Calculating water volume?

[Kaludar]

So, It has occurred to me that I don't really know the actual water volume in my tank. I have a Reefer 250, so the total volume if there were no rock or sand in my tank is 65 gallons. In the future I'm going to want to dose 2-part, and it will be important to have a decent idea of the actual volume in my tank minus rock and sand.

I have 50 lbs of reefsaver rock and 40lbs of caribsea special grade sand. Is there any kind of general rule of thumb to calculate this? I really wish I would have paid more attention to volume when filling my tank the first time but unfortunately I did not.

 

[JustAnt]

I also have the RSR 250. I have no clue the pounds of rock or sand. I’ve always just guestimated that I have 50 gallons

Also u don’t dose 2 part based on water volume. At least I never have.

 

[lapin]

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/beginner-series-1-what-is-your-actual-water-volume.539038/

 

[Auquanut]

There are lots of videos and calculators out there to help you calculate total water volume. Don't forget to include whatever filtration system you are using. Whatever number you finally come up with will inevitably be an approximation. That's okay. As long as you can get reasonably close, you will be fine. I have a 125 tank with a 36 gallon sump. Lots of rock and sand. I figure my volume at 100 gallons. Part calculation, part wild a... guess.

Also u don’t dose 2 part based on water volume. At least I never have.

^ +1 to what he said

 

[GoVols]

You need to dose 2 part smaller than your tank size, and the parameter that your dosing for.

Over time you'll find out how many gallons your holding.

Keep testing and up your dose, until you lock in.

 

[ZoWhat]

 

[Kaludar]

Thanks for the input guys, found a calculator to give me a rough estimate, looks like im at roughly 55 gal minus rock and sand. I wish I would have thought about measuring the water as I put it in the first time, but there's no way im draining this thing now and starting my cycle over.

 

[Jinko]

Good advise in this thread, don't dose based on water volume base it on the inhabitance requirements.

Start low and adjust as and when you need to.

 

[Big G]

Here's an easy calculator: http://reef.diesyst.com/volcalc/volcalc.html

 

[boeingn747]

You need to dose 2 part smaller than your tank size, and the parameter that your dosing for.

Over time you'll find out how many gallons your holding.

Keep testing and up your dose, until you lock in.

I know this is a old post, but I got to reading (as we do). Don't you calculate your 2 part by testing? Take your freshly mixed salt water and test what it mixes at and then test daily to see how much ca, alk, mag you use a day and set up a doser based on your daily consumption rather than your system size? At least that's how I've always done it.

 

[GoVols]

I know this is a old post, but I got to reading (as we do). Don't you calculate your 2 part by testing? Take your freshly mixed salt water and test what it mixes at and then test daily to see how much ca, alk, mag you use a day and set up a doser based on your daily consumption rather than your system size? At least that's how I've always done it.

Yes,
You have to test, and you're dosing to the daily consumption of a certain strength of a product that you're currently dosing.

The only time that I test the big three in a fresh mix, is after busting open a new bucket of salt, that has a new batch #, but test salinaty while mixing each time for a water change.

Using a salt mix that mixes to the parameters that my reef runs, at .35ppt

What I'm saying is once you find how much water that you holding, and factoring in the dose used by one product, then you can dose with a dosing calculator (or per products directions) if you switch products, and lock in the dose real fast.

My reef is rated at 110 gallons, but I know from the products that I've used (dosed per how many ppm raised), that it's actually holding 80 gallons.

The true holding water is important on my end, because it also factors in so many things that we could dose, outside of Cal , Alk and Mag