Many years ago, when I first began diving into the social sphere of reefing, I was shocked by the communal vibe of this hobby. While it’s easy to think this activity is autonomous, in reality the reefing community is a close-knit collective of likeminded underwater enthusiasts.
From diehard reefaholics to casual hobbyists, the love of coral reefs and saltwater marine life attracts people from all walks of life. Although every reefer has a unique vision of tank design and preferred species, there’s one common thread linking all of us together:
The desire to perfectly replicate natural reef environments.
Author:
As a lifelong aquarist, Yuliya has an endless curiosity about our underwater universe. After graduating with a bachelor’s in Environmental Engineering, she transformed her passion into a successful career. While working at the Institute of Environmental Protection in Moscow, her passion for saltwater and reef aquariums only increased. Moving to the United States in 2013, Yuliya embarked on another impactful journey by sharing her unprecedented experience for all aquarium hobbyists ... Read More.
No matter what your goals, budget or design may be, mastering the art of replication is at the core of all reef aquariums. When I first dove into the salty realm of reefing, I already held years of experience crafting freshwater tanks.
Like so many who’ve come before me, I confidently set out to create a beautifully healthy reef tank. I, obviously, knew there’d be a slight learning curve, but my success as a freshwater aquarist distilled false confidence in my reefing abilities. As you can imagine, it wasn’t long until I realized saltwater and freshwater environments are like night and day.
In nature, the delicate balance of incoming and outgoing nutrients appears effortless. The biggest lesson all reefers must learn is maintaining nutrient and elemental balance. Sound easy enough, right? Unfortunately, it’s not.
As I continue to work with both new and novice reefers, I realized most struggle with the art of element dosing. Because of the unique characteristics of one tank compared to another, it’s surprisingly difficult to create a “one size fits all” type of guide. If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the course of many years, it’s that reef aquarium ecosystems are as particular as the reefer themselves.
The Problem With Dosing Guidelines is a Lack of Personalization.
Well, maybe not a complete lack of personalization. The scientific understanding of water parameters and elemental concentrations is greater now than ever before. Compared to several years ago, dosing recommendations are strikingly more accurate and offer a grander scope of understanding. However, as I mentioned above, every tank faces its own set of challenges.
Because of this, refining your approach to dosing required a deep-level understanding of your current tank ecosystem parameters and ideal levels for maximum health and growth. No wonder the reefing hobby has long been considered a hefty time and energy investment.
Now, I don’t want to paint an unrealistic portrait. Caring for a reef tank isn’t as easy and straightforward as caring for a goldfish tank. However, with the right hacks, it doesn’t have to be a monumental challenge.
When it comes to reef tank dosing, there’s really only one hack worth learning: ATI Essentials.
Based in Science, Refined in Reality - ATI Essentials Dosing System.
As an avid life hacker, I’m constantly searching for systems and techniques to simplify a required task, while simultaneously increasing its impact or efficiency.
The core of all hacks, whether for reef tanks or housecleaning, is its ability to streamline and perfect an action to accomplish an intended goal with as little time and energy as possible. If you think that’s easier said than done, you’re right, especially when it comes to reef tank dosing.
In my quest to identify a solid element dosing hack, I came close to resigning to the possibility that there simply isn’t one capable of meeting the generalized and individualized reef tank requirements.
Then I was introduced to ATI Essentials.
As a skeptic, I reviewed its proclamations with excited weariness. Could this strikingly simple system actually produce noteworthy results?
After researching, and ultimately implementing this system with my own tank, I’m still in shock. I didn't do any water changes for one year already, and my REEFER 250 is thriving!
So, what exactly makes ATI Essentials a true reef hack? Let me show you…
The Foundation of ATI Essentials Dosing System.
Before getting into the details of how this system works, I want to briefly touch on the undercurrent of its design.
Prior to its official launch in 2016, ATI Essentials was nothing more than a desire to create a system that offers stability, safety and precision element dosing. Once you begin using this professional-grade system, it’s easy to see that its creators wanted to make a user-friendly product that was as accurate as it was straightforward.
Ultimately, the entire system combines multiple water parameter products into a single solution, or actually, three solutions. This layout not only reduces dosing duration, but minimizes the risk of accidental overdosing while maintaining water parameters that are as close to natural values as possible.
The Secret to Healthy Reef Tanks - Principle of Constant Proportions.
Are you familiar with what’s known as “The Principle of Constant Proportions?” In brief, this biological principle states that in seawater, main elements remain constant throughout the entire body of water based upon the salinity level of each region.
Mirroring natural seawater in a reef tank requires two things:
- Understanding seawater composition values.
- Achieving and sustaining this composition via nutrient exporting and elemental dosing.
ATI Essentials accomplishes this task with surprising accuracy because its formulation is specifically designed based upon years of high-level seawater composition research. Each individual element within the system catalyze others, much like they do in natural environments. Moreover, its formation is designed to actually interact with the various maintenance activities of a reef tank.
Basically, this means sustaining elemental balance for superior tank health and stability is easier. What I appreciate about ATI Essentials is how its solutions interact with the ecological diversity found in reef aquariums. When used correctly, it actively influences positive water parameter levels.
Now, this isn’t to say that ATI Essentials is a magic formula. While I’m excited about the possibilities of this solution, there’s no 100% guarantee you’ll have the same experience as myself. Because every reef tank is unique, it’s impossible to assume the formulation has the appropriate elements to create and maintain natural seawater parameters.
This is why I always recommend water testing.
ATI Water Testing Services - Simple, Accurate and Affordable.
If you’re a member of any online reefing forums and communities, then you already know water testing is a sensitive subject. Like many components of this hobby, preferences are often paraded around as requirements. I’m not here to say one water testing provider is the absolute best, but this wouldn’t be much of a hack without identifying each step I use.
I always prefer to work with a company who aggregates multiple services, which is why ATI North America is at the top of my most recommended reef tank suppliers.
When it comes to water testing, there are three qualifiers I always look for:
- Accuracy.
- Ease.
- Affordability.
If a testing provider fails to provide all three of these fundamental qualifications, then it’s simply not worth your time or money. So, as I’m sure you can guess, ATI Labs (the water testing branch of ATI) is my personal go-to testing provider.
Here’s a brief rundown as to why ATI Labs is, in my opinion, a solid water testing option:
- Tests are sent to a full-service laboratory facility, which utilizes the latest machine testing and chromatography machines to create one of the most thorough readouts available on the consumer marketplace. In fact, ATI Labs tests over 40 water parameters, which include major/minor elements, pollutants and RO water to confirm system/equipment configuration is ideal.
- Shipping is 100% free. The cost of shipping your water to ATI Labs in Germany is included in the overall testing price. Test results typically take 1 to 2 weeks after mailing off your water.
- Significantly cheaper than most other competitors, which in my opinion, is one of the greatest features.
I definitely recommend checking out ATI Labs water testing services. Check it out here.
28 Essential Elements in 3 Bottles - ATI Essentials Breakdown.
Can you imagine manually dosing 28 individual elements? I get exhausted just thinking about it, but for many years, achieving natural seawater composition parameters wasn’t just time-consuming, but almost impossible for anyone who wasn’t a biological chemist.
But, thankfully, ATI Essentials simplified this overwhelming concept of elemental dosing. In short, the entire system is boiled down into three solutions:
- Essentials #1 - Various Carbonate Sources (Alkalinity)
- Essentials #2 - Various Essential Trace Elements and Calcium.
- Essentials #3 - Various Essential Trace Elements and Magnesium.
In the most fundamental sense, ATI Essentials is similar to the traditional 3 element dosing programs (Alk, Cal, Mg), but on steroids. Instead of spending time and money on both these major elements and trace elements, ATI combines them all within its three part system. Think of ATI Essentials as your ticket to expedited dosing without reducing the quality and safety of necessary supplements.
I’m not going to bore you with the complete list of trace elements included in this refined formula, but if you’re interested, check out the ATI Essentials User Manual.
Essentially, this system is designed to meet the elemental requirements for a variety of reef environments. From mixed reef, which includes LPS and Softcorals, to SPS dominated aquariums, the ingenious formulation strengthens coral health at the molecular level via trace element support. In many cases, this results in dynamic coral growth and significant improvements in overall coloration and brilliance.
ATI Essentials Dosing Tips for Optimized Influence.
Before getting into dosing tips, it’s important to remember this advice may not be exactly what your tank needs. The only way to achieve a fully optimized dosing routine is via water testing, which is why I strongly recommend the ATI Labs service or home water test kits like Salifert.
That being noted, here’s what you need to know about dosing your tank with ATI Essentials:
- Daily dosage levels should be adjusted based upon KH consumption. Try and maintain KH levels between 7 and 8 for best results.
- Measure KH consumption everyday during the first week or so, and adjust dosing levels based on these readouts. If KH drops, for example, increase dosage levels, and if KH increases, reduce dosage levels.
- When KH stabilizes, check KH levels 2 times per week.
- Test calcium at least once a week as you use ATI Essentials.
- Essentials #1, #2 and #3 should be equally dosed unless KH and calcium consumption is uneven. In this case, adjust Essentials #2 and #3 until calcium consumption levels off anywhere between 400-440 mg/l.
- Check water salinity with a refractometer at least once a month to ensure it maintains a 33 to 37 PSU readout.
- Activated carbon should be introduced in your filtration media once to help maintain organics.
Real Talk About Water Changes in the ATI Essentials System.
Before closing out, I have to discuss water changes. As I mentioned earlier, this three part system includes both major and trace elements within its various formulas. Now, I’m sure you already understand the invaluable nature of water changes. For the majority of dosing systems, partial water changes are absolutely necessary to help replenish and maintain trace element parameters.
However, what if this integral step could be eliminated? How much time would you save?
With the ATI Essentials Dosing System, partial water changes move away from the land of necessary and into the realm of optional. Well, at least when it comes to changing water for trace element replenishment.
Yes, you read that right. One of the most appreciated features of ATI Essentials is its ability to eliminate the need for partial water changes. Of course, you should still perform standard water changes for other various maintenance reasons, but the majority of reefers who use ATI Essentials avoid this chore by testing their water every 2 to 3 months via ATI Labs and monitoring water parameters with home test kits.
Because water changes have played an important role in reef tanks ever since the hobby first began, it’s common to doubt this statement. Remember, I’m not suggesting you should never perform water changes. In fact, I use the SMART AWC to perform this messy and boring chore in all my systems. If you’re not sure what this device is, check out my review here.
I run my REEFER 250 with ATI Essentials. With this system, I haven’t had to do a single water change throughout the past year. My only recommendation is to employ the help of a Diamond Sand-Sifting Goby. This little helper maintains sand better than almost any other sifting-critter. If you’re thinking of foregoing the route of water changes, I highly recommend importing this hardworking fish.
Leveraging Science and Simplicity - Final Thoughts
At first, the promise of natural seawater parameters without complicated measuring and calculations feels too good to be true. While we’re taught to be wary of such claims, ATI Essentials isn’t your standard dosing system.
While this solution may not be perfect for everyone, its stable formulation and science-backed integration plan holds great potential for the vast majority of reef tanks. Throughout my experience in this beautiful hobby of ours, I’ve rarely come across a company as committed to the reefing community as ATI.
Overall, ATI Essentials is solid option for reefers of all experience levels. If you’re searching for dosing system rich in science, while dripping with simplicity, give ATI Essentials a look. As always, the entire Reef Hacks team is here to help guide you along the way.
Happy Reefing!
by Yuliya Ivanova for ReefHacks.