2 part dosing amounts
- Thread starter SeeFu
- Start date
- Tagged users None
mike550
Valuable Member
What product are you using? For example ESV suggests dosing in equal parts. So once I got my Alk to the desired target, I started dosing both Alk and Ca in equal parts. There‘s a much lengthier discussion and a calculator for the optimal balance between the two. But what I’m seeing is that when my Alk is 8.6 my Ca runs at 450. I don’t think it’s optimal but everyone said to follow the directions.
At the end of the day there is an optimal balance between Alk and Ca. Look for a calculator at hamzasreef.com that will tell you the right Ca for a given Alk level. I suppose you could target that.
At the end of the day there is an optimal balance between Alk and Ca. Look for a calculator at hamzasreef.com that will tell you the right Ca for a given Alk level. I suppose you could target that.
Randy Holmes-Farley
Reef Chemist
Staff member
Super Moderator
Excellence Award
Expert Contributor
Article Contributor
R2R Research
My Tank Thread
FWIW, not all two parts are properly designed for 1:1 dosing, even some that claim it. Some do not even try (oddly, IMO)
It is fine to dose both equally, and calcium will still probably still stay stable. I do not know your tank volume, but say it is 50 gallons water volume. 20 mL of a typical two part is only about 0.6 dKH per day. The balanced amount of calcium demand is only about 4 ppm. With a hobby kit, you won't reliably detect that for a while, and when you do, you will suddenly realize that you need to add about as much to get batch to your target as if you matched 1:1 all along.
That said, if you want to not dose the calcium part for a bit, that's OK. Since your demand is quite low, it is possible water changes with a higher calcium mix might help calcium. But still, using the two part as 1:1 directed won't cause a problem.
It is fine to dose both equally, and calcium will still probably still stay stable. I do not know your tank volume, but say it is 50 gallons water volume. 20 mL of a typical two part is only about 0.6 dKH per day. The balanced amount of calcium demand is only about 4 ppm. With a hobby kit, you won't reliably detect that for a while, and when you do, you will suddenly realize that you need to add about as much to get batch to your target as if you matched 1:1 all along.
That said, if you want to not dose the calcium part for a bit, that's OK. Since your demand is quite low, it is possible water changes with a higher calcium mix might help calcium. But still, using the two part as 1:1 directed won't cause a problem.
Randy Holmes-Farley
Reef Chemist
Staff member
Super Moderator
Excellence Award
Expert Contributor
Article Contributor
R2R Research
My Tank Thread
Those values are fine, and IMO, there is no importance to the ratio. Target both to desirable ranges. Exact calcium values have little import in the 400-550 ppm range.
SeeFu
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Apr 21, 2019
- Messages
- 946
- Reaction score
- 252
wow strangest thing happened. i started to dose 20ml of CA and the CA levels dropped in my tank. so i upped it to 30ml and then 40ml and the amount of CA measured kept dropping. the hecks going on. lol
Randy Holmes-Farley
Reef Chemist
Staff member
Super Moderator
Excellence Award
Expert Contributor
Article Contributor
R2R Research
My Tank Thread
More info needed. I cannot tell what time frame you are talking about, and the absolute calcium values would be useful to know. Are you also dosing alkalinity?
