What is main difference between essential+ and pro?

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Seems like a strange thing to do. Which bottle would the formate be in? The alk or calcium bottle. I guess it explains why pro is higher concentration than most other two part systems. It only takes 7ml to raise 100l 1dkh as opposed to 10ml for plus.

Yes, It is in the alk part to push the alk concentration higher than can be done with the carbonate:bicarbonate alone.

 

[MrStoffel]

I've had problems 2 years ago when starting my sps dominated tank with the essentials pro.
Many other users in my local forums reported the same thing. Very hard to get stable kh when your tank is young and has very fluctuating nutrient levels because of bacterial instability.
In a more nutrient heavy and mature system this seemed to work fine.
I have since switched to inorganic alkalinty additives and my problems were quickly gone.
Took me a good half a year to figure out though, since i (as many) assumed it was just a normal 2 part system.
But Dr Funk did help me very well in the end

 

[The Opinionated Reefer]

I have just realized that the ATI essential plus is significantly more expensive than Pro.

According to this calculator https://atiaquaristik.com/en/?page_id=2177

if you have 300Litre tank that uses 1dkh a day it will take 21ml of pro to meet demand but it will take 30ml of plus.

So if we buy a 10L set which is the most cost effective then 10L would last the above tank 476 days 10,000/21 = 476.

But 10L of essentials plus will only last 10,000/30 = 333.

so the same amount of pro will last 143 days longer and both are roughly the same price, infact I think the 10L set of plus is about £10 more expensive.

So to me that seems like a real rip off considering the difference is small, a little in organic alk.

 

[ss30]

I have just realized that the ATI essential plus is significantly more expensive than Pro.

According to this calculator https://atiaquaristik.com/en/?page_id=2177

if you have 300Litre tank that uses 1dkh a day it will take 21ml of pro to meet demand but it will take 30ml of plus.

So if we buy a 10L set which is the most cost effective then 10L would last the above tank 476 days 10,000/21 = 476.

But 10L of essentials plus will only last 10,000/30 = 333.

so the same amount of pro will last 143 days longer and both are roughly the same price, infact I think the 10L set of plus is about £10 more expensive.

So to me that seems like a real rip off considering the difference is small, a little in organic alk.

Yeah but you don't get the pH boooooost!

 

[The Opinionated Reefer]

I am still not sure how ATI Essentials pro or plus compensates for the ion imbalance that builds up without the sodium-free salts in part 3 of the original balling method?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I am still not sure how ATI Essentials pro or plus compensates for the ion imbalance that builds up without the sodium-free salts in part 3 of the original balling method?

A two part can be designed to have all the other salts (e.g., potassium) in a third part (like Balling), or to have all of those same salts in one of the two main parts (like ESV B-ionic).

 

[MrStoffel]

I am still not sure how ATI Essentials pro or plus compensates for the ion imbalance that builds up without the sodium-free salts in part 3 of the original balling method?

It does not. The amount of NaCl in the systm will rise at every dosing.
You can calculate the recommended amount of salt water to be removed from the aquarium / day.
I suspect they have a slightly elevated amount of minor trace elements in the solution to compensate for the dilution that would otherwise occur. I personally have a doser set up to remove x ml multiple times per day into a container.
I empty the container about once a week. This makes for a more stable salinity.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

It does not. The amount of NaCl in the systm will rise at every dosing.
You can calculate the recommended amount of salt water to be removed from the aquarium / day.
I suspect they have a slightly elevated amount of minor trace elements in the solution to compensate for the dilution that would otherwise occur. I personally have a doser set up to remove x ml multiple times per day into a container.
I empty the container about once a week. This makes for a more stable salinity.

Do you have reason to know it does not, or are you just assuming it does not?

Since it claims 28 elements added, I hope and expect it at least tries for ionic balance.

@ATI North America

 

[MrStoffel]

Do you have reason to know it does not, or are you just assuming it does not?

Since it claims 28 elements added, I hope and expect it at least tries for ionic balance.

@ATI North America

I assumed @recci referred to the build up of Na and Cl, leading to an increase in Salinity. I know in fact this is the case since it is stated on ATI's website, and also what i have observed using their products.
https://atiaquaristik.com/en/?page_id=2177

The Essentials+ produce a saltwater-like liquid with which the elements consumed by your corals can be safely balanced. However, the use of Essentials +usually leads to a gradual increase in the salinity of your aquarium water. This results in the possibility of a miniature water change, which at the same time corrects the salinity of your aquarium water. Replace the calculated amount of seaewater with ro water. The salinity correction is best done manually.

However, i don't know if there is any compensation for the elements removed through taking out salt water from the aquarium to compensate the Na and Cl excess. I've always had to add certain elements more on top of the Essentials Pro. Eg. Sr, K, I, Zn, Mn, B were some of the elements that lowered over time.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I assumed @recci referred to the build up of Na and Cl, leading to an increase in Salinity. I know in fact this is the case since it is stated on ATI's website, and also what i have observed using their products.
https://atiaquaristik.com/en/?page_id=2177

However, i don't know if there is any compensation for the elements removed through taking out salt water from the aquarium to compensate the Na and Cl excess. I've always had to add certain elements more on top of the Essentials Pro. Eg. Sr, K, I, Zn, Mn, B were some of the elements that lowered over time.

OK, so it is undoubtedly true that ANY two part raises salinity.

His question, however, specifically asked about ion imbalance. Some two parts (e.g., ESV B-ionic) do not cause an ion imbalance in that fashion because they put the same ions as Balling Part C actually into the two parts, sot hat when salinity is corrected, these ions stay at the normal NSW concentration instead of being reduced by the salinity lowering.

 

[The Opinionated Reefer]

OK, so it is undoubtedly true that ANY two part raises salinity.

His question, however, specifically asked about ion imbalance. Some two parts (e.g., ESV B-ionic) do not cause an ion imbalance in that fashion because they put the same ions as Balling Part C actually into the two parts, sot hat when salinity is corrected, these ions stay at the normal NSW concentration instead of being reduced by the salinity lowering.

Yes this is what I am trying to figure out. I am considering moving to the original balling to get away from the organic alk