ATI Essentials dosing recommendations

[GoVols]

Got some food grade buckets today. Making up a batch of RO/DI. Time to get the party started.

Can you keep your thread going a report back to us with your findings and incite?

Rakie's corals are really awesome but he also knows it's also about nutrients / water changes and lighting too.

 

[jrp1588]

I'll report whatever is worth reporting. Didn't get around to actually getting the dosing online last night. My RO water was absurdly cold, so the powder wasn't wanting to mix. I put it in a warm bath, and it all dissolved just in time for bed.

 

[truepercs]

Over the weekend I made the transition to ATI essentials. 45 gallon+sump I was using B-ionic 2 part at 20ml per day.
I really was concerned about switching over. Started my daily dose at 40ml... Set my doser to dose every hour on a 24 hour cycle. After 2 hours I checked my Alk parameter the value did not change from the original reading prior to the ATI transition. I waited another 4 hours and tested again, still parameters were unchanged (ALK). Waited another 8 hours and checked the same. Then 16 hours and checked... Basically doubling the hours for each next check since the values were where I wanted them. I started early Saturday, on Monday I checked Alk,Calc, and Mag all in my target ranges. I have made slight adjustments of 1 ml I am at 42.00 ml (1,2&3) and all parameters are in check. From reading posts I must have lucked out...
I really expected troubles however it went fairly smooth for me. (I used the 10 liter kit, mixed all in separate 5gal buckets and have 1/2 gallon glass milk jugs for dosing)

Prior to switching over I bought all new hoses for my doser, made sure my doser was calibrated, etc... I even put a small mark on each one of the containers so that I could see if dosing was unequal... four days all is well!

My thought was to focus on ALK & check often, if I seen a slight movement in one direction or the other I could alter the dose settings slightly as my tests indicated. I did not want to wait a day before finding out ALK was really high or really low. Not sure how folks are approaching their switch however this approach worked for me.(yes I lost a bit of sleep however I believe I would have lost more sleep the next day had I woke to dead coral before checking anything)

One other thing, parts 2 and 3 did raise up my calcium and magnesium slightly higher than what they were kept originally however not that much still in my target range.
For simplicity... I am going to try to keep all doses equal unless I see values creeping one way or the other.

I usually check my Alkalinity each day, if things are fine I may let it slip a day.
Right now I am checking ALK each day I get home
I check other parameters once a week (most of the time)

After a month or so I am going to send my water in for a test.

 

[jrp1588]

Alright, we're online, pumps calibrated, programs updated, parameters checked. Hold on to your butts.

 

[jrp1588]

Already running into an issue. Took a peek at things this morning before work. The lines for pump 2 are pulling air somehow, which has resulted in a noticeable difference in how much solution has been dosed. Didn't have time to fix it, so I'll be zip-tieing all the connections when I get home.

 

[Finhead]

Already running into an issue. Took a peek at things this morning before work. The lines for pump 2 are pulling air somehow, which has resulted in a noticeable difference in how much solution has been dosed. Didn't have time to fix it, so I'll be zip-tieing all the connections when I get home.

I ran into exactly this issue when I first set this up. I ran Kalk previously so never had a dosing pump, airline check valves on the output side of the doser heads worked for me.

 

[jrp1588]

It's been an ongoing issue with my setup. I've actually got a check valve on that line. Zip ties fixed it before. I think the barb fitting on my reservoir isn't as big as it should be, so it doesn't get a real tight fit.

 

[Finhead]

It's been an ongoing issue with my setup. I've actually got a check valve on that line. Zip ties fixed it before. I think the barb fitting on my reservoir isn't as big as it should be, so it doesn't get a real tight fit.

I see I replaced the barb fitting off my pump head with the check valves and used the barb to build my dosing containers so everything is snug with silicone line.

 

[Greenstreet.1]

Question for you guys my ATI should be here tomorrow how do you guys breakup the dosing during the day so that 1,2 and 3 don’t get mixed together in the sump ?

 

[jrp1588]

My doser automatically staggers them a bit.

 

[Finhead]

Question for you guys my ATI should be here tomorrow how do you guys breakup the dosing during the day so that 1,2 and 3 don’t get mixed together in the sump ?

I set mine to run #1 every hour, #2 every 30min after #1 and #3 every 15 between. They all drip into my bubble trap section before the return pump so there is constant movement.

 

[Greenstreet.1]

Thank you reefers for the reply’s

 

[jrp1588]

Here's a moderately interesting thing to report. Check my pH graph. It's noticeably less spiky since changing over from the BRS stuff. I guess with the more dilute solution, it takes twice as long to deliver the same amount of alk, so the pH increase is a lot more gradual and doesn't cause a localized spike near my pH probe.

Alk is stable so far.

 

[truepercs]

Question for you guys my ATI should be here tomorrow how do you guys breakup the dosing during the day so that 1,2 and 3 don’t get mixed together in the sump ?

I staggered the dose times 15 minutes apart

Ie... 1-1:15, 2-1:30, 3-1:45

 

[truepercs]

Here's a moderately interesting thing to report. Check my pH graph. It's noticeably less spiky since changing over from the BRS stuff. I guess with the more dilute solution, it takes twice as long to deliver the same amount of alk, so the pH increase is a lot more gradual and doesn't cause a localized spike near my pH probe.

Alk is stable

If adding zip ties were your only issue I say it sounds like your transition was a success.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Here's a moderately interesting thing to report. Check my pH graph. It's noticeably less spiky since changing over from the BRS stuff. I guess with the more dilute solution, it takes twice as long to deliver the same amount of alk, so the pH increase is a lot more gradual and doesn't cause a localized spike near my pH probe.

Alk is stable so far.

Did you post the previous graph somewhere? I'm curious how the daily maximum high and low pH values also responded.

An alternative (or additional) explanation for smaller spikes is that ATI uses a lower pH version of a two part, which is also a reason one would have it be less potent (sodium bicarbonate is less soluble than sodium carbonate) and require dosing more (like ESV B-ionic Original vs ESV B-ionic Bicarbonate, or my Recipe #1 vs Recipe #2).

 

[jrp1588]

Did you post the previous graph somewhere? I'm curious how the daily maximum high and low pH values also responded.

An alternative (or additional) explanation for smaller spikes is that ATI uses a lower pH version of a two part, which is also a reason one would have it be less potent (sodium bicarbonate is less soluble than sodium carbonate) and require dosing more (like ESV B-ionic Original vs ESV B-ionic Bicarbonate, or my Recipe #1 vs Recipe #2).

Check December 19th around the top of the pH curve on. That's when I switched over.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Thanks. I think I'll ask them if the product is primarily bicarbonate (no pH boost)or carbonate (with pH boost) or a mix.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I asked them to comment on the composition in the pH context here:

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/ati-essentials-alkalinity-supplement-ph-effect.345224/

 

[jrp1588]

Cool, I'm subscribed. So far the pH curve is looking pretty consistent with what I had before, just smoother.