The Mediocreef

Mschmidt · Oct 23, 2023

Ok so serious question: setting up my new doser, is it better to have small alk additions (2-3ml) every hour, double the dose at half the frequency, 4x per day? I have the option to dose 24 times a day, but 3ml seems a tedious amount to dose, but that is the most stable method, right?

Calc will be dosed in parity to alk.

Stang67 · Oct 23, 2023

Mschmidt said:
Ok so serious question: setting up my new doser, is it better to have small alk additions (2-3ml) every hour, double the dose at half the frequency, 4x per day? I have the option to dose 24 times a day, but 3ml seems a tedious amount to dose, but that is the most stable method, right?

Calc will be dosed in parity to alk.

I am dosing every 2 hrs. Alk is even ca is odd. Reason is that my doser only allows 12 doses per day. I have no idea if this is the "right" way but it seems to be working for me.

tbrown · Oct 23, 2023

I think for stability purposes, more often is better but the amount you're dosing probably won't affect anything being once or twice daily either.

I have my stuff run 10 times a day with less during lights out just because.

danieyella · Oct 24, 2023

When I had the big tank up I split it into hourly or every 2 hour doses - it's been a bit so I don't recall which

Mschmidt · Oct 24, 2023

looks like it'll be q 1hr. alk on the -:30 and calc on the -:00, cuz that's what the machine started doing and I don't feel like changing that. Mag will come when I need it and I will likely use the fourth and final head for vinegar 2 or 3 times a day.

Mschmidt · Oct 24, 2023

Locked in for a Friday delivery of my contest frag, so I guess I have a deadline for the tinkering I'm doing...

Stang67 · Oct 24, 2023

I get mine tomorrow, still tinkering.

Mschmidt · Oct 24, 2023

Stang67 said:
I get mine tomorrow, still tinkering.

I mean, tbh, I will likely never stop tinkering.

Mschmidt · Oct 27, 2023

Dippy dippy

Stang67 · Oct 27, 2023

I didn't get a chance to dip mine since they came late. I wanted them out of the bags and in the tank asap. Fingers crossed. What do you use for dip?

Mschmidt · Oct 27, 2023

Stang67 said:
I didn't get a chance to dip mine since they came late. I wanted them out of the bags and in the tank asap. Fingers crossed. What do you use for dip?

It's a mix of lugols, restor, and seachem reef dip. Reef dip mostly to get rid of the bottle.

You'll likely be fine without the dip. A couple of bags smelled almost off, but everything looked fine then and now.

Mschmidt · Oct 27, 2023

Mag >1500
Calc 440
Salinity 1.024

Mschmidt · Oct 27, 2023

And at the lfs...

Mschmidt · Oct 28, 2023

Doser is hooked up. Baseline all reading is 187! That's a big jump from yesterday, so I will have to see if it is operator error when I get home from beer.

Mschmidt · Oct 28, 2023

Retest was 183. Cut the dosing in half and will follow for the next few days. Shooting for between 145 and 167.

Projects with Sam · Oct 29, 2023

Mschmidt said:
Doser is hooked up. Baseline all reading is 187! That's a big jump from yesterday, so I will have to see if it is operator error when I get home from beer.

after beer is always the best time to check for operator error.

Mschmidt · Oct 29, 2023

Projects with Sam said:
after beer is always the best time to check for operator error.

Just make sure both hands put both syringes in both reagents and you'll be fine.

Mschmidt · Oct 31, 2023

So doser needs a kick in the pants. It just dumped 3 cups of all mix in 10 ish minutes. Tested, blinking 300ppm, up from 167 yesterday.
20% water change, but with coral pro, so didn't drop much. Making more water, probably another 20% tonight then see what happens. Which was what @F i s h y suggested.

Other option is fill the empty tank I have been meaning to make a frag tank and move what I can catch (coral should be easy). That was the wife's suggestion. She's so smart.

Final option, freek out all night and get no sleep changing water as quickly as it's made. That probably won't happen.

Mschmidt · Nov 1, 2023

4 or 5 changes later and we're down to 16dkh. But wait, "Marshall, what's that motor sound?" She said at 430am. It's the doser. Finishing the job. Turning the channel off wasn't enough, but now the bottle is empty and the pumpkins unplugged. That should do it.

Taking recommendations on a dosing pump. Jebao is getting the boot.