What product do you dose?

[ajremington68]

I got a question for you guys, just want your input. As I mentioned above I dose all for reef, and I don’t have stony corals (tried and killed them) so I don’t mind minor swings. For example my calcium and magnesium depleating. My biggest complaint is I have powder solutions of magnesium but I have to mix and let it set for a day to add and correct. And for calcium I have liquid calcium from petco and I have to add a quarter bottle to move 20ppm it seems. So could I instead buy this brs calcium chloride 1gal mix, and mix it in a gallon milk jug and then instead of doing powder formula do liquid formula? If so does the solution go bad? Also would I have to alter the calculations online if I use half the jug or no because it was all made the same at the start?

Sorry if I’m repeating or this is already out there. Just like to ask questions to learn as much as I can and also be informed to not kill off my tank by a mis calculation.

If answers is yes to what is said up above, is there a cheap solution like calcium chloride for magnesium?

Edit: I found this but just want something cheaper due to you needing to dose a lot to make a little change, for example to do a monthly correct for me is about 1300ppm back up to 1450 which is 738ml if solution. So I could get 5 corrections which isn’t bad but if there is a better bang for my buck like calcium chloride at 5 dollars what would it be?

 

[X-37B]

I ran A4R on a 20g nano.
I used esv alk and calcium to get the alk and calcium numbers I wanted then started A4R.
I needed to add alk daily for 9 days before the A4R kicked in.
Never added ca. Mag stayed in range of 1300-1400. I dont test mag very often as it does not move much. I have esv mag but never needed it as my salt provided the levels I wanted.

 

[ajremington68]

I ran A4R on a 20g nano.
I used esv alk and calcium to get the alk and calcium numbers I wanted then started A4R.
I needed to add alk daily for 9 days before the A4R kicked in.
Never added ca. Mag stayed in range of 1300-1400. I dont test mag very often as it does not move much. I have esv mag but never needed it as my salt provided the levels I wanted.

What salt do you run?

 

[CK00020]

Tropic Marin afr and kalk with a little added mag at times.

 

[X-37B]

What salt do you run?

Red sea blue bucket. It has an alk of 8.

 

[ajremington68]

Red sea blue bucket. It has an alk of 8.

Gotcha, I’m running Fritz blue box and I’m thinking that could be my problem. Just test alk twice a week and adjust dose based on that if afr but my calcium and magnesium levels deplete of a one month pierod. I also have have been running it for 3 months and think it’s just inevitable that I will have to correct it on the monthly? Trying to keep mag around 1500 and calcium at 430 and I seem to be fighting the afr for it. Could be testing error too maybe?

 

[X-37B]

Gotcha, I’m running Fritz blue box and I’m thinking that could be my problem. Just test alk twice a week and adjust dose based on that if afr but my calcium and magnesium levels deplete of a one month pierod. I also have have been running it for 3 months and think it’s just inevitable that I will have to correct it on the monthly? Trying to keep mag around 1500 and calcium at 430 and I seem to be fighting the afr for it. Could be testing error too maybe?

Well after 30+ in this hobby any salt will work if you know what you are doing.
What is your daily alk consumption?

 

[ajremington68]

Well after 30+ in this hobby any salt will work if you know what you are doing.
What is your daily alk consumption?

I am not for sure I know I dose 8ml if a4r over the span of 24hrs

 

[X-37B]

I am not for sure I know I dose 8ml if a4r over the span of 24hrs

You need to test alk at say 6pm then do not dose any alk or ca and test again at 6pm, 24hrs apart. This # will tell you how muck alk your system uses in a day.
Then dose and check again in 24hrs and keep increasing the dose until your alk stays at your desired number.

Dose A4R all at once and dont split it up during the day.

Also make sure mag is 1300-1400. It will not move much. If it does its test error.

 

[ajremington68]

You need to test alk at say 6pm then do not dose any alk or ca and test again at 6pm, 24hrs apart. This # will tell you how muck alk your system uses in a day.
Then dose and check again in 24hrs and keep increasing the dose until your alk stays at your desired number.

Dose A4R all at once and dont split it up during the day.

Also make sure mag is 1300-1400. It will not move much. If it does its test error.

So even though I got the kamoer doser to dose throughout 24hr you advise to dose all at once? Why is this? Any method behind this?

 

[Pistondog]

Dosing afr each hour and sodium hydroxide to add alk.
Calcium stable.

 

[MrGisonni]

I dose AFR four times a day. Recently, a tiny bit of Balling Part B four times a day to keep my alkalinity up a little higher where I want it. Mag is always in line.

 

[X-37B]

So even though I got the kamoer doser to dose throughout 24hr you advise to dose all at once? Why is this? Any method behind this?

Sorry yea you can spread it out through the day.
When I switched to A4R I talked with Lou at Tropic Marin.
I ran a small 20g nano and started at 9ml a day and went to 34ml a day all at once. I had to look at the thread again, lol. I then went to 17 2x a day before I took it down. He recommended it all at once because it was small.

It did consume more than the max reccomended dose of 25ml per 26g's.
This is the old nano. Not much to look at but it did consume alot.

 

[TehBrainz]

I dose Randy's 2 part recipe #1

Simple, cost effective, and it works for my system quite well

 

[gbroadbridge]

I dose Randy's 2 part recipe #1

Simple, cost effective, and it works for my system quite well

It doesn't include Trace Elements. AFR does.

 

[X-37B]

So even though I got the kamoer doser to dose throughout 24hr you advise to dose all at once? Why is this? Any method behind this?

I also forgot A4R is calcium formate and is broken down by bacteria. It can take 2-6 hours to free it up. Its not instantly available like a 2 part.

When it comes to dosing I prefer a carx. Another way to do the same thing, lol.
My Geo 818 carx on my new build.

 

[TehBrainz]

It doesn't include Trace Elements. AFR does.

I didn't say it did nor did OP request a dosing regime that included trace elements. Just what "we" used.

My WC's and dosing method are working for all parameters of my system.

 

[gbroadbridge]

I didn't say it did nor did OP request a dosing regime that included trace elements. Just what "we" used.

My WC's and dosing method are working for all parameters of my system.

I know - I was just pointing out the main difference.

FWIW, I dose a DIY 3 part which is Randys #1 plus AF Mineral Salt, but I also dose AFR at 10% of the Alk demand per day for Trace elements - so I guess it's a 4 part. <lol>

 

[TehBrainz]

I know - I was just pointing out the main difference.

FWIW, I dose a DIY 3 part which is Randys #1 plus AF Mineral Salt, but I also dose AFR at 10% of the Alk demand per day for Trace elements - so I guess it's a 4 part. <lol>

Gotcha! You had me thinking there was specific request for trace element dosing so I read through all the posts and saw your dosing and then really scratched my head for a moment haha.

It's all in how you slice it, I suppose! I do AWC's so can that count as dosing for trace since I'm not doing 1-2 WC's a month?

 

[gbroadbridge]

Gotcha! You had me thinking there was specific request for trace element dosing so I read through all the posts and saw your dosing and then really scratched my head for a moment haha.

It's all in how you slice it, I suppose! I do AWC's so can that count as dosing for trace since I'm not doing 1-2 WC's a month?

Yep, I don't do water changes. Last one was about 18 months ago.