Alk, Calc, and PH

[Kkuhar]

Good morning! I am sorry but I am having a hard time wrapping my head around a few things. I have been checking my alk every day as well as my calcium and PH. My alk was low and my calcium was high so I started to dosing 30ml of B-Ionic of alkalinity daily. I have seen that my alk is rising and my calcium is dropping a bit. Today's reading was 10.2 and my calcium was 410. So my question.... When do I start dosing both alkalinity and calcium? I have a dosing pump but I am not certain how to set it for my tank. Also, I am having a hard time getting my PH up. I am reading around 7.8-8. Any insights?

 

[Reeferbadness]

I would switch to a basic 2 part dosing option. You can tweek the Alk vs Cal based on testing. As your tank matures you will def need to fine tune for both to optimize. I don't even bother testing PH honestly - it's really all about ALK/CAL and i'd add Magnesium (which i also dose)

 

[Kkuhar]

Perfect! Thank you! I will definitely get that. When I start dosing with my automated doser, when my levels are where I want them, do I just do equal parts of them? Also, what do you use for magnesium?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Good morning! I am sorry but I am having a hard time wrapping my head around a few things. I have been checking my alk every day as well as my calcium and PH. My alk was low and my calcium was high so I started to dosing 30ml of B-Ionic of alkalinity daily. I have seen that my alk is rising and my calcium is dropping a bit. Today's reading was 10.2 and my calcium was 410. So my question.... When do I start dosing both alkalinity and calcium? I have a dosing pump but I am not certain how to set it for my tank. Also, I am having a hard time getting my PH up. I am reading around 7.8-8. Any insights?

Dose both as soon as you think you have dropped to or below your alkalinity target.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Perfect! Thank you! I will definitely get that. When I start dosing with my automated doser, when my levels are where I want them, do I just do equal parts of them? Also, what do you use for magnesium?

You ESV B-ionic has magnesium. Do not worry about it.

IMO, it is a better product than Reef Fusion, so I would not advise switching away from the B-ionic.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I would switch to a basic 2 part dosing option. You can tweek the Alk vs Cal based on testing. As your tank matures you will def need to fine tune for both to optimize. I don't even bother testing PH honestly - it's really all about ALK/CAL and i'd add Magnesium (which i also dose)

It's strange that Seachem didn't design this product correctly for 1:1 dosing despite claiming it to be. I hope it doesn't indicate that other aspects of it are not properly designed.

 

[dakoop]

Dose both as soon as you think you have dropped to or below your alkalinity target.

Listen to this man. He knows all

 

[Kkuhar]

Thank you so much! So at this point, I will keep dosing alk and when I get to my desired Alk, then I start the 2 part dosing?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Thank you so much! So at this point, I will keep dosing alk and when I get to my desired Alk, then I start the 2 part dosing?

Well, what is your target alk?

 

[Kkuhar]

I guess I'm at my target alk. Around 10?

 

[Kkuhar]

I guess I'm at my target alk. Around 10?

By the way, you are so very helpful!! Thank you!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

OK, then dose (both equally) when it drops to ~ 9.5 dKH or lower.

Any smaller of a drop will not be properly detected by most kits.

You're welcome.

 

[Kkuhar]

Perfect!! Will do! Last question, I promise. I've been testing alk and calcium using hannah checkers. I also have nitrate one and ph meter but not hannah. I also check salinity. Should I be testing magnesium? And how often do you recommend my checking ph? Ok, sorry! That was more than 1 question.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

This forum is mainly for questions, so fire away.

Magnesium depletes very slow, and may never get below reasonable levels. You are more likely to get an inaccurate reading than to detect a true problem until the tank has aged a lot more and is using a lot of alk and calcium each day. If you continue to use ESV B-ionic, I'd not bother to measure magnesium at all.

pH is also a second order test. No need to rush it, and many never measure it.