Dosing NanoTanks
- Thread starter JoeJoe822
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I dose just two parts . I am moving into automated dosing slowly . But I won’t say that you have to have a doser , at least for something like a biocube 29.
Randy Holmes-Farley
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For daily dosing, you dose enough to meet the alkalinity demand.
For a starting dose, you can estimate it, or use a calculator for a one time correction and then see how fast it falls and needs another dose.
Balling is certainly fine, but is not necessarily any better or different than using a good two part, such as B-ionic by ESV (the same primary ingredients are just arranged in different ways for dosing).
When I had my 14g nanocube I dosed esv b-ionic 2 part weekly based on what the levels of alk and cal were when I tested. I did it weekly as I traveled during the week as was only home on the weekend. This worked well with good coral growth. For my current 8g nano I measure alk daily and cal and mag weekly. I use Red Sea foundation alk/cal/mag supplements and add it daily based on the test results. Seems to work well. I have dosers from my fresh water days tht I will use when I go on an extended vacation but I like doing it manually each day if I can
Randy Holmes-Farley
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I dosed some (iron, in particular) and may have benefited from others (e.g., vanadium) since testing suggested they were low.
I have a 13.5g Fluval with about 10g water volume. I only started dosing (B-ionic) after weekly water changes couldn't keep up with demand. At first I had to dose higher Calc than Alk, but now I'm balanced. The most important thing is to get your levels up first and then start dosing. Two-parts only maintain, they don't raise Alk/Calc. Just so you know, I'm doing 3ml of each part of B-ionic daily. I stay at 9dKH and 400ppm.
My advice on anything, is to find a balance and keep it their consistently. If you continue to try and chase a number you will constantly be tweaking and messing with stuff and your corals will get stressed. I could shoot for higher calcium in my tank, but this is where my tank is without forcing it too hard. Nice growth and happy residents.
My advice on anything, is to find a balance and keep it their consistently. If you continue to try and chase a number you will constantly be tweaking and messing with stuff and your corals will get stressed. I could shoot for higher calcium in my tank, but this is where my tank is without forcing it too hard. Nice growth and happy residents.
Randy Holmes-Farley
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Not sure what you mean by that. If you dose more than is being consumed, a two part will raise calcium and alkalinity.
True. But, if you're imbalanced you'll stay imbalanced at higher levels. no?Not sure what you mean by that. If you dose more than is being consumed, a two part will raise calcium and alkalinity.
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Adding both parts equally will raise alk and calcium in a balanced fashion, and if it is unbalanced to start, using both parts equally cannot solve an imbalance. Adding one part alone can solve an imbalance.
bubblemytip
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I have a 24-gallon nano with sps. I use a calcium reactor (TUNZE 3171) and kalkwasser via an iks dosing pump as my main ato, and a pure rodi ato backup in case I have lots of evaporation during summer, to handle the extra evap as the kalk is dosed at a fixed rate. I found my GHL 2.1 dosing pump too noisy for my liking and the maintenance too high (cleaning rollers every week in my case to keep the noise down).
I still use a dosing pump for dosing iron, potassium, magnesium and iodine separately, but those are dosed once a day, not in 150 separate noisy doses, so they are dosed when I am not usually home and the noise is for a few seconds only.
On other my 8-gallon nano, I use diluted kalk in the ato at approx 1tsp per gallon and then dose magnesium manually as required. It is very cheap and easy.
I still use a dosing pump for dosing iron, potassium, magnesium and iodine separately, but those are dosed once a day, not in 150 separate noisy doses, so they are dosed when I am not usually home and the noise is for a few seconds only.
On other my 8-gallon nano, I use diluted kalk in the ato at approx 1tsp per gallon and then dose magnesium manually as required. It is very cheap and easy.
VP616
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What is the tank population like? Is it a heavily dominant SPS system? Mixed reef?
How much does the alk drop daily? Also, what tester are you using to measure alkalinity? Knowing those numbers should provide a relative idea of a starting dose, depending on what brand you use.
B-Ionic ESV 2-part has been a staple dosing system that has a long history of success. Simple. Easy to work with and calculate.
A lot of newer systems are having success with dosing Triton's elements. An all-inclusive dosing system that will handle all the minor and major trace elements, if you will. Having a refugium, ATS, algae reactor, or none of those, will determine if you need to use Triton's "Other Methods" dosing or their "Core7" elements.
Randy Holmes-Farley
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That is normal because there is such a large reservoir of calcium in seawater coupled with relatively inaccurate test kits, it takes much longer to detect the calcium drop even when both are depleted in the expected ratio.
OP
OP
JoeJoe822
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I’ve tested alk 1/12 5.7dkh calcium 432 magnesium 1260
1/13 alk 6.0
1/14 all 6.4
Using Hannah Checker for calcium,alk, and Salifert for magnesium
Im starting B-Ionic tonight compared to the brightwell Alkaline8.3-p powder
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Randy Holmes-Farley
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You can’t judge demand well when you get down into the 6 dKH range because demand drops very fast as alk drops at those levels.
But it looks like you are all set to begin equal parts dosing of B-ionic.
But it looks like you are all set to begin equal parts dosing of B-ionic.
Randy Holmes-Farley
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I’d dose once to your target, then see how much it drops in one day to determine if you need to dose every day, and if do, how much. The drop will likely be faster than what you measured at 6.3 dKH.
