Balling Part C

[robertpdx]

TL;DR: Can I mix up Balling Part C such that it has a 1350 Mg and 400 K when diluting for salinity increases and only use when I dilute the tank (rather than dose it daily)?

I have a 20g nano mixed reef that is about a year old. The frags are becoming small colonies now, along with coralline all over the rock and back of the tank, my alkalinity demand has increased over the past 3-4 months from 0.4 to now about 0.5 dKH per day. I'm using 2-part. Though I only recall having to do a dilution twice so far (maybe 3 times?) to bring salinity down to my target of 1.024, as I increase my Alk/Ca dosing the dilution is expected to be more often. Now I'm considering the addition of Balling Part C.

For example, to bring down the SG from 1.025 to 1.024 I'm replacing 1 gal tank water with 1 gal RODI. Can I just mix up Part C to the target level (assuming 1350 ppm Mg and 400 ppm K based on Tropic Marin's recommendations for where the tank should be) and use that instead of plain RODI, or is there a benefit for dosing tank daily with the 2-part? I'm testing Mg monthly but I don't test for K. I only dose Mg to my saltwater mix prior to a water change to bring it up to 1350 and to make small adjustments to the tank itself based on measurements.

 

[Ron Reefman]

bump

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Why do you want to deviate from the normal way of using it?

I would not base it off Mg or K since those may rise or fall for other reasons.

yes, you can dose it less frequently than some folks suggest, but dose the same amount as suggested.

 

[GoVols]

is there a benefit for dosing tank daily with the 2-part?

If your doing regular water changes, then there should be no need to dose TM part C.
Its main use is to keep your cal and alk ions in-balance longer, in-between longer lengths between water changes.

Yes,
There is a benefit to dose 2 part daily (cal and alk):
To keep your alkalinity nice a stable is way better for your corals, then letting your alk swing down and bumping it back up one or two times a week.

 

[robertpdx]

Thank you for the responses.

My statement was unclear, but I meant to say that I dose Alk/Ca daily, but want to know if there is benefit to dosing Part C daily along with Alk/Ca or if sufficient to dose Part C when I make a dilution. My reasoning for doing it this way is that the salinity increases slowly and I wouldn't have to dose Part C daily. From the response I gather it's more important to dose it daily, maintaining the ionic balance, and allow all elements to increase together.

If your doing regular water changes, then there should be no need to dose TM part C.
I thought Part C is the minor/trace elements (seawater without the sodium chloride, alk and Ca components) that would otherwise eventually deplete through dilution? Or are these already elevated in salt mixes? Mg is low in my current mix TM Classic, but I adjust that up with each weekly 20% water change. I don't know what's going on with everything else yet as I haven't done a full profile by ICP.

 

[robertpdx]

After further research, including a post from Lou Ekus and others by Randy, I have a better understanding of how Part C is to be used, and that if used at all, use it daily with the 2-part.