dosing help?

[Anthony christian]

Ok I think I am ready to start dosing some cal, alk, mag, I say this cause after a water change they stay optimal for about three days then start to drop from there and I have seen less growth lately also. Corals all look good just no growth. I asking for help cause I have no idea what to use or where to start on the dosing or how much bck in the day I just really did soft corals I have changed it up a bit I am doing mixed reef. My water volume is 260gallons. I will be adding a 220 gallon frag tank to system this summer. as of right now I need to address this issue so any help would be nice.


Here's my parameters
no3 0 ppm
no4 0 ppm
p04 0 ppm
ph 8.0
cal 400 ppm
alk 9 dkh
mag 1100 ppm
amo 0 ppm

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Is the 9 dKH after it has declined, or before?

If the alk is 9 dKH with no dosing, then the values in the water are pretty close to what came with the salt mix, and I'm not sure you need much dosing and I don't think the values are limiting coral growth much.

Before we get into dosing options, what is the salinity? if on the lower side, raising it to 35 ppt (sg = 1.0264) may boost the calcium and magnesium to higher levels.

IMO, the low magnesium is likely either from low salinity, or testing error. I don't think many mixes are that low at 35 ppt, and it didn't get depleted in your tank.

 

[kendavjac]

I personally add Kalk to my top off water. Search the chemistry forum there are hundreds of threads on this. If you do start with Kalk in your topoff water, start slowly. I started with only about 1/4 teaspoon per gallon of top off water. I checked each alk/calcium each week, adjusted with some two part, and then adjusted the amount of kalk in my top off water as necessary.

 

[Anthony christian]

give me about 10 mins Randy ill go test my tank right now I'm doing a water change tonight. I did change my test kits from api to redsea as everyone was saying tht api test are way to inaccurate.

 

[Anthony christian]

po4 0ppm
no3 12ppm
alk 7
cal 410ppm
mag 1560ppm
ph 8
temp 79
sal 33 normally 35 but had a small ato issue but apex caught it shut pumps off.

 

[Anthony christian]

sorry way more then ten mins

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

So the magnesium was a different kit?

At 7 dKH, I'd look to dose some alk to, say 9-10 dKH, and a proportional amount of calcium.

 

[jaws789832]

Just a suggestion so take it for whats it worth because I am going through the same thing right now and really don't know what I am doing. First I tracked my alk consumption in the tank for about a month to see how much it dropped between water changes. Then About a week ago I changed all the filters in my RO/DI to make sure my water was good, then mixed up a fresh batch of salwater (IO Reef Crystals) and tested it for alk, cal and mag. With reef crystals the alk was about 8.4, cal 465, and mag 1300. I then adjusted my alk to match the 8.4 over a months period. Added the same amount of calcium (as I am using BRS 2 part) and for the past week the numbers have been staying dead on. I know that not a long track record as of yet but someone suggested it to me in a thread where I had basically the same question and so far its working great.

 

[Anthony christian]

al those parameters posted in original post was with api test I just bought redsea test today was a lot more money but I feel better accuracy as I seen a difference in numbers between the two right away. the second set of numbers is all redsea results.

 

[Anthony christian]

yea jaws I have been in hobby for 10 years but I always was a lazy reefer and just stuck with whats been easy and not really pushed myself but I have been really challenging myself step it up plus I really like sps lps. So this dosing thing is new to me but I did buy a doser so I'm making the steps to move forward. I have read a lot of Randys articles and really learned a lot from him but some of it is still Greek to me. lol oh well ill get it soon. Randy what should I use for alk and cal any suggestions would be great. I will go to a cal reactor if need be but for now I don't have enough consumption/demand for it I don't believe.

 

[Cory]

Id use limewater its the lazy reefers way. Plus its balanced.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

yea jaws I have been in hobby for 10 years but I always was a lazy reefer and just stuck with whats been easy and not really pushed myself but I have been really challenging myself step it up plus I really like sps lps. So this dosing thing is new to me but I did buy a doser so I'm making the steps to move forward. I have read a lot of Randys articles and really learned a lot from him but some of it is still Greek to me. lol oh well ill get it soon. Randy what should I use for alk and cal any suggestions would be great. I will go to a cal reactor if need be but for now I don't have enough consumption/demand for it I don't believe.

I use limewater (my tank is not an SPS tank), and for an SPS tank, I'd use a two part, with or without limewater, depending on your home CO2/pH situation.

 

[Anthony christian]

Randy could I go ahead and buy a cal reactor and also can I control the cal and alk with a cal reactor

 

[Anthony christian]

Sorry so many questions I'm just looking out to where I'm adding a 240 gallon frag tank.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

With a big frag tank with fast rowing hard corals, a CaCO3/Co2 reactor is a good choice, as is a two part. In either case, but especially the reactor, limewater is also helpful to keep up the pH which may speed growth.

 

[Anthony christian]

Randy can you help me again lol. ok I bought a bubble magus bm-t01 dosing pump it has three dosing pumps so I can dose cal,alk,mg I bought three powders to make stock solutions I was told by the sale associate that calcium chloride anhydrous is for raising my calcium which is true. I get that one. now the second one I have is magnesium chloride hexahydrate the sale associate says raises magnesium is this true? The third one is magnesium sulfate heptahydrate the sales accociate says it raises alkalinity but the container says it raises magnesium did they sell me the wrong base to mke the stock solution for alkalinity?

 

[Anthony christian]

ok never mind I found it on the containers it takes both the magnesium chloride and the magnesium sulfate to make an ion balance stock solution. They did not sell me a alkalinity base to make a stock solution so ill have to go back tomorrow to get it.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

ok never mind I found it on the containers it takes both the magnesium chloride and the magnesium sulfate to make an ion balance stock solution. They did not sell me a alkalinity base to make a stock solution so ill have to go back tomorrow to get it.

Let us know if you have any issues when you get that one. You can also use bakign soda, which might be cheaper and works fine. Bake it first if you also want a pH boost.

 

[Anthony christian]

I need a ph boost my ph stays a little low about 8.0 the alk powder cost 20.00 for 5lbs makes 3 gallons this brand I'm using is aqua life id like to find a cheaper way to make cal,all,mag but I'm just starting this dosing my parameters are great now finally where I want them

Po4 .002
No4 1.0
Cal 465
Alk 10
Mag 1400
Sal 1.025
Temp 77

I am super excited got alot of growth happening really enjoy the chemistry part of the hobby.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I need a ph boost my ph stays a little low about 8.0 the alk powder cost 20.00 for 5lbs makes 3 gallons this brand I'm using is aqua life id like to find a cheaper way to make cal,all,mag but I'm just starting this dosing my parameters are great now finally where I want them

Po4 .002
No4 1.0
Cal 465
Alk 10
Mag 1400
Sal 1.025
Temp 77

I am super excited got alot of growth happening really enjoy the chemistry part of the hobby.

For low cost options, baking soda (baked before use) is probably among the best for alkalinity with a pH boost.