DIY Balling Method Recipe

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I usually don't pay much attention to dosing both solutions evenly because it only works in theory. However, now I'm adding Tropic Marin Trace Elements to both solutions, so dosing one twice as much could cause problems with trace elements.
I have a lot of Coralline algae in both the tank and the sump.
Are you talking about increasing the dosage of all solutions with the hope that they will eventually balance in the tank, or just the alkalinity solution?

I think it also works well in reality if you stick with it. Only minor infrequent corrections are typically necessary.

The reasons it sometimes fails largely relate to increasing or decreasing or dosing nitrate which can impact alk, and water changes with a mix not matching the tank. A 50 ppm change to nitrate causes a 2.3 dKH change to alk.

 

[chris_ek]

OK, I'll try to set equal doses for all the solutions, though I admit I'm a bit worried about how it will turn out.
By the way, could you double-check if my calculations are correct? Also, if the original recipe has 5300 dKH, does my version have 140 dKH per 1000 ml?

 

[Miami Reef]

NaOH: 7.5 g per 1000 ml of water

By the way, could you double-check if my calculations are correct? Also, if the original recipe has 5300 dKH, does my version have 140 dKH per 1000 ml?

283 g NaOH per gallon = 5,300 dKH
74.8 g NaOH per liter = 5,300 dKH

If you added 7.5 g NaOH per liter you are getting about 532 dKH per liter.

 

[Miami Reef]

Also, if the original recipe has 5300 dKH, does my version have 140 dKH per 1000 ml?

It is 283 g per gallon. Not 283 g per liter. That’s where the error came from.

 

[chris_ek]

It is 283 g per gallon. Not 283 g per liter. That’s where the error came from.

Thanks.
But if I wanted to determine the amount of dKH I add by dosing 200 ml per day into a tank, say with a capacity of 300 liters, that would be 0.35 dKH?

 

[Miami Reef]

Thanks.
But if I wanted to determine the amount of dKH I add by dosing 200 ml per day into a tank, say with a capacity of 300 liters, that would be 0.35 dKH?

Correct

 

[chris_ek]

OK, now I understand. I was worried because I thought I was adding a large amount of dKH daily, but it turns out it's very little. The same goes for calcium – adding 200 ml of solution only raises the level by 1.2 ppm.

 

[Koleswrath]

The answer is close to the same. Magnesium chloride hexahydrate (12%) and magnesium sulfate heptahydrate (10%) are close enough in percentage magnesium to ignore the differences for most purposes.

Hey Randy, just want to confirm the amount of AF Magnesium to use in the Part C mix - we'd make the bulk solution using 1413g (mirroring the 1,285g magnesium chloride hexahydrate and 128g magnesium sulfate heptahydrate) in enough water to make 1 gallon then add 203ml of this solution to the mineral salt solution?
Doing this we wouldn't need to add any Mag Sulfate because the Reef Mineral salt contains enough?

This thread is gold guys! Thanks Miami!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Hey Randy, just want to confirm the amount of AF Magnesium to use in the Part C mix - we'd make the bulk solution using 1413g (mirroring the 1,285g magnesium chloride hexahydrate and 128g magnesium sulfate heptahydrate) in enough water to make 1 gallon then add 203ml of this solution to the mineral salt solution?
Doing this we wouldn't need to add any Mag Sulfate because the Reef Mineral salt contains enough?

This thread is gold guys! Thanks Miami!

Yes. :)

 

[rishma]

I usually don't pay much attention to dosing both solutions evenly because it only works in theory.

It doesn’t just work on theory. It works by matching the exact ratio of biotic (corals, coralline) and abiotic (precipitation on powerheads, etc) calcification.

You can’t deviate from it when it comes to consumption. Of course, the tank’s ratio can get skewed by certain things (sulfur denitrators, for example) but that’s not from a coral-growth standpoint.

If your current tank’s ratio is balanced, then you should match the solutions for convenience and optimal ratio.

In any case, if the alk is too low, increase the alk dose (and preferably the others, too). There’s no other workaround.

This is such a common misconception, I am not sure you can purge the internet of it.

 

[805reeftank]

@Randy Holmes-Farley @Miami Reef


So I read over this whole thread, it’s just what I’m looking for. I want to switch over from All for reef not because it isn’t a great product but because it’s not helping raise PH. My ph in my tank is 7.8-8.1 sometimes it’ll dip a touch below 7.8 at night. I’ve been using it since the start of my tank for a little over 1.5 years.

My tank is heavy sps mixed reef. And currently using a recirculating co2 scrubber to bring PH up but I’m only getting about 2 weeks out of the media before it starts to drop off, I want to stop using the scrubber. Can anyone help me with the how much soda ash I’d need to dose compared to AFR I dose 75ml in my 50gal.

As for the ingredients to make this 3 part is the BRS Pharma Balling Method Bulk Total Pack the right ingredients to make this I want to use A/K for trace.

 

[Miami Reef]

AFR is 1.15x more potent than this recipe.

AFR slightly lowers the pH in seawater. It’s not significant, but it’s not the best choice if increasing pH is the goal. That Bulk Reef Supply package lot contains everything you’ll need to get started.

 

[805reeftank]

AFR is 1.15x more potent than this recipe.

AFR slightly lowers the pH in seawater. It’s not significant, but it’s not the best choice if increasing pH is the goal. That Bulk Reef Supply package lot contains everything you’ll need to get started.

Thanks I’ll place the order. Appreciate the help.

 

[Miami Reef]

Update: I made some slight wording adjustments to the first post for even more added clarity.

 

[kartrsu]

@Miami Reef @Randy Holmes-Farley. Sorry to hash out another question about adding TM A and K trace elements, but are you suppose to add those after making the 1 gallon soda ash and calcium chloride mixtures, so total solution is 3785ml + 80 ml of A or K. Or do you add the same amount of soda ash (375 g) into say 4/5 of a gallon, add the A, and top off with RODI to hit 1 gallon exactly. Thanks!

 

[Miami Reef]

Or do you add the same amount of soda ash (375 g) into say 4/5 of a gallon, add the A, and top off with RODI to hit 1 gallon exactly.

This one.

 

[erophames]

Can we replace tropic Marin trace with AF? Like component strong. Can’t get tropic Marin where I am.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Can we replace tropic Marin trace with AF? Like component strong. Can’t get tropic Marin where I am.

You certainly can use it without issue, but whether you can add it into any of the parts is more complicated.

 

[erophames]

You certainly can use it without issue, but whether you can add it into any of the parts is more complicated.

Yeah that was my concern :(. Only other stuff I can get is seachem or fauna Marin.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Yeah that was my concern :(. Only other stuff I can get is seachem or fauna Marin.

This is my take assuming the web site lists everything in each part.

Component K is potassium and it can go anywhere.

Component C is iodide and fluoride. I’d put it in the alk part.

Component A is strontium and barium. I doubt it is useful at all, but put it in the calcium part.

Component B is less clear what it is, but I’d put it in the calcium part and only worry if any cloudiness forms when mixing them.