2 part Dosing Amount help

[pdiehm]

So I have done my 7 day testing of alkalinity in my tank. I started off after a large water change on 4/15 at 8.6dKh. Last night I was at 7.1 dKh (per hanna).

So over 7 days my alkalinity dropped 1.5 dKh, or an average of 0.21 per day.

So do I go over to BRS use their calculator, plug in my 7.1? and desired 8.5? or do I use 8.3 since my tank loses on average 0.2 per day?

Or do I take my 7.1, dose back up to 8.5, then use the dosing amount of say, 8ml per day to maintain 8.5?

 

[Myka]

So I have done my 7 day testing of alkalinity in my tank. I started off after a large water change on 4/15 at 8.6dKh. Last night I was at 7.1 dKh (per hanna).

So over 7 days my alkalinity dropped 1.5 dKh, or an average of 0.21 per day.

So do I go over to BRS use their calculator, plug in my 7.1? and desired 8.5? or do I use 8.3 since my tank loses on average 0.2 per day?

Or do I take my 7.1, dose back up to 8.5, then use the dosing amount of say, 8ml per day to maintain 8.5?

I use this calculator: http://reef.diesyst.com/flashcalc/flashcalc.html

First, enter your aquarium's NET VOLUME. That means the actual water volume, so take into consideration the glass thickness, the probably half full sump, the sand and rock, etc. Then plug in any numbers that equal a difference of 1.5 dKH. So, say pick 7.0 as "current alkalinity" then 8.5 as "desired alkalinity". Pick your product, calculate. Then take the result, divide it by 7 and you have your daily dose.

So I used these values:

100 gallons
7.0 dkh current alk
8.5 dkh desired alk
Product: Randy's recipe #2

Result: 214 mL

So this means that Randy's Recipe #2 increases alkalinity by 1.5 dKH in 100 gallons NET volume. Since that's your weekly usage, let's divide it by 7 days. So that is 30.6 mL per day.

So if it was me, I'd set up this doser to deliver 2 doses per day at about 13 mL per day (I like to err on the low side). I'd then test every couple days. Adjusting the doser is the fun part - people often find this confusing at first and difficult to get a steady number.

 

[pdiehm]

so 25 gallons (estimated) equates to 5.3ml per day dosing. My doser only goes in increments of 1ml, so I'm at 5ml per day, 1ml every other hour from 10pm to 6am.

I haven't yet set one up for Calcium as my calcium hasn't moved from 430, and in reading, the amount of coraline I have could explain that, but I also read that as alkalinity remains stable, the calcium will in time start being used and then start dosing calcium at that time.

 

[SoreninKL]

So I have done my 7 day testing of alkalinity in my tank. I started off after a large water change on 4/15 at 8.6dKh. Last night I was at 7.1 dKh (per hanna).

So over 7 days my alkalinity dropped 1.5 dKh, or an average of 0.21 per day.

So do I go over to BRS use their calculator, plug in my 7.1? and desired 8.5? or do I use 8.3 since my tank loses on average 0.2 per day?

Or do I take my 7.1, dose back up to 8.5, then use the dosing amount of say, 8ml per day to maintain 8.5?

do you dose calcium and magnesium as well?


I'm asking because those 3 elements are dosed usually together but of course not at the same time. All this is actually some serious chemistry and there are tons of of information here at the chemistry forum. If you like to watch videos instead of reading here is a nice one, nice in my opinion...

then the series continue with different dosing methods.

coming back to your actual question. If you have current value of 7.1 and your desired level is 8.5 then for the first week you need to dose for 2.8 to get back to 8.5.

why so? 7.1 + 1.4 = 8.5 but given your aquarium consuming 1.4 the calculation would be: 7.1 + 1.4 (your dosing) - 1.4 (your consumption) = 7.1

7.1 + 1.4 (consumption) + 1.4 (get back to 8.5)
1.4+1.4=2.8

then once you back on 8.5 you reduce your dose to 1.4

cheers and don't get haunted by the numbers as the "ionic balance" need some time to settle in.

cheers

 

[SoreninKL]

so 25 gallons (estimated) equates to 5.3ml per day dosing. My doser only goes in increments of 1ml, so I'm at 5ml per day, 1ml every other hour from 10pm to 6am.

I haven't yet set one up for Calcium as my calcium hasn't moved from 430, and in reading, the amount of coraline I have could explain that, but I also read that as alkalinity remains stable, the calcium will in time start being used and then start dosing calcium at that time.

which product do you use, baking soda or sodium bicarbonate? Myka posted a link to a calculator. Just punch in your figures, get the result and mix the dry powder in any amount of water.

your case is 25 gallon that makes 3.9 grams of baking soda, given you use baking soda. if you mix the baking soda into 240ml water you would need to dose 40ml daily.

http://reef.diesyst.com/chemcalc/chemcalc.html
same calculator just without flash [emoji4]

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

which product do you use, baking soda or sodium bicarbonate?

Those are the same thing.

 

[SoreninKL]

Those are the same thing.

my bad [emoji15]

I meant baked baking soda "sodium bicarbonate anhydrous" or unbaked baking soda plain "sodium bicarbonate"

thanks for the reminder [emoji4]

 

[Myka]

so 25 gallons (estimated) equates to 5.3ml per day dosing. My doser only goes in increments of 1ml, so I'm at 5ml per day, 1ml every other hour from 10pm to 6am.

Which doser are you using? Most are not accurate down to 1 mL. I have no qualms about adding a 0.2 dKH dose in one dose per day (your 1.5 dKH divided by 7 days).

Baking soda is Sodium bicarbonate. Baked baking soda is Sodium carbonate.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

my bad [emoji15]

I meant baked baking soda "sodium bicarbonate anhydrous" or unbaked baking soda plain "sodium bicarbonate"

thanks for the reminder [emoji4]

Baked baking soda is sodium carbonate.