Jeff Jarry reef
Valuable Member
Alk will cause sand to get hard. It happen to me too like concrete. yes sir
Two Part Dosing Seems High
- Thread starter cmcimino
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Jeff Jarry reef
Valuable Member
Your ALK will probably drop first. When it starts dropping dosing ALK just recommend dose until Cal levels out and mag will fall into place. Then you should be able to figure correct amount. I know every tank is different.
X-37B
Fight The Good Fight
I dose esv 2 part on my 120 thats 3 months old started at 5ml each a day and am now at 17.5 a day to maintain a KH of 8-8.5.
Currently dose by hand in the morning once a day.
I would remove the sand if possible as it will be one mass shortly. You can always add new when you get it under control.
Coastie Reefer
Valuable Member
Ok, I don't see where anyone asked or if you mentioned it... are you using Bicarb or Soda Ash? I dose 100ml per day in my 75 with Soda Ash, If I were to use bicarbonate it would be more like 190-200.
So the BRS product you are using will make a huge difference!
So the BRS product you are using will make a huge difference!
Crabs McJones
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I'm dosing close to 120ml a day on my 75. 95 gallons total water volume. If your ph stays high (mines usually between 8.3 and 8.5) high consumption isnt abnormal
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cmcimino
Active Member
I'm dosing the soda ash. I have been slack on water changes lately so I am thinking this may contribute to my issue maybe? It's been about 5 weeks since I have done one. It also looks like my salinity may be a little high too, around 1.027 s.g.. Would this contribute to higher alk/calc consumption?
It just seems odd to me that my calcium also drops fast as well. I can barely hold it above 370 ppm without having to do supplemental dosing.
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cmcimino
Active Member
This is great! Also seems to be the general consensus in the thread, thanks for showing me this.
Coastie Reefer
Valuable Member
Higher salinity won't do anything as for as consumption, so that's not an issue.
Lets get some basic info:
1. What are you using to control the pumps?
2. Are you sure you're mixing the solutions according to the instructions? (personal experience on this one)
3. What test kits are you using, are they expired, are you confident you're testing correctly?
My suggestion is to stay at the reduced dose of 90ml per day as you have it set to now. Test Alk and Cal and Mag for a baseline. Test Alk and Cal everyday for a week to see what your actual daily consumption is, then adjust your dose up or down as needed.
If you Cal and Mag are low you can do one time corrections to get them to the levels you want them to... this will not hurt like a big jump in alk would. I might split the overall correction dose over a couple days depending on how much you need to adjust. I try not to bump Cal up more than 50 in a day and Mag no more than 100 in a day.
EDIT:
Here's a link to my favorite dosing calculator. Randy's recipe 1 is what you need to use for Soda Ash.
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cmcimino
Active Member
1. I am using my apex to control my dosing pumps. Currently using the OSC command.
Alkalinity Dosing Pump
Fallback OFF
OSC 000:00/003:57/056:03 Then ON
If Time 23:00 to 10:59 Then OFF
If pH > 8.60 Then OFF
Calcium Dosing Pump
Fallback OFF
OSC 030:00/003:57/026:03 Then ON
If Time 11:00 to 22:59 Then OFF
If pH > 8.60 Then OFF
2. I think I am. I fill up the gallon container with the soda ash/calcium. Add RODI water, and shake until completely dissolved. I shake it any time I go to fill up my dosing containers.
3. I am using the Hanna Alk checker. Reagents have a 2021 expiration. I use Salifert for calcium. It's only about three months old, not sure of the expiration date, but it's not expired.
Doing a water change tomorrow after my water mixes for 24 hours.
I will continue to test daily at the same time. I log all my measurements in my apex so I can export the graph and post it on here along with any adjustments I made.
This seems incredibly high- are you dosing the pumps in sequence with one another? if you are, you are precipitating out the solution. check the tank and sump for build up - and maybe the sand bed.
maybe pictures of the colonies will give us a better idea.
maybe pictures of the colonies will give us a better idea.
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cmcimino
Active Member
Pumps run 15 min apart from each other. As of now I cut the dosing back to 1 ml/gal and The alk has risen slightly. I am going to assume that I was over dosing as described in the BRS video, and what everyone else was saying. I will keep measuring over the next couple of days and update.
What are your magnesium and nitrates like? What sort of variability are you experiencing? I would start testing twice a day a few hours apart. Both can have an effect on the alkalinity present in the water (make sure you test same time of day!)
Also: let’s spread out when your dosers come on. Set your alk dosers to dose at night and calc during the day. Move them outside of your return chamber into a more turbulent area and set up a power head under the lines.
Can you give us an idea of how large your colonies are and what kind of growth you’ve experienced?
Edit: noticed your apex commands for dosing just now. My bad.
Also: let’s spread out when your dosers come on. Set your alk dosers to dose at night and calc during the day. Move them outside of your return chamber into a more turbulent area and set up a power head under the lines.
Can you give us an idea of how large your colonies are and what kind of growth you’ve experienced?
Edit: noticed your apex commands for dosing just now. My bad.
Last edited:
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cmcimino
Active Member
I have been trying to test my water during lunch around 12:30 every day and then in the evening around 10:00 pm. Alkalinity was at 7.45 dkh (after 20 gallon water change) last night at 10 pm. Tested it today 12:00 pm and it’s at 6.72 dkh. There is no reason my alkalinity should drop that much over night. My nitrates are below 1 ppm, not reading on the salifert test kit. Magnesium is at 1350 ppm. I have tried to get my nitrates up but have struggled to do this. Tank is slightly understocked.
I have two clowns, linespot flasher wrasse, eight line flasher wrasse, and royal flasher wrasse.
Pictures of my coral below. I have experienced more growth lately, but nothing that would be soaking up the amount of 2 part I am putting into my tank.
Silent
2500 Club Member
Corals look nice. The green cap is super bright. I would do another water change (weekly until things changed) and keep dosing small amounts of alk and cal. Have you tested you new saltwater to see what the levels are before being added to the tank?
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cmcimino
Active Member
I didn't on this batch, but I am using Red Sea blue bucket. It's around 8 dkh, and 410 ppm calcium from what I remember. I just mixed another batch today so I will test it tomorrow after it's fully mixed. I make 35 gallons at a time, and keep it on hand. I went on in and invested in a full water changing station a few months back.
