Do you Dose at night?

[rcpalmer1]

I run my lights for 12 hours. I have been dosing once a hour for the hours when my lights are on. I was recently told that I should split my dose into 24 and dose around the clock. Can you share when and how often you dose?

 

[Chiefmaster30]

I started out dosing at night during my peak light schedule especially for alkalinity but now I dose every hour on the hour for Alk and every hour on the 1/2 hour with calcium.

 

[Mikedawg]

I dose for alk and ca every four hours around the clock with a two hour separation between them to minimize any precipitation.

 

[Ditto]

I dose around the clock. Every hour on the hour 3 part with 15 minute intervals between them.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

When to dose depends on what you want to accomplish, and, of course, on what exactly you are dosing.

In terms of high pH alk additives, many folks dose at night to keep the nightly pH minimum from bottoming out as low. They prefer a higher pH minimum.

Some folks dose during the day (or 24/7) when alk demand may be highest. They prefer alk stability.

I would personally dose at least some high pH additive at night if my pH was getting below ph 7.8. If the bottom pH level was above that, I'd either dose 24/7 or during the day.

 

[rcpalmer1]

I am using BRS two part. I was dosing 12ml of alk at 10 after, 12ml cal at 20 after, and 2ml mag at 30 after the hour for the 12 hours the lights were on. I test alk every morning at the same time. It has been stable. A couple days ago I changed to 6ml alk, at 10 after, 6ml cal at 20 after, and 1ml mag at 30 after the hour, 24 hours a day. Yesterday my Alk was 0.1 higher than it had been. Some times I may get a reading 0.1 different and then it will be back to normal the next day due to margin of error. Today it was another 0.2 higher or 0.3 above normal. If it rises again tomorrow it will be a trend and I will need to make a change.

 

[NY_Caveman]

I dose all day. Every 3 hours I alternate between Alkalinity and Calcium

 

[rcpalmer1]

So I tested again this morning. Alk is up another 0.2. Same as yesterday. I am trying to decide if I should lower my dose 1ml hour or keep the dose the same but change back to only dosing while lights are on.

 

[JAMSOURY]

I started dosing at night, then I started splitting up slowly to get more consistency