Dialing in dose

[ken77]

On 3- 1 i added a doser to my 150 gallon tank and started trying get my dose right. My tank a mixed reef but it is more sps. I do have some large sps colonies. I would my tank is in the high demand or the top of the med. I started at 150 ml per day. Here are my results for the last 13 days.
3- 1 6.72
3- 2 7.06
3- 3 6.05
3- 4 6.55
3- 5 6.27
3- 6 5.99
3- 7 5.54
3- 8 5.99
3- 9 6.33
3- 10 6.27
3- 11 6.78
3- 12 6.94
3- 13 7.73
I am up to dosing 190 mls a day. I raised it to that on March 7. Have not incresed the dose since then. I have never raised the dose more than 10mls a day. As you can see my alk seems to be jumping around. I have used a graduated cylinder and calibrated and test my dosing pump it is spot on. From 3-9 to 3- 12. I thought i was getting close. I am at a lose to explain the jump to 7.73 today. I am using a hana checker. Any suggestions? I didnt think it was supposed to be this hard to dial in.

 

[bhuyett]

Are you checking at the same time every day? The other thing is have you checked your mag to make sure it is in line?

What salt are you using and what Alk level are you trying to achieve? Where are you leveling off for your Calcium as well?

 

[Anirban]

On 3- 1 i added a doser to my 150 gallon tank and started trying get my dose right. My tank a mixed reef but it is more sps. I do have some large sps colonies. I would my tank is in the high demand or the top of the med. I started at 150 ml per day. Here are my results for the last 13 days.
3- 1 6.72
3- 2 7.06
3- 3 6.05
3- 4 6.55
3- 5 6.27
3- 6 5.99
3- 7 5.54
3- 8 5.99
3- 9 6.33
3- 10 6.27
3- 11 6.78
3- 12 6.94
3- 13 7.73
I am up to dosing 190 mls a day. I raised it to that on March 7. Have not incresed the dose since then. I have never raised the dose more than 10mls a day. As you can see my alk seems to be jumping around. I have used a graduated cylinder and calibrated and test my dosing pump it is spot on. From 3-9 to 3- 12. I thought i was getting close. I am at a lose to explain the jump to 7.73 today. I am using a hana checker. Any suggestions? I didnt think it was supposed to be this hard to dial in.

You posted this in Aquaforest user forum So I think you are using Aquaforest products. What are you dosing? We will need a full detail of tank parameters and everything you are dosing currently of the product line before we start.

 

[Aquaforest]

Please, share with us more details about your tank.
Did you dose the same amount - 190ml daily everyday - from 1 to 13?

 

[ken77]

I am dosing the af 1,2,3 i mixed it myself using the posted recipe. I increased the dose from 150 ml on 3- 1 to 190ml on 3- 9. I never increased the dose by more than 10 mls per day. My doser divides the dose evenly dosing 8 times in a 24 hr period. I am using aqua forest reef salt. 10 percent weekly water change. I have 1200ml of life bio fil in a reactor. I have phosphate -, af carbon, and 500ml of zeomix layered in a second reactor. I dose 5 drops of pro bio S and np pro nightly. I aways check my alk at 8pm nightly. I havent tried adjusting ca or mg. I have dosed all three parts equally.

 

[ken77]

I am getting very frustrated trying get dose right. Here is my alk measurements since I made the post above.
3- 14. = 7.34
3- 15 = 7.39
3- 16 = 7.62
3- 17. = 8.29
I am really puzzled. I actually turn the dose down 4mls yesterday because I thought I was getting close to 7.0 which is my goal. I am puzzled as to why it suddenly jumped. I did adjust all three doses down not just alk.

 

[Anirban]

Where are your Ca and Mg sitting currently?

 

[ken77]

Calcium is 375 and Mg appears to be over 1500. My test kit only goes to 1500.

 

[Anirban]

Bring up the Ca to 420 range and try to maintain it there.

 

[ken77]

I have some aquaforest Ca plus. I will try to raise it in the morning. Is there an online calculator for how much to add?

 

[Anirban]

10 ml of it increases 10ppm in 27 US gal. Do not dose more than 20 ml in 27 Gal per day.

 

[mclark452]

Watch your alk carefully, as raising your Ca dramatically will cause your alk to drop somewhat and you are already playing around in the low end......with dosing, you need to get all your levels where you want them with adjustments before you try to maintain them with daily dosing.

 

[ken77]

I will thanks. I am trying to keep my alk at or slightly above 7 however. I think that is what Aniran was saying that my lower ca was forcing my alk to go higher.

 

[Anirban]

I will thanks. I am trying to keep my alk at or slightly above 7 however. I think that is what Aniran was saying that my lower ca was forcing my alk to go higher.

Yup you got it right. I will suggest dose exact same amount of component you are dosing currently. In addition add 50ml of Ca Plus after dosing them. Also take Alk reading before addition of Ca plus and take after 24 hours. The Alk will go down for sure but you need to know how much.

 

[ken77]

I had already already added the Ca plus to my tank this morning before you posted this message. I added 55 ml of Ca plus and tested my Ca an hour latter. Ca went up from 375 to 390. I also did my 10% water change which was 15 gallons. I have my dosing setup to dose over a 24 hr period. I can turn it off if need be.I have been checking my alk at the same time each night so i didnt think to check it this morning. I am going to check my alk in 10 min. Then I will add 50 ml of Ca plus and recheck the alk after 24 hrs. The 55ml and the 50 ml I am going to dose tonight is still less than 20ml per 27 gallons.

 

[Anirban]

I had already already added the Ca plus to my tank this morning before you posted this message. I added 55 ml of Ca plus and tested my Ca an hour latter. Ca went up from 375 to 390. I also did my 10% water change which was 15 gallons. I have my dosing setup to dose over a 24 hr period. I can turn it off if need be.I have been checking my alk at the same time each night so i didnt think to check it this morning. I am going to check my alk in 10 min. Then I will add 50 ml of Ca plus and recheck the alk after 24 hrs. The 55ml and the 50 ml I am going to dose tonight is still less than 20ml per 27 gallons.

Keep me posted with this...

 

[ken77]

I will. I just checked my alk it is now 8.64. Hopefully it will go down after I add the Ca tonight. I will recheck in 24 hours like you suggested. Thanks for all your help.

 

[ken77]

Ok so after doing as we discussed last night. I just checked my alk and it has risen to 8.79. Should i turn down my dose or turn off the doser. It is dosing 184 ml divided between 8 evenly spaced doses in a 24 hr period

 

[Anirban]

Dont do anything....just sit and wait another 24 hours

 

[ken77]

Ok here is my results after kind of waiting 24 hours. I had lowered the dose by 12mls an hour before you posted last night. I was worried about some of my sps reacting to the alk being above 7,5 for several days. My alk is 8.85. Ca is 390. I did not add any Ca plus last night. I will wait till you hear from you.