CALCIUM & ALKALINITY B-IONIC

[Schmitty]

Ok, Im sure this has been covered before but if someone could please simplify for me...

Ive been dosing with B-Ionic 2-part Alk/Cal and Im wondering, HOW DO I RAISE THE CALCIUM WITHOUT EFFECTING THE ALKALINITY? Everything Ive read says you need to add equal doses of Calcium and Alkalinity, so how can one raise without the other being lowered or raised??? Thank you, Im thinking about getting a doser so I can get it going automatically once I get this all dialed in.

 

[Pongo]

I had a similar situation but with the Alk.

First I determined what my daily dosing requirements were to keep things stable.
Then I added extra Alk manually to get the level I wanted and then resumed daily equal dosing and the levels have remained stable.

I use the Apex DOS for daily dosing.

 

[Schmitty]

So it is ok to just add Calcium until the Calcium raises? Right now my calcium is at 320 and the Alkalinity at 9.

How you liking that Apex DOS? Im thinking about getting that, do you need to have the Apex controller for it to work? Its a big investment but seems like a HUGE game changer especially for me when Im travelling.

 

[Pongo]

Yes you do need the Apex to control the DOS.

I had the Apex when I first set up the aquarium. I added the DOS after I decided that I had enough consumption by corals to start dosing. It has worked flawlessly so far (knocks on head).

If you've got the 2016 or later Apex the DOS pumps plug directly into the Energy Bar 832 via a 1Link cable.
I also like the DDR containers with their fluid level sensors. The Apex sends me an alarm when the tanks need topping up.

 

[Schmitty]

Yes you do need the Apex to control the DOS.

I had the Apex when I first set up the aquarium. I added the DOS after I decided that I had enough consumption by corals to start dosing. It has worked flawlessly so far (knocks on head).

If you've got the 2016 or later Apex the DOS pumps plug directly into the Energy Bar 832 via a 1Link cable.
I also like the DDR containers with their fluid level sensors. The Apex sends me an alarm when the tanks need topping up.

Radical, Im thinking about buying this weekend. Do you dose with the B-Ionic or do you use something else?

 

[Pongo]

Yes, I use B-Ionic.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

So it is ok to just add Calcium until the Calcium raises? Right now my calcium is at 320 and the Alkalinity at 9.
.

Yes, for a one time correction, that's what you have to do, or use a pure calcium chloride product.

 

[Schmitty]

I added just calcium from the b-ionic and my calcium stayed the same(360) but the alkalinity went up to 13-Help!!!

 

[Sabellafella]

I added just calcium from the b-ionic and my calcium stayed the same(360) but the alkalinity went up to 13-Help!!!

Did you add both parts or just calcium?

 

[Schmitty]

Did you add both parts or just calcium?

No, I was told to just add calcium. I'm trying to raise my calcium but not alkalinity. Calcium 360 alkalinity 13

 

[Pongo]

I added just calcium from the b-ionic and my calcium stayed the same(360) but the alkalinity went up to 13-Help!!!

I have no idea how that could happen.

You do have a Component 1 bottle and a Component 2 bottle, yes?

 

[USMC 4 LIFE]

That's really weird. I'm tagging along for info.

I manually does B-ionic. 17.5 ml of calcium and 15ml of alkalinity each day. There was a week were all I did was dose CA to raise it to reef standards and it did not affect my KH at all.

 

[1stNoel]

Ok, Im sure this has been covered before but if someone could please simplify for me...

Ive been dosing with B-Ionic 2-part Alk/Cal and Im wondering, HOW DO I RAISE THE CALCIUM WITHOUT EFFECTING THE ALKALINITY? Everything Ive read says you need to add equal doses of Calcium and Alkalinity, so how can one raise without the other being lowered or raised??? Thank you, Im thinking about getting a doser so I can get it going automatically once I get this all dialed in.

I'm no expert, but I use B-Ionic and I had the same concern as you. In the beginning, I made the mistake of adding 1 for 1...and my Alkalinity was always out of whack.

My recommendation is to measure Calcium and Alkalinity, and add only what's needed to maintain your parameters. Once I started doing that, my issues went away.

Over time, and I mean 6 months to a year, it will come to a point where they get consumed at equal-ish levels...but not at first.

That's my take from my experience...FWIW.

 

[Sabellafella]

No, I was told to just add calcium. I'm trying to raise my calcium but not alkalinity. Calcium 360 alkalinity 13

How are you checking salinity, and topping off? Ph buffer?

 

[kazikage42]

I still use bionic 2 part and never experienced that issue. You can always try doing a big water change to try to help balance everything out.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I added just calcium from the b-ionic and my calcium stayed the same(360) but the alkalinity went up to 13-Help!!!

Maybe you mixed them up.

Alk doesn't rise on its own. How much did it go up?

I wouldn't do a water change to fix calcium and alkalinity issues.

 

[Schmitty]

I have no idea how that could happen.

You do have a Component 1 bottle and a Component 2 bottle, yes?

Yes

 

[Schmitty]

Im pretty sure I added Calcium reactor not Alkalinity... Problem now is the Alk is too high and the Cal too low. Would you think I should just add Cal and the Alk will lower or just dont add anything til the Alk drops?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Im pretty sure I added Calcium reactor not Alkalinity... Problem now is the Alk is too high and the Cal too low. Would you think I should just add Cal and the Alk will lower or just dont add anything til the Alk drops?

There's no reason to not boost calcium to your target level, but in case there's a mixup you might put a drop of it directly into a cup of tank water without much mixing and see if it gets cloudy around the drop (the calcium part wont and the alk part will).

 

[Schmitty]

So yeah, it was Calcium I added because it was NOT cloudy... Very strange, right? Wondering what to do. Im worried if I add more Calcium the same thing may happen and spike the alkalinity to another orbit...