Methods
Red Sea Reef Care Program: how it works and its targets
One brand's complete recipe in four parts: salt, supplements, coral food and nutrient control. Its targets have changed three times since 2011, which is why we date every figure.
Last checked . How we check
- Cost
- Medium
- Effort
- Low (one calcium test a week)
- Suits
- Keepers who want one brand and a recipe
- Not for
- Tanks with a refugium (four-part version)
How does it work?
Red Sea splits reef care into salt, supplements, coral food and algae management. Supplements come as the Complete Reef Care four-part set or as a seven-part programme where each group is dosed from its own lead test.
The four-part set doses all four parts from a weekly calcium test, in a fixed ratio of 1 : 2 : 0.5 : 0.5. Alkalinity is checked only every two to three weeks, because Red Sea says other processes use alkalinity too, so calcium is the better measure of coral growth.
How much does it dose, and how fast can it correct?
The 2024 manual starts at 3 to 7 ml of part 1 per 100 litres a day depending on tank type. Parts go in in order, ten minutes apart. To find a dose, Red Sea has you bring the numbers to target, test calcium after three days with no other changes, and divide the fall by three.
The Foundation manual caps daily rises at 20 ppm calcium, 1.4 dKH (0.5 meq/L) alkalinity and 10 ppm magnesium, and doses magnesium, then alkalinity, then calcium, ten minutes apart. For tanks up to about 300 litres it also offers a single ABC+ powder, no more than 60 grams at once.
What targets does Red Sea give?
They depend on the year. The 2011 brochure set targets by coral type, the 2021 manual by tank type, and the 2024 manual by whether you want growth, balance or colour. Mixed reef alkalinity runs from 8 to 12 dKH across them. The full list is on targets by brand.
How do I get started?
- Pick your tank type and objective in the current manual.
- Bring alkalinity, calcium and magnesium to target slowly, inside the daily caps.
- Start the four-part dose at the manual's figure for your tank type.
- Test calcium weekly at the same time of day and adjust.
- Check alkalinity every two to three weeks.
What are the common mistakes?
- Running the four-part set on a tank with a refugium.
- Using targets from an older manual without noticing.
- Correcting faster than the daily caps.
- Testing at different times of day.
Where do sources disagree?
| Topic | What sources say | Our reading |
|---|---|---|
| Which test to dose by |
| Follow the method you chose. If you mix methods, dose by alkalinity. |
| High alkalinity |
| Both work. Choose one and hold it steady; never swing between them. |
| Refugium |
| With a refugium, use Red Sea's seven-part programme or another method. |
Sources
Figures from sources read as a search summary only are shown as typical figures: check them before you rely on them. Found a mistake? Tell us how to fix it.