Dripping Seachem's Reef Builder too quickly?

skinz78

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I've been dosing Seachem's Reef Builder and I wonder if I'm doing it too quickly? I have a 1g bucket with a 1/4" airline hose coming out of it. I mix in the Reef Builder and let it drip out of the hose into the highest flow area of my sump, and I think I'm seeing precipitation in the DT. Is it possible to dose it too fast? What does everyone else use to dose 2 part out of?
 
I'm not sure what is in Seachem Reef Builder. According to the label it's main purpose is to raise alk but maintain calcium and magnesium? I didn't know such an additive existed. Alk, Calcium and mag would precipitate out of solution in a small container. Kalkwasser is the only additive I know of that can maintain calcium and alk but magnesium will precipitate out of the solution.

I'd be willing to bet that Reef Builder is baking soda with additives like Borate to boost pH and whatever else they add to claim that it also maintains cal and mag. All that dosed into a tank can cause all kinds of imbalance and precipitation problems.

If you're looking to boost alk try regular baking soda or baked baking soda and dose manually or use with a dosing pump and test like crazy until you get it zeroed in. If you're looking to maintain cal and alk try 2 part or kalk. I don't think it's possible to dose all 3; cal, alk and mag with one supplement. You're likely getting precip from whatever is settling out of that product.

Make sure you are checking your alk often when using a product like that or you can get a spike and cause major problems.
 
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I like the Kent doser which has a valve much like a iv bag. Very inexpensive and easy to adjust. I really think you have to figure out how much you need to dose to maintain and then you can adjust drip .
 

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