin the company that pioneered the Balling Method that is being used successfully by thousands of aquarist world wide. Technology is changing not only in the world but in our hobby too, we place our faith in these companies to know that they have done the leg work, they are doing the science, they have our best interest at heart. If they didn't they would not be around, the hobby would not support them and they would go bankrupt... I am probably going to start using AFR, there are a lot of success stories on this product and how it has changed their tanks for the better. I am not saying I am going to use the product based on calcium. I am going to use the product based on all the parameters. I run a Neptune Trident on my tank. I am thinking I am going to stop chasing these so called parameters that makes everyone crazy set my Alk where I want it and let everything else play out. I will probably use a Kalk/AFR combo so that I am getting the trace elements I need for the tank, and whatever AFR isn't supplementing for Alkalinity and Calcium I will let Kalk handle that....I believe for the cost of everything these day, this to me seems the most cost efficient. Although those Sea Lab #28 blocks are $30/24. That is 24 weeks of supplementation for a 100 gallon system. That is what I have. This would equate to $5/month with Sea Lab, and everyone knows how cheap kalk. I mean you would get everything you need with two products costing less than $10 an month on 100g systems.. I mean really think about that......That is all I have to say.

I strongly advise against Sea Lab 28. I have posted this many times over many years, but it unquestionably cannot do what it claims. It is just a bunch of stuff that dissolves whether your tank needs it or not.

 

[One Reefing Boi]

I also do not recommend AFR dosing by calcium, or kalkwasser by calcium. They all have the same problem, and all work by alk monitoring.

So if we were to go down an AFR or this RSCRC system, how would you recommend doing it?

My assumption would to base alk of my tanks alk consumption, calcium of calcium consumption and the trace off calcium as well with maybe monthly ICP testing? And weekly Alk/calc/mag testing?

 

[Jjay]

I’ve been waiting for the Red Sea 4 part to hit my area and glad I stumbled onto this thread!

Coming from somebody who just got back into the hobby last year, the appeal of a 4 part dosing system to meet all needs was very appealing to me.

To summarize what I’ve read so far, the 4 part system seems like a “bougie” way of doing things, but in fact is a lot more simplistic versus other methods. Why would you not want simplicity in such a complex hobby?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

So if we were to go down an AFR or this RSCRC system, how would you recommend doing it?

My assumption would to base alk of my tanks alk consumption, calcium of calcium consumption and the trace off calcium as well with maybe monthly ICP testing? And weekly Alk/calc/mag testing?

By alkalinity. match the calcium dosing to the alk dose, then occasionally (like once every 2 weeks), check to make sure calcium is still in a reasonable range (400-550 ppm, IMO). If it is close to or already too high or too low, make adjustments as needed.

I do not recommend testing magnesium at all. I recommend only dosing based on calcium (which I presume this method already does).

Just say NO to magnesium testing: RMM is born

OK, this thread has been many years in the making, and I'm posting it here since folks in the chem forum are probably already tired of all the threads relating to problematic magnesium testing. I'm going to propose a method, let's call it the Randy Magnesium Method, or RMM for short. All good...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[ReefingReefer]

so i just got the new 4 part. ive been using just kelk for the last year or so and want to make the change over, what is the recommendation for weening off of kelk for the 4 part?

 

[Reeltherapy07]

I installed the new 4 part this week and have a few questions. I tried emailing Red Sea but just got a sorry you are having this issue. So in the RAP video it says you only measure Ca and plug that number in and it calculates the others. I do not see that option on the App. Is that where the “coming soon” test log and calculator section is and its just not available yet?
Also the system doses small
Increments all day long. Is this how it should work? I only ask because my previous doses set by my LFS it would dose each part once a day at different times and that was it.

 

[GARRIGA]

As one who refuses to perform water changes or deal with the build up of sodium chloride then products such as this matter and why I'm heavily leaning AFR plus a form of sodium free nitrate plus carbon dosing to manage the bulk of my supplements. For my purpose, dosing AFR based on calcium might work because I'm assuming that will balance most of my trace and mag and I will test alkalinity and balance that by additional nitrates. In addition, will run a Fuge/ATS to manage my co2 and will test iron separately and dose something like ChaetoGro or diy variant. ICP-MS as needed and make additional finer corrections based on that since all systems are different and at the moment no clue if I will grow Sticks or Shrooms. Will have coraline therefore that alone will have a demand on all above. I'll obviously adjust my process based on recorded results and my favorite gauge the eye test. Don't care what numbers say if things look wrong.

Not a fan of the Lab 28 but I'll test it out in my 20g test tank once coraline get established. Curious to see how it works. Curious if perhaps it lasts longer since it's 1/5th the recommended. Does seem like snake oil but so did carbon dosing to me at one time. At a minimum, I can then dismiss it and have learned something along the way. Better to fail now in a test environment then later with a fully mature tank.

As for this product. Not sure why one couldn't use it with a refugium if they are testing other elements and balancing them as needed. Perhaps they really expect one to only test calcium weekly and alkalinity infrequently. Don't see most doing that therefore just another arrow in the quiver sort of speak yet I'd still rather lean AFR or Carbo-Calcium plus trace and mag since I'd rather not deal with salt creep regardless how easy it is to fix. Full automation what I seek or as close to it as humanly possible. My time is too valuable and seems everyday gets less with everything else life throws at you.

Only one way to find out. Do it.