Acer's build thread ( 3RMAS area)
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OP
OP
acer
Valuable Member
So this is part of why I got frustrated before, my ALK have remained exactly the same now for 2 days, no change each day. So if I were dosing currently , then my ALK would be going up each day. How long does it take to get this regulated - just keep tested each day? until a pattern emerges?
kevinl
Active Member
no dosing then, yes keep testing.
if it stays the same today, then skip one day between tests.
dont want to burn yourself out testing.
if it stays at 8, then your WC has to be mixed at 8.
if you shy away from WC then you have to keep eye on nutrient export.
no WC, you open yourself up to way more testing for other parameters.
if it stays the same today, then skip one day between tests.
dont want to burn yourself out testing.
if it stays at 8, then your WC has to be mixed at 8.
if you shy away from WC then you have to keep eye on nutrient export.
no WC, you open yourself up to way more testing for other parameters.
OP
OP
acer
Valuable Member
Just because I am terrible at acronyms - WC= Water Change? Correct. So I should test new water and if it had ALK below 8 , then add additives to bring it up. However, w hat if the ALk on new water tests at above 8? I know I have read about how to lower ALK - but cant remember how.
UPDATE at 4 pm- ALK is 7.3 - yeah.. added 50 ml of soda ash and will add 50 more at bedtime = 100 ml total to raise back to 8.0- 8.1 ( Bulk Reef Calc). Test tomorrow evening again. Possibly my set up is using 50 ml soda per per day- wouldn't that be nice to figure out a dosing schedule. Will test Mg and Ca tomorrow, and WC water as well.
UPDATE at 4 pm- ALK is 7.3 - yeah.. added 50 ml of soda ash and will add 50 more at bedtime = 100 ml total to raise back to 8.0- 8.1 ( Bulk Reef Calc). Test tomorrow evening again. Possibly my set up is using 50 ml soda per per day- wouldn't that be nice to figure out a dosing schedule. Will test Mg and Ca tomorrow, and WC water as well.
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loui
Valuable Member
I understand that the BRS calculator says that you can add that much ALK and CALC to the aquarium in one day, but I highly recommend that you do not add 100ML of anything to your tank in 1 day. When I make changes to my aquariums I may add 5 or 6ML and test again 2 days later. What are you using for dosing? I am using BRS 1.1ML dosing pumps hooked up to my reef keeper. Also 7.3 ALK is a good number in my book if you want to raise it to 8 and it takes 50ML to do it then I would dose 10ML per day while testing every second day (once a day is better). It isn't about having the perfect numbers it's about trying to keep the tank steady. Making large adjustments will never solve the problem. Making large adjustment may put stress on half the corals, which then they stop growing and if you keep dosing the same amount then all the sudden your ALK is 12 because your tank isn't using all the ALK available.
I try to run my tanks in between 7 and 8 ALK once again the key is to not have large swings back and forth. The animals will adapt to what you are providing for them, but if you keep making changes they can never adapt.
I try to run my tanks in between 7 and 8 ALK once again the key is to not have large swings back and forth. The animals will adapt to what you are providing for them, but if you keep making changes they can never adapt.
kevinl
Active Member
Agree with Loui!
Heres the thing, day1=8, day2=8, day3=7.3
These are close to margin of error within the test
I would of waited and tested day 4
Now that u dosed 50ml, wait and test same time tomorrow.
By your calculation ur thinking ur using 50ml a day, so tomorrow test should be 7.3 again, right??
This is what we are telling u about not chasing numbers,
u was dosing everything tonight to get back to 8 and u might not need it.
Heres the thing, day1=8, day2=8, day3=7.3
These are close to margin of error within the test
I would of waited and tested day 4
Now that u dosed 50ml, wait and test same time tomorrow.
By your calculation ur thinking ur using 50ml a day, so tomorrow test should be 7.3 again, right??
This is what we are telling u about not chasing numbers,
u was dosing everything tonight to get back to 8 and u might not need it.
OP
OP
acer
Valuable Member
Yep= thanks guys - I thought about it after my last post and did not add the other 50 ML. I appreciate the inputs from everyone. Remember-- I am also posting for those that have never done this and don't "get it" at all to learn from. So yes - we shall see about the test tomorrow at about 4 PM. If it is close to 8 ( I predict closer to 7.7, then I will start my BRS doser to add about 50 ml of BRS soda ash liquid for the next 24 hours. Loui - 50 ML of soda ash liquid is not a very large dose (in my opinion) in a 24 hours period for a setup with 200+ gallons ( 150 display, 40 gallon sump/skimmer that is 3/4 full, and a 75 gallon refugium that is about 3/4 full). According to BRS Calulators 15 ml of liquid soda ash mix will change 200 gallons from 7.9 to 8.0 = .1 DKH change. So if my BRS doser does 1.1 ml per minute as advertised ( or about 60.6 ml per hour) , then running it for 14 minutes ( 15.4 ML) will change my Alk up a bit more than .1 DKH- right- which is not enough to really even test for. So, I think I would need about 60 minutes of running the doser for a total to add enough soda ash to change my 200+ gallons Alk up about .5 DKH. I have a timer that can turn the doser on and off 2 times a day each time running about 30 minutes totaling about 60 minutes. That should add enough soda ash to increase the ALK .5 DKH in my 200 gallons. Of course, I am rounding and doing the math in my head after a glass of wine - lol . And of course the corals uptake the Alk - so that is the trick - adding enough so that the system is not changing much- yet the corals demand is met. Tomorrow my office is closed so I can test everything (including my new water that is ready for my weekly 15 gallon water change - which will add more calculations - happy happy 
).
).
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OP
OP
acer
Valuable Member
Sorry forgot to post- didn't have a great day physically so was down and out most of the day, but I did test- YEAH! ALK was 8.1 - you were right. SO I guess about .25 DKH per day = about 25 ml of soda ash per day - without water changes, etc. So will test today again when I get home from work at 7pm - hopefully it will be down to about 7.3 again.
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OP
OP
acer
Valuable Member
Yesterday ALK was 7.7 and 7.84 at about 8 pm - tested twice as I wanted to be sure. So again, about .25 DKH is being used in 24 hours. Will add 50ml of liquid soda ash to sump this morning. Test tonight. I know, I need to test and add supplement at the same time each day to really be sure.
Update at 9 pm- ALK tested at 8.3. hmmm...
Update at 9 pm- ALK tested at 8.3. hmmm...
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kevinl
Active Member
Ted
Why are u dosing 50ml now??
Post #29 u dosed 25ml
Your chasing #'s again!!
Do ur 25ml a day, ride that out for a week or two if u can.
U found a pretty good starting number, work with that and let your tank slowly adjust and fall into what it likes to run at.
Not sure why u are trying to achieve 8 or 8.5, 7 to 8 is fine, your in the ball park now.
Heck, my alk has been running 6.4 area for two months now, yes a little low & uncharted area for me as well!
But I am not pulling my calculator out and dosing what it tells me to get back to my normal 6.9 to 7.3.
My tank is different (remember), I dose around 200ml each alk & Ca per 24hr.
U may find that 25ml a day gets u 7.5 consistent enough, but only adjust it by 10ml up or down (once) then test it that way for a week or so.
So if u need more boosting take ur 25ml a day to 35ml and then test for a week or two.
Why are u dosing 50ml now??
Post #29 u dosed 25ml
Your chasing #'s again!!
Do ur 25ml a day, ride that out for a week or two if u can.
U found a pretty good starting number, work with that and let your tank slowly adjust and fall into what it likes to run at.
Not sure why u are trying to achieve 8 or 8.5, 7 to 8 is fine, your in the ball park now.
Heck, my alk has been running 6.4 area for two months now, yes a little low & uncharted area for me as well!
But I am not pulling my calculator out and dosing what it tells me to get back to my normal 6.9 to 7.3.
My tank is different (remember), I dose around 200ml each alk & Ca per 24hr.
U may find that 25ml a day gets u 7.5 consistent enough, but only adjust it by 10ml up or down (once) then test it that way for a week or so.
So if u need more boosting take ur 25ml a day to 35ml and then test for a week or two.
OP
OP
acer
Valuable Member
Oh crap I remembered wrong, I meant to add 25ml, not 50, which explains the 8.3 reading and why I was confused with how high my latest test was. I was just trying to keep it around and be consistent of 25ml per day. But remembered the ml amount wrong.
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kevinl
Active Member
let it ride then, ur not using any alk then.
You have to watch water changes then, I don't know of any salt that mixes at 8 in alk.
if you don't lower the fresh mix to 8, then your alk will rise and before you know it your back to 10 again.
You have to watch water changes then, I don't know of any salt that mixes at 8 in alk.
if you don't lower the fresh mix to 8, then your alk will rise and before you know it your back to 10 again.
OP
OP
acer
Valuable Member
Ok today's test results. ALK= 7.84, CA+=452, Mg+=1440, but po4 = 47 ppm. Have not done a water change since I started testing nearly ever day. The Fritz pro salt in my new water mixing station tested 6.4 ALK. So, I guess doing water changes will actually decrease my ALK. Taking that into account maybe I should not try to keep ALK 8-8.5, maybe 7.25- 7.75. I know, don't chase numbers. However, if u are not aware of a goal for a parameter its tough to keep the tank consistent which is the real goal.
Ok plan of attack for today= 20 gallon water change which should reduce Po4 and Alk. Also Thin out the Cheating - it's pretty dense , so hopefully that will also create more po4 control. No dosing. Test Alk and Po4 tomorrow.
Ok plan of attack for today= 20 gallon water change which should reduce Po4 and Alk. Also Thin out the Cheating - it's pretty dense , so hopefully that will also create more po4 control. No dosing. Test Alk and Po4 tomorrow.
kevinl
Active Member
OK
Your thinking is good now
But, I use Fritz pro and it always mixes at 9 or 9.5
I do mix at 1.026, even if your 1.025 it shouldn't be that low.
Somethings wrong.
Your Alk, Mg & Ca is PERFECT!
Now lets address the nutrients and get that in shape (while ur maintaining those PERFECT numbers)
Check that new mix of fritz water again, that's not right.
Your thinking is good now
But, I use Fritz pro and it always mixes at 9 or 9.5
I do mix at 1.026, even if your 1.025 it shouldn't be that low.
Somethings wrong.
Your Alk, Mg & Ca is PERFECT!
Now lets address the nutrients and get that in shape (while ur maintaining those PERFECT numbers)
Check that new mix of fritz water again, that's not right.
