anybody use b ionic

[gonewild34]

does any body use this stuff and if so what do you think about it
thankx
dan

 

[swannyson7]

I'm assuming you mean the B Ionic 2 part? It seems to get good reviews because it buffers other trace elements beyond just Ca & Alk. I used it once, but didn't notice any real difference between using that and the stuff from BRS while dosing magnesium.

 

[gonewild34]

yes sorry the 2 part is what i meant i was thinking of going with it and putting it thru an aqua doser but i really dont know anything about it

 

[swannyson7]

What are you currently using for calcium supplementation? Are you switching because you've had problems with the stuff you're using now?

 

[gonewild34]

no im using britewell and its workind great but im goin on vacation in a couple of months so i wanted to use something that i could have pumped into the tank that will be controlled buy a monitor

 

[swannyson7]

Why can't you dose the Brightwells Reefcode with the aquadoser?

 

[gonewild34]

that is what i was going to do but i read up on this b ionic and it has alot more in it like trace elements and ameno acids were the code a and b has just alk mag and cal

 

[swannyson7]

You should be fine with the Brightwells as long as you do a water change before you leave and when you come back. Water cahnges with a good salt will replace lost trace elements so unless you're going on vacation for a month, I wouldn't worry about it. What are you currently dosing beyond the Brightwells for trace elements?

 

[TOMMYSREEF]

i used it its great, but a little pricey, i use BRS stuff now.

 

[gonewild34]

im going for a week and i would do a 15% water change when i leave and come back the problem is my alk goes all over the place so i have to check it every day and add alk 8.3

 

[swannyson7]

Using B Ionic won't help with your alk swings. Sounds like what you need to do is hammer down your dosing schedule for the 2 part. What are your current levels for Ca, Alk, & Mg? How much of a swing are your experiencing in your alkalinity?

 

[gonewild34]

cal is 420 mag is 1350 the alk goes from 8.4 down to 8.0 it may go lower but i catch it before it happens

 

[swannyson7]

How long of a period between the drop from 8.4 to 8.0? Also, what type of test kit are you using and have you verified it against another test kit?

 

[TOMMYSREEF]

i bought a dosing pump and am loving it!

 

[gonewild34]

24 hrs and yea i use salfert test kits i know it right everything in the tank is doing great i am just worried about it when i leave for a week

 

[DrTrey]

the alk goes from 8.4 down to 8.0 it may go lower but i catch it before it happens

Are you referring to KH or pH here when your talking about alk?

 

[swannyson7]

Good question. If you're talking pH, a fluctuation is normal at night. My pH goes from about 8.45 in the afternoon down to 8.2 at night

 

[gonewild34]

kh sorry

 

[gonewild34]

my ph really does move it stays right around 8.3

 

[swannyson7]

I've recently heard a few complaints about the salifert Alk test, so you may want to check it against another test kit, or at least do two tests back to back to see if you're getting different results.

When you dose the Alk portion of the reef code, are you dosing different amounts each day to get to the desired DKH?