Best way to dose ca/alk/mg

[Daddio]

What are you doing to dose your tank? I generally test every weekend and add the necessary elements and then test again a couple of days later to make sure I've dosed properly. Seems like I'm never spot on. I have been researching dosing pumps and think that would be so much better than constantly feeling like I'm playing catch up.

Is there a brand of pumps that you would recommend? I don't have a controller but would want pumps that could eventually be used with one at a future date - cashola being the issue now. I don't was to cheap out but cant spend the amount of say a vertex libra doser.

Also, do you mix your own from a powder or use a liquid like b-ionic? What brand and how do you mix?

Just trying to figure out ways to make my tank more consistent and this seems like a great way to start.

 

[redfishbluefish]

I was a manual doser for a good number of years....every day, approximately 40 mls of alk and calc.

The day I switched over to dosing pumps (1.1 mls/min from BRS), my tank settled in and is now growing corals like weeds.

The best thing I've done.


And I use DIY alk and calc...since 2008....and I use Dr. Randy Holmes Farley recipe 1.

 

[Daddio]

Do you have these running on a controller or just on simple timers? I'll read up on the recipe.

 

[redfishbluefish]

Do you have these running on a controller or just on simple timers? I'll read up on the recipe.

I have them running on a controller.......I'm old, and so are my controllers.....I have two Reefkeeper 2's. They are no longer available new, but you usually can find them used for under $100.

The only real difference between the new Reefkeeper or Apex is that this older model in not smart phone compatable.

 

[Daddio]

Cool. I'm looking around at some options. Kind of afraid to put them on cheap timers... Seems kind of scary to me. I do want to eventually get a controller but would like to research and actually see one in use to make sure I don't buy one that limits what I can do or overbuy woof one that does stuff I never would use in a million years!

 

[Daddio]

I have a question... I use Red Sea a b c and like it... Easy for me to use. Anyone use this in a doser? How much do you use per amount of water.?

I was trying to do the math but I ended up smelling wood burning...

 

[mike007]

Stand alone doser with 2 part is the way to go. Mixing your own additives will save you money.

 

[Daddio]

The eshopps doser looks pretty nice but it is pretty new.i like that it is not overkill with just two stations. I check but rarely have to dose mg so I don't mind adding that by hand as needed. If I really get gung-ho and want to dose other supplements, you can add the slave 3 part unit. Eshopps seems like a fairly reputable company and trust they would give good value for the lower price. Anyone have one of these yet?

 

[scoobysnack77]

What are you doing to dose your tank? I generally test every weekend and add the necessary elements and then test again a couple of days later to make sure I've dosed properly. Seems like I'm never spot on. I have been researching dosing pumps and think that would be so much better than constantly feeling like I'm playing catch up.

Is there a brand of pumps that you would recommend? I don't have a controller but would want pumps that could eventually be used with one at a future date - cashola being the issue now. I don't was to cheap out but cant spend the amount of say a vertex libra doser.

Also, do you mix your own from a powder or use a liquid like b-ionic? What brand and how do you mix?

Just trying to figure out ways to make my tank more consistent and this seems like a great way to start.[/QUOTE I started dosing with a bubble magus doser which still works great for me. i started with a couple of ml's of alk and cal once my water changes weren't keeping my levels where i wanted them anymore. i tested every few days, if any levels needed to go up i would add 1ml at a time til it became the desired level over the period of a week or so. i used to dose mag but i stopped because my tank didn't absorb it at a fast rate. so i would test my tank water for mag and if it was low i would then test my water change water to see what it was at and add the mag manually to that. but I'm sure one day when i have a larger than a 75 gallon tank i will have to dose mag. but for now i use that extra pump on my bubble magus to dose amino acids daily

 

[scoobysnack77]

Look into using KALK as well. will save you money on B-ionic or whatever your dosing solution. I use both

 

[Daddio]

Cool, I did dose kalk using a simple IV bag but the buildup is so nasty I'd hate to try and run that through a pump. I have a whole jug of it... Maybe I can give it a try again.

That sound like a plan... Set up a dosing routine and find the sweet spot with small time/rate adjustments.