Very frustrated...please help with dosing calculations...

GREEF stricken · Nov 15, 2015

Ok...I've tried to figure this out using online resources and forum searching but am just very math minded...

Ok, over 4 days I assessed an Alk consumption of .5Dkh/24hrs and Ca consumption of .5 PPM/24hrs.

Usin Randy's calculator for 150g NV and SC Reef Builder I get 8.2g to raise Alk .5dkh. SO....I have DIY 1gal dosing containers attached to my DIY dosing system. How do I calculate how many grams of reef builder into a gallon of water and then how do I calculate how many minutes to run my drip at 2ml/min?

Sorry if this seems simple to most. Thx for the help.

GS

JimWelsh · Nov 15, 2015

Well, first, when I use the Reef Chemistry Calculator, for a 150 gallon tank (which is what I interpret "150g NV" to mean), in order to raise Alkalinity by 0.5 dKh using SeaChem Reef Builder, it takes 8.5 grams, not the 8.2 grams you cite. Still, assuming your 8.2 grams number is correct, then, in order to make a solution of SeaChem Reef Builder at the same concentration as Randy's 2-Part Recipe #1, it would take 580 grams per gallon (this sounds a whole lot like the 594 grams of sodium bicarbonate that goes into Randy's recipe, doesn't it?). In order to dose the equivalent of 8.2 grams per day using this solution at a rate of 2 mL per minute, the pump would have to dose 53.5 mL, or, in other words, it would have to run for 26.75 minutes throughout the day.

EDIT: As Randy will certainly point out, if the product really is sodium bicarbonate, then that much of it will not dissolve into 1 gallon of water at room temperature. Taking this into consideration, you should then strive for Randy's Recipe #2, which is exactly one-half as concentrated. So, use 290 grams per gallon, and dose 107 mL per day by running the pump for 53.5 minutes per day.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Nov 15, 2015

Since the ratio used by corals is approximately 0.5 dKH per 3.3 to 3.5 ppm calcium, I think you'll find the ratio that you've calculated during a short term test won't really end up being appropriate for long term maintenance of calcium and alkalinity.

Why do you want to use Reef Builder? Aside from being expensive (compared to baking soda), it also contains some calcium along with the alkalinity, which can tend to mess up calculations.

GREEF stricken · Nov 15, 2015

I was using the RAndys Recipe that require baking your bicarb for a long time and just got tired of mixing. Totally don't mind going back. Just wanna stop dosing manually. And as for that drip rate I just built a dosing system using a qualifier pumps and in line ball valves. The drip rate can easily be increased. But I would say it's about as slow as I comfortably call accurate. I'm very open to suggestions...just want to get it right so I start keeping some SPS Without them just withering away from my inconsistency. Thanks for patience and efforts guys.

GS

Randy Holmes-Farley · Nov 15, 2015

If you don't want to bake it, use just the raw baking soda, or use sodium carbonate (like BRS sells, or perhaps more cheaply, use washing soda from a grocery store).

If you want to effectively dose more slowly, you can make the solutions more dilute.

GREEF stricken · Nov 15, 2015

I don't mind going back to baking. Was just doing things on my own with no one local to aid me and found sea Chem Reef builder to affordable and convenient but being a DIY guy by nature I ready to go back. Could run my numbers again Randy and give me solution(pun intended) to my problem?? Thx

GS

Randy Holmes-Farley · Nov 15, 2015

The recipes are here. Don't try to make them more concentrated (at least not the alkalinity part).

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/rhf/index.php

and this calculator shows how much volume is needed each day for any given alk or calcium rise you want:

http://reef.diesyst.com/chemcalc/chem_calc3.html