B-Ionic 2 Part

jason7570 · Jul 27, 2018

Question fellow reefers..... so, it seems like every time I use a new jug of b-ionic my alk fluctuates. I ordered another 2 part and decided to test the new alk jug with the half full “older” jug. I used exactly 30ml of aquarium water (alk 8.0) with one drop of b-ionic diluted ( as per instructions) and tested with my Hanna...
New jug went up to 16.8 per test
“Old jug” went up to 11.4 per test
I’m guessing this is a huge difference as it’s only one drop. My system uses 1.5 dkh per 24 hours so tuning(doser) is beginning to be a pain.
My question is, how do people dose correctly if the solutions are all different?

Martin Kuhn · Jul 28, 2018

This difference is extremely high and can‘t just be scattering of 2 lots/bottles of B-ionic.

What about a blind test?
Take 6 glasses with 30 ml Salt water. Write a number to each on the bottom where you can’t see. Change order of the glasses.
Drop in 3 times from jug 1 then 3 times from jug 2, writing yourself a note which glasses you used for jug 1, which for jug 2. change order of glasses again.
Mix order of glasses again then measure all 6 glasses.

Look at your results. 3 times nearly identical results for jug 1 and the same for jug 2 with other average value than for the measurements of jug 1?
Challenge ESV!
If not .... you shouldn’t trust this measurement

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jul 28, 2018

I suspect the drop size variability may be the issue, assuming there was no undissolved solids in the B-ionic when you mixed it. I do not think that the B-ionic varies by more than a few percent if you make it exactly per instructions and do not have undissolved solids in the starting concentrate.

jason7570 · Jul 28, 2018

Yeah, the new jugs have been mixed for about 6 weeks or so. I usually keep extras on hand. I’ll try testing the six samples and see where that takes us....
Thanks for the info.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jul 29, 2018

You're welcome.

Happy Reefing.

jason7570 · Aug 13, 2018

Martin Kuhn said:
This difference is extremely high and can‘t just be scattering of 2 lots/bottles of B-ionic.

What about a blind test?
Take 6 glasses with 30 ml Salt water. Write a number to each on the bottom where you can’t see. Change order of the glasses.
Drop in 3 times from jug 1 then 3 times from jug 2, writing yourself a note which glasses you used for jug 1, which for jug 2. change order of glasses again.
Mix order of glasses again then measure all 6 glasses.

Look at your results. 3 times nearly identical results for jug 1 and the same for jug 2 with other average value than for the measurements of jug 1?
Challenge ESV!
If not .... you shouldn’t trust this measurement

Thanks for the suggestion, I tried this method and everything was pretty much spot on. Instead of 30 ml I used 90 ml and tested 6 cups...so I’m sure the drop size was the issue..

pecan2phat · Aug 13, 2018

I also find the "fill mark" with these jugs so subjective.
They should either have a scored line on the plastic jug itself or at least give the amount of water in oz also.