Dosing products for beginners?

[DOJOLOACH]

I've been dosing the bulk reef supply mag, cal, alk. Because I can dose them all separately and they don't have much instruction on timing of dosing, ratios of each supplement etc.

Is there a more expensive but more intuitive product I could use that would reduce the chance of error on my side?

What comes to mind is the red sea alk, cal, mg. Any reviews of that line?

 

[xxkenny90xx]

Any reason you don't use something simple like kalkwasser or all for reef?

 

[DOJOLOACH]

Any reason you don't use something simple like kalkwasser or all for reef?

An aquarist recommended these products to me when I was just starting out. I never gave kalkwasser much thought because from what I understand it has to stay constantly stirred. All for reef ive never heard of. Do you use one of these?

 

[xxkenny90xx]

I use kalkwasser (mrs. Wages pickling lime from Walmart, it's dirt cheap). Some people use kalk stirrers which I guess make the kalk more potent but I never have. Just a few teaspoons in my auto top off and I'm good to go! Super easy

 

[homer1475]

Have you seen the dosing calculators on BRS for how much to dose? Punch in your tank volume(actual water volume, not tank size), what your current parameter is, what you want it to be, and it tells you how much to add.

Don't think there is anything more intuitive then 2 part.

You can BOLUS dose(all at once), or use a dosing pump to add incremental all day every day(best way to do it with any dosing chemical).

Aquarium and Reef Calculators - Bulk Reef Supply

Bulk Reef Supply - Saltwater Aquarium Supplies for Reef Tanks

www.bulkreefsupply.com

Or any reef calculator, I use and prefer this one, just use Randy's DIY 2 part A for the BRS chemicals.

Reef Chemistry Calculator

 

[DOJOLOACH]

Have you seen the dosing calculators on BRS for how much to dose? Punch in your tank volume(actual water volume, not tank size), what your current parameter is, what you want it to be, and it tells you how much to add.

Don't think there is anything more intuitive then 2 part.

You can BOLUS dose(all at once), or use a dosing pump to add incremental all day every day(best way to do it with any dosing chemical).

Doesn't adding calcium and alkalinity at the same time cause precipitation?

Aquarium and Reef Calculators - Bulk Reef Supply

Bulk Reef Supply - Saltwater Aquarium Supplies for Reef Tanks

www.bulkreefsupply.com

Or any reef calculator, I use and prefer this one, just use Randy's DIY 2 part A for the BRS chemicals.

Reef Chemistry Calculator

 

[homer1475]

Your right it does. Thought that was pretty well known?

I meant BOLUS dosing as in adding all the ALK at once, or all the CAL at once, not both at the same time.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I've been dosing the bulk reef supply mag, cal, alk. Because I can dose them all separately and they don't have much instruction on timing of dosing, ratios of each supplement etc.

Is there a more expensive but more intuitive product I could use that would reduce the chance of error on my side?

What comes to mind is the red sea alk, cal, mg. Any reviews of that line?

BRS sells my DIY.

I give detailed instructions (making and using) here:

An Improved Do-it-Yourself Two-Part Calcium and Alkalinity Supplement System by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com

here are the specific dosing instructions:

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/rhf/index.php#15

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Some people use kalk stirrers which I guess make the kalk more potent but I never have.

Not true. Settled limewater can readily be 100% saturated. Do not assume reactors saturate the limewater. They sometimes do not.

 

[xxkenny90xx]

Not true. Settled limewater can readily be 100% saturated. Do not assume reactors saturate the limewater. They sometimes do not.

Interesting, what is the benefit (if any) of a stirrer then?

 

[LeftyReefer]

ATI Essentials Pro or any 2-part product really.

 

[Jeffcb]

Red Sea also has a "My Recipe Wizard" for your size and type of tank.

 

[Everything Aquatics]

I keep kalkwasser in my ato

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Interesting, what is the benefit (if any) of a stirrer then?

IMO, space only. If I had the room (I did), I would always dose from a settled reservoir.

 

[DOJOLOACH]

BRS sells my DIY.

I give detailed instructions (making and using) here:

An Improved Do-it-Yourself Two-Part Calcium and Alkalinity Supplement System by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com

here are the specific dosing instructions:

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/rhf/index.php#15

Any idea on timeframe for alkalinity to be dissolved into the tank? I just added 20ml of alk 3 hours ago, which should have raised it .5dkh. just tested it and only budged .2

 

[DOJOLOACH]

Well, after another dosing mishap with precipitation i purchased a liter of all for reef. I hope it helps me

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Well, after another dosing mishap with precipitation i purchased a liter of all for reef. I hope it helps me

OK, let us know how that goes.

To be fair, I'm not sure how you will know since alkalinity is hard to track with All for Reef.

 

[dwfain]

I've been dosing the bulk reef supply mag, cal, alk. Because I can dose them all separately and they don't have much instruction on timing of dosing, ratios of each supplement etc.

Is there a more expensive but more intuitive product I could use that would reduce the chance of error on my side?

What comes to mind is the red sea alk, cal, mg. Any reviews of that line?

I use Red Sea Coral Pro Salt and then I use their MyRecipe wizard and dose based on that. Really easy for me. https://www.redseafish.com/myrecipe/

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I use Red Sea Coral Pro Salt and then I use their MyRecipe wizard and dose based on that. Really easy for me. https://www.redseafish.com/myrecipe/

I would just note that many of their recipes use much higher alkalinity than most reefers use.

Does not mean it is less desirable, but trying to maintain alkalinity that high will be both more expensive, and risks problems if the nutrients get too low.

 

[design.maddie]

To be fair, I'm not sure how you will know since alkalinity is hard to track with All for Reef.

I just want to have this posted twice. All for Reef was hard to understand what I was doing to the tank. Didn't seem to do as promised or at least no way to test to see if it was.