BRS 2-part vs. ESV B-ionic

Randy Holmes-Farley · Nov 10, 2018

Sea MunnKey said:
For the ESV 4 gallon concentrated bucket ... it's stated with some heat it'll slowly melt the harden calcium hydroxide on the bottom. My lazy method is to grab a clean (the bigger the better) PVC pipe and smash the crunchy calcium hydroxide in up and down movement until they're all dissolved. I've done this numerous times ...

Not sure exactly what you are doing, but there's no calcium hydroxide in it.

Sea MunnKey · Nov 12, 2018

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
Not sure exactly what you are doing, but there's no calcium hydroxide in it.

Randy Holmes-Farley ... thanks for pointing out my typo. Meant as precipitate chemicals

Hitman · Nov 12, 2018

Sea MunnKey said:
Randy Holmes-Farley ... thanks for pointing out my typo. Meant as precipitate chemicals

Bad Sea Munnkey bad!!! Lol

Sea MunnKey · Nov 12, 2018

Hitman said:
Bad Sea Munnkey bad!!! Lol

That's it ... I'm overdue for deep hibernation in the North ...

Hitman · Nov 12, 2018

Sea MunnKey said:
That's it ... I'm overdue for deep hibernation in the North ...

Well don't come to the south to hibernate as it's snowing here! It was 65 yesterday now it's 28. Global Warming my Butt!! Lol

Sea MunnKey · Nov 12, 2018

Oh yeah we're getting the white stuffs tonite ....

User1 · Nov 12, 2018

California burning here

Hitman · Nov 12, 2018

saf1 said:
California burning here

There not a appropriate ( or inappropriate ) emoji I can send you! Lol.
Now I know what it feels like to tease my family that I'm on my back deck it a T-shirt Christmas morning drinking my coffee! No way can this guy drink his coffee outside in this!!! Lol

User1 · Nov 12, 2018

Hitman said:
There not a appropriate ( or inappropriate ) emoji I can send you! Lol.
Now I know what it feels like to tease my family that I'm on my back deck it a T-shirt Christmas morning drinking my coffee! No way can this guy drink his coffee outside in this!!! Lol

It is the thought that counts

Reefahholic · Apr 28, 2019

So did anybody figure out the potency of ESV vs BRS?

I heard 68% and then 44% stronger? Which is it?

I know it’s more potent but it would be nice to have a percentage.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Apr 28, 2019

Reefahholic said:
So did anybody figure out the potency of ESV vs BRS?

I heard 68% and then 44% stronger? Which is it?

I know it’s more potent but it would be nice to have a percentage.

Both numbers are correct when interpreted properly.

My DIY recipe #1 (BRS uses this) is 1,900 meq/L of alkalinity (5,300 dKH).

ESV says the alk part of normal B-ionic is 2800 meq/liter (7840 dKH).

Thus ESV is 47-48% more concentrated and you use 68% as much of it.

ckalupa · Apr 29, 2019

One trick I use on the B- ionic was to actually warm up the RO water before putting it in to the container on my second batch I mixed. Worked on the gallon size. Should work on the 4 gallon containers also.

Reefahholic · May 1, 2019

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
Both numbers are correct when interpreted properly.

My DIY recipe #1 (BRS uses this) is 1,900 meq/L of alkalinity (5,300 dKH).

ESV says the alk part of normal B-ionic is 2800 meq/liter (7840 dKH).

Thus ESV is 47-48% more concentrated and you use 68% as much of it.

Wow, great job Randy! Appreciate your calculations. Always great to have to around.

Reefahholic · May 1, 2019

ckalupa said:
One trick I use on the B- ionic was to actually warm up the RO water before putting it in to the container on my second batch I mixed. Worked on the gallon size. Should work on the 4 gallon containers also.

Update:

I tried to mix the ALK container for about 1 week and it was like a stone rolling around in there. I shook the crap out of it for days and it got smaller and smaller. Finally, after more than a week it dissolved completely. :mad:

Pro tips:

1. Mix way earlier than you expect to use it.
2. Like mentioned above...mix with warm or hot RODI water.
3. Soak the jug in hot water.

Other than that...the ALK is a stubborn jug for sure! ;Bored

pecan2phat · May 2, 2019

Small powerhead with an intake screen like a Maxijet 400 works well for mixing the 4g containers, no heated RO water needed.

Reefahholic · May 3, 2019

pecan2phat said:
Small powerhead with an intake screen like a Maxijet 400 works well for mixing the 4g containers, no heated RO water needed.

You know...I didn’t think to even ask, but I’m assuming that all the supplements are 47-48% more potent. Not just the Alkalinity component right.????

Can anybody confirm for sure that all the bottles...ALK, CAL, & MAG have the same potency?

One last question. The sticker for the Calcium came off the bottle. Do you fill that bottle up to where you would on the ALK bottle to the sticker?

rkpetersen · May 3, 2019

Reefahholic said:
You know...I didn’t think to even ask, but I’m assuming that all the supplements are 47-48% more potent. Not just the Alkalinity component right.????

Can anybody confirm for sure that all the bottles...ALK, CAL, & MAG have the same potency?

One last question. The sticker for the Calcium came off the bottle. Do you fill that bottle up to where you would on the ALK bottle to the sticker?

For each brand, calcium and alkalinity will be balanced between the two components. So whatever dosing change you do for one, do the same for the other.
Magnesium is a separate matter. I've never reviewed the concentration of ESV mag to BRS mag.
I can tell you though that the ESV mag is 36000 ppm concentration, and it's much less concentrated than Brightwell magnesium at 100,000 ppm.

Yes, fill the calcium jugs to the same level as the alk jugs.

Reefahholic · May 3, 2019

rkpetersen said:
For each brand, calcium and alkalinity will be balanced between the two components. So whatever dosing change you do for one, do the same for the other.
Magnesium is a separate matter. I've never reviewed the concentration of ESV mag to BRS mag.
I can tell you though that the ESV mag is 36000 ppm concentration, and it's much less concentrated than Brightwell magnesium at 100,000 ppm.

Yes, fill the calcium jugs to the same level as the alk jugs.

Thanks rkpeterson! Appreciate your knowledge man. Now we need somebody to weigh in on the Magnesium component.

@Randy Holmes-Farley
#ReefSquad

FlyPenFly · May 3, 2019

I guess you could just get bigger containers to hold the dosing fluids?

rkpetersen · May 3, 2019

Well I was curious, so I took a look at BRS magnesium.
The website doesn't actually say what the concentration of their product is, but you can figure it out with their calculator.
If you mix the BRS mag as directed ('liquid magnesium mix'), the resultant concentration of magnesium is 46,980 ppm.
BRS mag is more concentrated than the ESV magnesium which is 36,000 ppm.
So for magnesium only, to dose the same amount, you would use 131% as much ESV as you've been using with the BRS mix.