Anyone dosing 2part?

[pboutin]

I've been dosing BRS brand and I'm at the point where I need to order more supplies. I'm looking at the possibility of switching to cheaper or simpler products. Has anyone used aqua forest where you mix the magnesium into the calcium 5:1 ratio? This would open up a dosing pump for me, as I'm constantly dosing magnesium.

What does everyone else use?

 

[Blitzie]

What size if your tank? If on the larger size why not a calcium reactor?
once you get over the initial investment the usage cost is much cheaper.
There are good deals out there on used one too

 

[pboutin]

What size if your tank? If on the larger size why not a calcium reactor?
once you get over the initial investment the usage cost is much cheaper.
There are good deals out there on used one too

Total volume is 160 and I don't yet have a lot of coral. I assume at some point I would go that route just not sure when the tipping point would be.

 

[juliomexico13]

Diy . Randy's 2 part works well

 

[pboutin]

Diy . Randy's 2 part works well

Yeah I just read that article last night. Deff cheaper and it's the same as the BRS products.

 

[Useful_Idiot]

Yeah I use baked baking soda for the alkalinity and Prestone driveway heat for the calcium. I can spare some if you can't find it, probably out of season. Epsom salt for the mag sulfate and I buy the magnesium chloride from BRS. I also dose kalkwasser as that is pretty cheap as well and boosts PH.

 

[pboutin]

Yeah I use baked baking soda for the alkalinity and Prestone driveway heat for the calcium. I can spare some if you can't find it, probably out of season. Epsom salt for the mag sulfate and I buy the magnesium chloride from BRS. I also dose kalkwasser as that is pretty cheap as well and boosts PH.

Yet another Randy method user.
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/rhf/
Seems the thing to do. I'll look into sourcing some before I bum off of fellow reefers. Thx!

 

[juliomexico13]

Yeah I use baked baking soda for the alkalinity and Prestone driveway heat for the calcium. I can spare some if you can't find it, probably out of season. Epsom salt for the mag sulfate and I buy the magnesium chloride from BRS. I also dose kalkwasser as that is pretty cheap as well and boosts PH.

Whats your ratio for epson salt to mag cl

 

[Useful_Idiot]

I just follow the BRS diretions. 3 cups epsom to 5 cups mag chloride and a gallon of rodi. Takes like 2 days for it to completely dissolve. I know someone that used only magnesium sulfate to raise their magnesium level and had major problems after.

 

[pboutin]

Yeah I use baked baking soda for the alkalinity and Prestone driveway heat for the calcium.

I just did a search on Prestone Driveway Heat made by Scotwood Ind. and found the compounds are not pure Calcium Chloride.

http://www.fyvestar.com/images/Heat_MSDS_2009.pdf
Have you seen any adverse effects of using this product?

 

[pboutin]

@Randy Holmes-Farley recommends DOWFLAKE which is now produced by OxyChem. here is the datasheet for DOWFLAKE ™ XTRA 83-87% CALCIUM CHLORIDE FLAKES

Which makes me believe the Prestone Heat is a better product

 

[Useful_Idiot]

No, I never had any issues. I don't remember the dosage I got up to in my old system but I did 10% water changes as well. I couldn't find dowflake and saw that people were using Prestone with no issues so I tried that. It is more concentrated so you add a little less than the dowflake to be balanced with the alk solution. Also I make any changes to my system gradually so if I'm changing chemicals I lower the dose of the original chemical while slowly starting the second chemical.

 

[james30ct]

I aslo use baking soda, Prestone driveway heat, epsom and mag chloride. I also use ms wages pickling lime for kalk

 

[Triggreef]

What size if your tank? If on the larger size why not a calcium reactor?
once you get over the initial investment the usage cost is much cheaper.
There are good deals out there on used one too

Never looked into reactor but there are very strong opinions both ways about them thats for sure. Love to see a tank pic with a layout of costs to run the reactor... ;Bookworm

 

[Triggreef]

What does everyone else use?

I dose Triton elementz which is now replaced with core7. The dosing is very simple, equal parts of each part and dosing is based solely on alk uptake. There is also another variation of the product for those who don't use the exact triton method.

Many don't like the 4 parts. But 3a and 3b can be mixed together so you only need 3 pumps. I mix those parts and double the amount of rodi water so theres no issue, then dose that 3rd element at double the rate of part 1 and 2.

Thats on 360g system. One kit lasts about 6 or 7 weeks so total cost is now about $40 per month. And I dose around 180-200ml each part per day.

 

[juliomexico13]

I aslo use baking soda, Prestone driveway heat, epsom and mag chloride. I also use ms wages pickling lime for kalk

Do you auto dose kalk?

 

[james30ct]

I

Do you auto dose kalk?

Mix it in my ato