Dosing a lot more 1+ than 2+

[kinetic]

EDIT: I mixed up 1+ and 2+. I mean dosing the Alk when I say 1+, and Ca when I say 2+. Oops. Sorry about the confusion

I am testing Alk and Ca every night, at the same time more or less.

I've been using Aquaforest Reef Salt and Components 123+.

I actually never need 3+ because my Reef Salt (all 3 buckets I've had) all mix with 1800ppm Magnesium levels (multiple test kits). So my mag is always super high no matter what.

Instead I have dilluted Reef Minerals into my Component 2+

So far, I'm keeping my Alk at 7.95 dKH and Ca at 450ppm by dosing about twice as much 1+ than the 2+. It's been consistent this way for the last two months. I guess that is good, but wondering if I should be concerned if consumption isn't exactly the same for both 1+, 2+, and reef minerals.

All instructions say dose the same amount, but I'm maintaining levels just right with different dose amounts.

A bit more about my tank:
- 1 year old
- 40 gallons total system
- Mostly anemones (Magnifica, bubbletips)
- 6 pieces of SPS that are all fairly new (some 2 months, some 4 months), encrusting well
- Pretty low nutrient system, almost undetectable NO3 and PO4 because I dose NoPox to outcompete Dinoflagellates (I tried everything, NoPox to build bacteria was the only way that worked, I tried dosing NO3/PO4 directly, big UV, siphoning for months, blackouts, etc).
- Heavy autofeeder, manual spot feeding of Reef Chili at night for SPS, occasional mysis for the anemones.
- AI Hydra 52 HD, running the Radion SPS+ with some modifications, full blast peaks (Saxby style) throughout the day. Magnifica, for example, is getting about 500 PAR halfway. Most SPS is getting 500 - 200 PAR.
- Weekly 5% water changes, dark skimming (trying not to pull too much stuff out), and only running carbon in a small reactor.

Thoughts?

 

[SteveEreef]

I know they saythat you should be dosing equal parts of Alk and Ca, but every tank is different. I dose 60ml of Alk but only 10ml of Ca a week. As long as your numbers are stable and corals and nems are happy I wouldn’t worry about it. Sounds like you have a nice tank.

 

[Perry]

Actually not, in order to achieve balance, all 3 in equal parts. This takes time, but without balling salt, you will not balance. If you have to lessen the dose, do so until all doses equally, then side dose alk. If you can, make your own and use less, or no mg. In ti.e you will balance to a linear dose amongst all 3 components. Cheers

 

[kinetic]

I know they saythat you should be dosing equal parts of Alk and Ca, but every tank is different. I dose 60ml of Alk but only 10ml of Ca a week. As long as your numbers are stable and corals and nems are happy I wouldn’t worry about it. Sounds like you have a nice tank.

Thanks Steve. Yes I'm thinking the same thing. I just hope I'm not overdosing on all the extra bits that 2+ (Alk) comes with. So far everything seems pretty happy, though one of my pc rainbow pieces recently started to fade a bit and showing some skeleton at the tips. Doesn't look like Alk burn. Everything around it seems fine, but I am concerned maybe a trace element is building up. But really, who knows with something as isolated as that...

Actually not, in order to achieve balance, all 3 in equal parts. This takes time, but without balling salt, you will not balance. If you have to lessen the dose, do so until all doses equally, then side dose alk. If you can, make your own and use less, or no mg. In ti.e you will balance to a linear dose amongst all 3 components. Cheers

Hey Perry, yes this seems to be what everyone has been talking about. At some point the tank should run at all doses equally. I find it hard to believe that the amount of Ca/Alk/Mg in each component is perfectly balanced, but maybe it is? It would be hard, but maybe I'll drop my 2+ (alk) dosage down to the same amount as Ca, and then supplement with just pure Alk to otherwise keep the levels up. Everything is on dosing pumps, so it's really easy for what I have, but I don't have an extra head to dose the alk without doing it manually.

I might just risk it and dose unevenly for now?

The Mg is a whole other problem. I have 3 buckets of Reef Salt. Each has tested about 1700 or 1800ppm in Mg. I've used multiple test kits, and they've all exceeded the limits of 1600 or on one kit I can see up to 1800ppm. Aquaforest told me to send samples back. They need something like 900g of each. I have at least that much left in each bucket, just need to find time to send it back to them. I did win a fun photo contest recently and they sent me a tiny bit of the Reef Salt. I'll test this one on a new batch of water next week to see if the Mg levels are lower. At least I'm dosing the Reef Minerals that's diluted in with my 1+.

 

[Perry]

Thanks Steve. Yes I'm thinking the same thing. I just hope I'm not overdosing on all the extra bits that 2+ (Alk) comes with. So far everything seems pretty happy, though one of my pc rainbow pieces recently started to fade a bit and showing some skeleton at the tips. Doesn't look like Alk burn. Everything around it seems fine, but I am concerned maybe a trace element is building up. But really, who knows with something as isolated as that...



Hey Perry, yes this seems to be what everyone has been talking about. At some point the tank should run at all doses equally. I find it hard to believe that the amount of Ca/Alk/Mg in each component is perfectly balanced, but maybe it is? It would be hard, but maybe I'll drop my 2+ (alk) dosage down to the same amount as Ca, and then supplement with just pure Alk to otherwise keep the levels up. Everything is on dosing pumps, so it's really easy for what I have, but I don't have an extra head to dose the alk without doing it manually.

I might just risk it and dose unevenly for now?

The Mg is a whole other problem. I have 3 buckets of Reef Salt. Each has tested about 1700 or 1800ppm in Mg. I've used multiple test kits, and they've all exceeded the limits of 1600 or on one kit I can see up to 1800ppm. Aquaforest told me to send samples back. They need something like 900g of each. I have at least that much left in each bucket, just need to find time to send it back to them. I did win a fun photo contest recently and they sent me a tiny bit of the Reef Salt. I'll test this one on a new batch of water next week to see if the Mg levels are lower. At least I'm dosing the Reef Minerals that's diluted in with my 1+.

Hello,
They do balance, I have a buddy of mine who resisted my help forever with balling, each time I would come to visit his tank, which is amazing btw, I would get on his case, he said the same thing. Remember, if you change dosing from not equal parts, you are now delivering unequal trace amounts, as they too are present in the mix, unless using the DIY balling, Also, you do not want to bypass the use of the Reef Mineral Salt, as it is simply a buffering salt, which is what helps to allow for linear dosing, again, this can take some time, specifically if you are already high on either CA or MG. A week or so ago, my buddy indicated that he was finally dosing linear. That reef of his is receiving 350ml each per day of each component, and he has been balling for about 4 months now. With my old reef, it took me about 3 months or so too. As far as Reef Salt goes, I have used at least 15 boxes of Probiotic, and 15-20 boxes of Reef Salt over nearly 3 years of using AF, I am yet to get that high of a MG result. Are you using RS for MG testing? I would make sure and validate with other test kits. AF test kits are easy and quite accurate. Salifert and Lamotte are my next choices. I usually see 1260 mixing to 33ppt, personally. There could be an old batch out there, should that be the case, maybe a sample can be sent in and double checked. While elevated mag is not harmful, I would not feel comfortable in that range, I shoot for 1280-1320. I would personally match the ca dose and manually add alk, if it was my reef. If you make your own, much easier to get balanced by tweaking the recipe.

 

[kinetic]

Hello,
They do balance, I have a buddy of mine who resisted my help forever with balling, each time I would come to visit his tank, which is amazing btw, I would get on his case, he said the same thing. Remember, if you change dosing from not equal parts, you are now delivering unequal trace amounts, as they too are present in the mix, unless using the DIY balling, Also, you do not want to bypass the use of the Reef Mineral Salt, as it is simply a buffering salt, which is what helps to allow for linear dosing, again, this can take some time, specifically if you are already high on either CA or MG. A week or so ago, my buddy indicated that he was finally dosing linear. That reef of his is receiving 350ml each per day of each component, and he has been balling for about 4 months now. With my old reef, it took me about 3 months or so too. As far as Reef Salt goes, I have used at least 15 boxes of Probiotic, and 15-20 boxes of Reef Salt over nearly 3 years of using AF, I am yet to get that high of a MG result. Are you using RS for MG testing? I would make sure and validate with other test kits. AF test kits are easy and quite accurate. Salifert and Lamotte are my next choices. I usually see 1260 mixing to 33ppt, personally. There could be an old batch out there, should that be the case, maybe a sample can be sent in and double checked. While elevated mag is not harmful, I would not feel comfortable in that range, I shoot for 1280-1320. I would personally match the ca dose and manually add alk, if it was my reef. If you make your own, much easier to get balanced by tweaking the recipe.

Hey Perry,

Yup thanks for the thoughts. I understand the need to do equal dosing for sure. I'll just mix up my own Alk to supplement the offset.

In terms of AF Reef Salt, yes, it's always super high in mg. I've purchased 4 different mg tests, and have had it tested at two local fish stores. All showing just about the same 1700 to 1800ppm from a freshly mixed batch. AF representatives were helpful and said I can send them 900g of each bucket that has the issue, and if they saw the same elevated mg they would send me new buckets. I just haven't had the time to send it over. If they show much lower numbers, then I have no idea what happened to the 6 test kits that were used on this. Also, I tested a bucket of Instant Ocean just for fun, and the levels were much much lower (around 1200 I believe), so the 4 kits I had are capable of showing numbers other than 1700-1800.