Time to start dosing 2 part?

[Scuba Mike]

Hi,

I have an 80 gallon (actual water capacity) tank with softies and LPS. Coraline algae is growing well. The tank is well established on online for over 1 year, started with live rock from 10 year old tank. I have a sump and skimmer and here are my water parameters,

Alk 8.9k - dropping about .1 per day and I want to stay at 9k
Calcium 440 - steady
Mag - 1350 steady
Ph -8.2
Nitrate - 10
Phosphates - .20

I have been using Sodium Bicarb to increase the Alk as I have been measuring consumption. My question is do I start on 2 part even with steady Calc? Or just dose Sodium Bicarb every couple of days? I have the ESV 2 part on hand. No doser yet but I am retired and can dose daily for now. I am managing Phosphates by increase refugium light duration and water changes.

Thanks

Mike

 

[Spare time]

If you do esv, you dose both of the parts evenly (at separate times). Typically if the alk goes down, the calcium will too, but it will only be a small dose at 0.1kH a day. To boost just one of them, you can just dose the one that is needed.

 

[AdamB]

How many lps do you have ? I would dose 2 part every day to keep your parameters consistent. I usually only check my alk as to gauge calcium. . Calcium depletes slower
I would keep an eye on magnesium as well . If your magnesium is low you will have alk swings

 

[Scuba Mike]

How many lps do you have ? I would dose 2 part every day to keep your parameters consistent. I usually only check my alk as to gauge calcium. . Calcium depletes slower
I would keep an eye on magnesium as well . If your magnesium is low you will have alk swings

Just a few LPS, mostly zoas, mushrooms, frogspawn, GSR, Xenia, Sinularia, etc. so sounds like I will need a dosing pump to spread out the dosage over a day?

 

[AdamB]

If you want to keep at 9 I would buy one and save the monotony of hand dosing . You will eventually see alk levels deplete more as time goes on.
I dose 2 part and aminos in my doser and it’s very nice that I don’t have to worry about it when on vacation or gone for a few days .

 

[blasterman]

Alk 8.9k - dropping about .1 per day and I want to stay at 9k
Calcium 440 - steady
Mag - 1350 steady
Ph -8.2
Nitrate - 10
Phosphates - .20

There's your answer. You do not need to dose calc. Your water changes are keeping it steady. By the description of your corals you will never need to dose calcium.

There is no law that calcium and alk get depleted equally nor do you have to dose 1:1. Only if you have a lot of fast growing SPS which doesn't apply. In fact, most mixed tanks like yours steadily deplete alk a bit faster because there's normal tank biology going on that consumes it, but barely move calcium. Any slight calcium uptake gets refreshed by a water change and fresh salt mix. Alk gets depleted faster than a water change can refresh, but that's normal. So, dose sodium bicarb once or twice a week like you've been doing now and enjoy your tank

Magnesium will only deplete if calcium depletes because those two are linked. I would go one step further and throw your calcium and mag test kits in a drawer because you will never need them.

 

[Scuba Mike]

If you want to keep at 9 I would buy one and save the monotony of hand dosing . You will eventually see alk levels deplete more as time goes on.
I dose 2 part and aminos in my doser and it’s very nice that I don’t have to worry about it when on vacation or gone for a few days .

When you say Aminos is that the Red Sea Coral Energy A and B?