Automated dossing with apex controller and BRS 1.1 mil dosing pumps

Joe G

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Hey guys i got a question about automated dosing.
I just recently started dosing 2 part ALK/CAL using brs 1.1mil a min doing pumps and my apex controller.
I currently have it set up so both ALK and CAL dose at the same time every day in increments of 4 mil a hour starting from 12am-3pm .
my question is whats is the best way to automated the dossers?
should i dose ALK at night and CAL during day? or at the same time how I'm doing it?
Any insight on the best way to dose with my set up would be helpfull.
Thanks
Joe
 

redfishbluefish

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Joe, I'm unable to tell you the best way of doing it, but I can tell you that you don't want to dose both at the same time (unless they are separated by distance with some good turbulence in between.) So you're best to dose at different times. Dosing them together will cause calcium carbonate precipitation.

As far as time, some suggest dosing at night when pH tends to be a bit lower and the alk will help bring it up a tad. I personally dose at three different times at night for each calc and alk...at different times.....so it takes two channels on the controller.... (for me, on an old school ReefKeeper II).
 

ritter6788

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I dose small amounts every hour, 24 hours a day, alk and calcium 30 minutes apart.

Alk dosed at the top of the hours and calcium dosed on the half hours.
 

joekool

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Joe split it up like redfish said.

Sounds like you have it running for four minutes every hour is that right. Maybe do 8min every other hour. So that there is an hour in between. Seems like a lot that's 88ml a day each. What is the actual volume of your water minus sand rocks etc.

Have you been testing every couple days to check for values.

I would start with more like 20mil a day on a 250 gallon net system then adjust.

Use the BRS reef calculator it's free and works good to figure out what to set dosing to. Try that and test daily until you get it right. You don't want to burn your corals. Use calc with net water volume. Some people over dose because they think that a 100gallon tank is 100 gallon of water but don't think of water displacement of rocks and sand etc.

Hope this helps
 
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Joe G

Joe G

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Hello everyone thanks for the responses.
I am new to the forum this was my first post and I'm glad to hear your opinions .

Let me give you more info to help explain my tank and its transition from kalkwaser to using 2 part.
I have a 55 gal tank, mix reef mostly sps about 25 total some nice large colonies of monti and acros.

I wanted to start dosing 2 part because my ALK was always low 7.5-8 DKH. That was causing my PH to swing to much 7.6-8.3 from day to night .
Before I started dosing the 2 part I tested my levels of ALK CAL and MAG and over the course of a few days I raise everything to ideal levels.
I started to dose my tank using BRS 2 part powder and mix according to directions with RODI water let sit for a day.
I automated the pumps to dose at BRS's recommended amount per day based on tank size. I think it was 15-20 mils a day.
Just around this time from all the water testing I ran out of my ALK and CAL test kits and was not able to check my ALK or CAL for about 2 weeks.
I was finally able to check my levels and my ALK was at 6 DKH Cal 360.
I was shocked to see my levels so low and so was my tank, Everything turned supper pale borderline bleached.
I did water changes and slowly brought my levels up to where I wanted them.
Slowly I started increasing my automated dosage every couple day and testing every day. After about a week I was at 60 mils a day.
That seems to keep up with my tanks demand and keeps every thing steady and Now I am back to about ALK 9 DKH and CAL 408.
My PH now swing from 8.1-8.4 I am gonna change it so ALK only doses at night while my lights are off .
I have been dosing for about 8 weeks total now and mostly all my corals have there color back or coming back.

I have wondered to myself if I'm causing the calcium carbonate precipitation issue like u mentioned.
It does seem like 60 mils is a lot for a 55 gallon tank.
I do have pumps dosing at the same time in different areas of my sump. I have no previous experience with dosing 2part, but I figured if I dosed in very small increments, only 3 mil or 4 mils a hour it would not cause the precipitation to occur.

I will try to set my pumps to dose at different but my programing on the apex is not great .
Do any of u dose ALK at night CAl in the day?
 

redfishbluefish

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Joe, it sounds like you're doing great. 60 mls is reasonable if you are heavy sps and/or have a clam. Keep testing until you feel comfortable in maintaining proper levels. Eventually you will only have to test every week or two.

One thing not mentioned was Magnesium. Make sure you maintain MAG at proper levels. That keeps the alk and calc in solution. You only need to dose this on occasion.


And I dose everything at night.....but that's just me.
 
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Joe G

Joe G

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Thanks for the advice .
Last I checked my MAG was 1350 about a week ago a week ago .
I will continue to check all three one a week
 

Reef head

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Hi joe
I just started dosing a couple weeks ago too, I dose 1hr 10 min on Alk twice a day. I dosed by hand before and the numbers are all off. Before I had 6600dkh and now the mix is 5300dkh. The reef calculated is not going to help if your right at 8dkh and want to stay at 8. They recommend 1ml per gallon column excluding rock. I'm heavily stocked and trying to figure out the levels too. Dosing over 200 Mls a day of alk makes me scared, still testing daily. I would recommend dosing 2x per day so that you are able to get an accurate reading between dosing cycles. Good luck.
 
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