How much balling part C when calcium and alk dosing are unequal?

[Reefer Dan]

I have been using Randy’s formula #1 for alk (soda ash) and BRS (Randys formula #1) for calcium. I calculated that when I am dosing equal parts it should be a 1:1:2 calcium:alk: part c; however, when dosing unequal parts of alk and calcium and/or correcting alk vs calcium, how do I determine how much tropic Marin balling part C to add?

Example: dosing 85 mL calcium to raise 83 gallons 10 ppm, dosing 41.5 mL soda ash to correct alk from 7.3 to 8 (not all at once).

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

There’s no perfect answer, but I go off of whichever you dosed more of.

In reality, it hardly is needed for one time corrections anyway. It’s the day after day dosing that begins to be a issue.

It is unlikely you will need to dose that unbalanced long term.,

 

[Reefer Dan]

There’s no perfect answer, but I go off of whichever you dosed more of.

In reality, it hardly is needed for one time corrections anyway. It’s the day after day dosing that begins to be a issue.

It is unlikely you will need to dose that unbalanced long term.,

Thank you Randy, I was wondering if I was overthinking it. So part c is irrelevant for correction dosing, but more useful for daily dosing/maintenance?

You are correct, it should be short term for me to boost the values I am targeting.

For my further comprehension, will you please explain what you meant by this statement “ It’s the day after day dosing that begins to be a issue.”?

 

[rtparty]

Part C is usually based off your alkalinity dosing

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Thank you Randy, I was wondering if I was overthinking it. So part c is irrelevant for correction dosing, but more useful for daily dosing/maintenance?

You are correct, it should be short term for me to boost the values I am targeting.

For my further comprehension, will you please explain what you meant by this statement “ It’s the day after day dosing that begins to be a issue.”?

I just mean the effect of One daily dose of Balling Part C is very small and nearly insignificant. But that same one daily dose done on 100 days in a row can become quite significant.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Part C is usually based off your alkalinity dosing

That may be the case for what is “usually” done, perhaps because someone told them to, but from a chemical balance perspective I do not think one is better to base it off than the other.