ESV-B

[jasonrusso]

Bought this for the first time. Yes, I know I have to add RODI, lol.

Is it normal for them to be different amounts? Also, it's pretty cold here. The ALK might have frozen. There seems to be chunks in it. Is that normal? Will it dissolve after I add the water? Is it OK?

What's in the Alk other than alk? I run a Sulfur denitrator on my fowler, so I only dose alk in that tank. Can I buy JUST the part 1?

 

[rkpetersen]

Yes that's exactly what it looks like when you receive a bottle in the winter. It's to save shipping weight. In the summer, it's generally not such a hard lump. The precipitated state of the carbonate needs to be redissolved. There are instructions on the bottle for how to do so. Basically, it amounts to 'fill it, warm it up and shake it until all the solids are gone.'

The different fluid levels don't matter. You have to bring each of them up to the same level near the top before use anyway.

In this particular two-part, most of the critical trace elements are included with the Calcium component. The Alk component contains borate and iodine, and a couple of others probably not critical either way. Unlike with some products, ESV puts ingredients on the label.

I don't get what you mean in that last paragraph. How does your denitrator relate to your use of two-part? (I don't know much about sulfur denitrators.) But to answer the question, yes you can buy each component of B Ionic separately, from Marine Depot, probably other places as well.

 

[X-37B]

You fill both to the top with di.
It takes longer in the winter to dissolve.
I set mine in a bucket of hot water as it helps.
It took couple of weeks for the alk to disolve at room temp.
Go to the esv website to find out whats in it.

 

[jasonrusso]

Yes that's exactly what it looks like when you receive a bottle in the winter. It's to save shipping weight. In the summer, it's generally not such a hard lump. The precipitated state of the carbonate needs to be redissolved. There are instructions on the bottle for how to do so. Basically, it amounts to 'fill it, warm it up and shake it until all the solids are gone.'

The different fluid levels don't matter. You have to bring each of them up to the same level near the top before use anyway.

In this particular two-part, most of the critical trace elements are included with the Calcium component. The Alk component contains borate and iodine, and a couple of others probably not critical either way. Unlike with some products, ESV puts ingredients on the label.

I don't get what you mean in that last paragraph. How does your denitrator relate to your use of two-part? (I don't know much about sulfur denitrators.) But to answer the question, yes you can buy each component of B Ionic separately, from Marine Depot, probably other places as well.

Thanks for the reply. I dose iodine anyway so maybe the part 1 will help that as well.

What I mean by "can I buy 1 part," is I dose both in my reef tank (Reef Fusion right now), and only alk in my fowler. I use 2x as much alk as calcium so I don't want to have to order both parts every time. I want to order only alk.

 

[rkpetersen]

Thanks for the reply. I dose iodine anyway so maybe the part 1 will help that as well.

What I mean by "can I buy 1 part," is I dose both in my reef tank (Reef Fusion right now), and only alk in my fowler. I use 2x as much alk as calcium so I don't want to have to order both parts every time. I want to order only alk.

Oh I understand. Yes, I've been there as well. I'm glad Marine Depot sells individual bottles.
I started with Reef Fusion. But I found that as my required use increased, the potassium levels got too high. Well over 500. Wasn't properly balanced. Switched to ESV and all parameters stay at the right levels even with increased use.

 

[malacoda]

ESV-B is meant to be dosed together in equal parts. NOT separately, just one part, or more of one and less of the other.

A lot of people assume that because it's in two bottles, it can be dosed in unequal amounts. But that's not the way it works.

Dosing more of one than the other temporarily to get back to your target levels is okay. BUT, dosing uneven amounts for ongoing or extended lengths of time will throw off the ionic balance that it was specifically created to provide.

Bob Stark, the owner of ESV, has mentioned it in responses to threads on forums from time to time. And I even contacted him by email once a few years ago to confirm it.

You'll find more info on this on the FAQ page on ESV's website.

If you have questions about the possibility of using only the alk on a FOWLR, I would call or email him directly via the contact info on the ESV website.

Bob's a great guy and very willing to answer any questions or help.

 

[jasonrusso]

Oh I understand. Yes, I've been there as well. I'm glad Marine Depot sells individual bottles.
I started with Reef Fusion. But I found that as my required use increased, the potassium levels got too high. Well over 500. Wasn't properly balanced. Switched to ESV and all parameters stay at the right levels even with increased use.

I just filled the bottles up. I didn't read the label close enough, it says it could take up to 72 hours for the Alk to dissolve, lol. It's a solid frozen block and it's been in my basement for 5 hours! Good thing I don't need it right away!

 

[rkpetersen]

I just filled the bottles up. I didn't read the label close enough, it says it could take up to 72 hours for the Alk to dissolve, lol. It's a solid frozen block and it's been in my basement for 5 hours! Good thing I don't need it right away!

I order 4 gallons of each at a time, mix them up and let them sit for a month or two.
If you need it dissolved fast, fill your sink with hot water, put the bottle in there for a while, and shake it a few times. It'll dissolve.

 

[Dr. Jim]

ESV-B is meant to be dosed together in equal parts. NOT separately, just one part, or more of one and less of the other.

A lot of people assume that because it's in two bottles, it can be dosed in unequal amounts. But that's not the way it works.

Dosing more of one than the other temporarily to get back to your target levels is okay. BUT, dosing uneven amounts for ongoing or extended lengths of time will throw off the ionic balance that it was specifically created to provide.

Bob Stark, the owner of ESV, has mentioned it in responses to threads on forums from time to time. And I even contacted him by email once a few years ago to confirm it.

You'll find more info on this on the FAQ page on ESV's website.

If you have questions about the possibility of using only the alk on a FOWLR, I would call or email him directly via the contact info on the ESV website.

Bob's a great guy and very willing to answer any questions or help.

Here is the answer Bob gave me when I asked him about using unequal parts of the two components:

"Ideally the volume of addition for B-Ionic Ca Buffer should be equal with both parts, but in practical terms it's OK to vary the dosage occasionally because the amount of balanced residual elements going in with each dose of two part is so low on a percentage basis to the concentration of those elements in the tank water, that any temporary alteration in the two component dosage would have an insignificant effect on the overall ionic balance."

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Thanks for the reply. I dose iodine anyway so maybe the part 1 will help that as well.

What I mean by "can I buy 1 part," is I dose both in my reef tank (Reef Fusion right now), and only alk in my fowler. I use 2x as much alk as calcium so I don't want to have to order both parts every time. I want to order only alk.

It won't.

Two parts and Balling Part C and not to be viewed as supplementing these other ions. They contain them so the method itself (that raises salinity) does not lower them when the salinity rise is corrected.

 

[jasonrusso]

I order 4 gallons of each at a time, mix them up and let them sit for a month or two.
If you need it dissolved fast, fill your sink with hot water, put the bottle in there for a while, and shake it a few times. It'll dissolve.

I've had it on my counter shaking it a few times a day. It is finally dissolved!! 5 days, haha. I'll have to factor that into when I buy it.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I've had it on my counter shaking it a few times a day. It is finally dissolved!! 5 days, haha. I'll have to factor that into when I buy it.

It will likely dissolve easier if you dilute it more.

 

[jasonrusso]

It will likely dissolve easier if you dilute it more.

I can only dilute it as much as the bottle volume. It was frozen solid when I got it.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I can only dilute it as much as the bottle volume. It was frozen solid when I got it.

You can dilute it more by pouring off the liquid, and add fresh water to dissolve the remaining solids.