big difference in strength?(b-ionic VS BRS soda ash)

JFrar · Nov 23, 2015

So i have my levels decently managed at dosing 15-18ml b-ionic 2 part daily to achieve my desired levels... been wanting to switch to mixing my own and purchased the gallon jugs of soda ash and calcium(i've yet to need to start the calcium). So if i mix properly and put in the BRS calculator i have a 95 gallon system, desired is 7.5, actual is 6.7( this is an avg reading i get in the morning before dose)... its telling me to dose ~152 ml... as oppose to 15-18 ml of b-ionic ? There is really that big in difference of strength?

If this is the case...is it common practice in our hobby to double the strength of the BRS soda ash(ex. doing 4 cups per gallon rather than 2) ?? I would rather not have a gallon jug by my tank looking ugly and wanted to use a slimmer 32oz bottle..but that would just not last long per batch at that rate using a doser im trying to setup

anyways..thanks for any input

Sabellafella · Nov 23, 2015

Why make the switch? If its cause of funds it almost adds up to the same amount of money spent just a little extra toward bionic

Downbeach · Nov 23, 2015

My calculator shows a dose of 33.9ml for B-Ionic, and 54.2 ml for the BRS soda ash.

Downbeach · Nov 23, 2015

1 gallon of dry Calcium Chloride is $17.09 @ BRS. Using recipe #1 it yields about 7 gallons of solution which works out to $2.44 per gallon.

1 gallon of dry Soda Ash is $17.09 @ BRS. Using recipe #1 it yields about 9 gallons of solution which works out to $1.90 per gallon.

Totalling $ 4.34 for two gallons of solution.

MD has the ESV B-Ionic for $35.99 for two gallons.

The B-Ionic is about 37% more concentrated, so your savings will be about 63% of the difference.

$ 35.00
- 4.34
$ 31.65

$ 31.65 X .63 = $ 19.94 savings.

Sabellafella · Nov 23, 2015

Its different for everyone, when i use any diy formula my whole tank gets crusted and have to clean everything once a month and use about 400 ml on a 200 gallon system, bionic i only am up to 55ml rite now with the same uptake

JFrar · Nov 23, 2015

Downbeach said:
My calculator shows a dose of 33.9ml for B-Ionic, and 54.2 ml for the BRS soda ash.

So maybe during the day/evening im around 7-7.1 ...using BRS calculator it still comes to 75.9 mL

i'm not too worried about the product itself it has great reviews on the website, i just don't like the idea of dosing that much liquid, i'd rather keep it small... and if 15 ml(this is not a concrete number though but it IS what i dose everyday, sometimes +1-3 ml on that so 15-18) of bionic is doing the same as 75.9 ml of soda ash then i would imagine the concentration is more than 37%(but im not debating you either)...

i appreciate the feedback from both of ya... still have the question lingering too about doubling the concentration as advised on the BRS label (2cups : 1 gallon)

Randy Holmes-Farley · Nov 23, 2015

It is not double the dose, but it does take more.

I designed the DIY two part (such as BRS uses) to be a bit more dilute because it is hard enough to get it all dissolved properly even at the concentration it is.

JFrar · Nov 23, 2015

Thanks for reply Randy! I misworded my last sentence, the 2cup:1gallon is how BRS instructs, but i want to do 4cup:1gallon ratio. So if i increase the concentration to a 4cup:1gallon ratio i might have issues with it dissolving completely ?

Randy Holmes-Farley · Nov 23, 2015

Right. I think you'll have a hard time getting it that concentrated. Warming it can help, but 40 deg C is about the max solubility (although the rate of dissolution will be higher all the way to boiling).

But as long as you can dissolve it (and it doesn't precipitate back out later), there's nothing wrong with making it more concentrated.

JFrar · Nov 23, 2015

Thanks for input, i think ill hold off on double concentration...might go up to 125% or something and see how i feel about it.

Downbeach · Nov 24, 2015

Make sure you're changing the scale you use from meg/l to dKH in the drop down menu in the BRS calculator for the "Current Alkalinity Level". Otherwise you're going to get the numbers you have quoted.