BRS 2 Part

Mr. Roboto · Jun 22, 2018

I haven't dosed anything in a long time as I have been out of the hobby for years but, I started my 250 back up and am trying to get the levels back up to speed.

I purchased the starter kit from BRS to just get everything back in line but the calculator is confusing me or just sounds off so I wanted to ask first before dosing.

They have me dosing 54 ounces of their calcium part to raise it 50ppm in 310 total gallons
They also have me dosing 169 ounces of their magnesium solution to raise it 200pmm in the same volume.

I don't even know if I can trust the alk part as it has me dosing 4 ounces to raise the tank by .5ppm.

I am confusing myself I guess.

Thanks
Robert

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jun 22, 2018

reefmann said:
They have me dosing 54 ounces of their calcium part to raise it 50ppm in 310 total gallons
They also have me dosing 169 ounces of their magnesium solution to raise it 200pmm in the same volume.

I don't even know if I can trust the alk part as it has me dosing 4 ounces to raise the tank by .5ppm.

I am confusing myself I guess.

Thanks
Robert

Those numbers are all correct for my DIY #1 recipe (which BRS uses), except the 0.5 ppm alk. presumaably you mean 0.5 dKH, for which it is correct.

That said, I strongly doubt if you need to boost magnesium that much. What level do you think it is, measured how, and what salt mix are you using? Ever use that kit on your new salt water? What salinity?

chipmunkofdoom2 · Jun 22, 2018

The measurements you gave are in fluid ounces correct? You're talking about dosing the liquid additives, not the dry powder?

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jun 22, 2018

chipmunkofdoom2 said:
The measurements you gave are in fluid ounces correct? You're talking about dosing the liquid additives, not the dry powder?

lol I forgot to check that.

Mr. Roboto · Jun 22, 2018

chipmunkofdoom2 said:
The measurements you gave are in fluid ounces correct? You're talking about dosing the liquid additives, not the dry powder?

Yes, fluid ounces. Their answer was to use the liquid pull down because once I mixed the powder with RODI, I would be dosing the liquid form. Again, maybe I am just over complicating this.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jun 22, 2018

reefmann said:
Yes, fluid ounces. Their answer was to use the liquid pull down because once I mixed the powder with RODI, I would be dosing the liquid form. Again, maybe I am just over complicating this.

I'm not sure on the complicating part, but there are many calculators around to confirm values, and the ones you posted are correct.

I prefer this calculator (since you can compare different products and solids vs liquids, and is known to be accurate), and enter Randy's #1 for your liquid product:

http://reef.diesyst.com/chemcalc/chem_calc3.html

Mr. Roboto · Jun 22, 2018

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
I'm not sure on the complicating part, but there are many calculators around to confirm values, and the ones you posted are correct.

I prefer this calculator (since you can compare different products and solids vs liquids, and is known to be accurate), and enter Randy's #1 for your liquid product:

http://reef.diesyst.com/chemcalc/chem_calc3.html

Okay, I have used that calculator in the past but I was following your mix with baking soda, driveway heat and epsom salt years ago. It didnt dawn on me to just plug in your mix part one for their kit.

Thanks!

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jun 22, 2018

You're welcome.

Happy reefing.

Mr. Roboto · Jun 23, 2018

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
Those numbers are all correct for my DIY #1 recipe (which BRS uses), except the 0.5 ppm alk. presumaably you mean 0.5 dKH, for which it is correct.

That said, I strongly doubt if you need to boost magnesium that much. What level do you think it is, measured how, and what salt mix are you using? Ever use that kit on your new salt water? What salinity?

Okay. Something went wrong. I dosed the calcium and am now at 500 up from 320, magnesium is in the 1800s and I only added half of that dose.

I thankfully have been burned on alk before so I know not to over do that so I actually tested while adding it ever so slowly and got it to 8 okay.

I know the other numbers are not all that bad but dang. It seems like half of that dose of both mag and calc would have gotten me to where I needed to be.

I didn’t see your ? Yesterday. It’s 78 @36ppm using RC

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jun 23, 2018

What magnesium kit? The Red Sea causes lots of people issues.

How did you mix up the powder you got from BRS?

Mr. Roboto · Jun 23, 2018

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
What magnesium kit? The Red Sea causes lots of people issues.

How did you mix up the powder you got from BRS?

All of this was the “stater kit” from BRS. Everything was mixed pert their instructions. One bag to one gallon and shaken and all that Jazz. I have used Red Sea almost exclusively and never had an issue. And even still i would think that at least if they were ever off that it would be consistent.

I did the calculators again and they still come out to the same.

These were pre mixed for one gallon. Not even a chance of measuring amounts wrong.

I still don’t get it. 300 gallons +\- (250 with 150 gallons of sump).

I wanted to go from 1200 mag to 1400 and from around 340 calc to 440.

Now I am setting at 1800 mag and 500 calc only dosing half of what was said to use.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jun 23, 2018

The calculations were correct. Maybe you tested before it fully mixed in.

The calcium value is fine, and I expect the magnesium either was not as low as you thought originally (I mentioned that was likely in my second post) or the second measurement is wrong (or both).

Mr. Roboto · Jun 23, 2018

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
The calculations were correct. Maybe you tested before it fully mixed in.

The calcium value is fine, and I expect the magnesium either was not as low as you thought originally (I mentioned that was likely in my second post) or the second measurement is wrong (or both).

I guess anything is possible at this point. I am not messed up about the numbers but I would like to find out what went wrong.

These test were as of this morning and everything was dosed yesterday. It should all be mixed well by now.

There could be something wrong with the numbers before however. I dont know why there would be but I wont ever know that now I guess.

Is there anyway to actually test the mixture to see if it is correct or if the batch mixed wrong?

I am just glad I didnt do either full dose.... Danger avoided.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jun 23, 2018

reefmann said:
I guess anything is possible at this point. I am not messed up about the numbers but I would like to find out what went wrong.

These test were as of this morning and everything was dosed yesterday. It should all be mixed well by now.

There could be something wrong with the numbers before however. I dont know why there would be but I wont ever know that now I guess.

Is there anyway to actually test the mixture to see if it is correct or if the batch mixed wrong?

I am just glad I didnt do either full dose.... Danger avoided.

I think it is very unlikely they provided twice as much or more than they were supposed to, which is all that could yield an extra high reading. You can dilute and test the mixes, but if it is a test kit issue, that may also show high in testing the additive solutions.