Dosing 2 part

[Filthybum]

i have a question on dosing 2 part. This will be my first time dosing a tank I have a Neptune’s dos to help. But my question is when dosing some people say to dose equal parts so it you are dosing say 5 ml of alkalinity you need to dose 5ml of calcium? This is confusing to me just need some clarity. Thanks

 

[Crabs McJones]

i have a question on dosing 2 part. This will be my first time dosing a tank I have a Neptune’s dos to help. But my question is when dosing some people say to dose equal parts so it you are dosing say 5 ml of alkalinity you need to dose 5ml of calcium? This is confusing to me just need some clarity. Thanks

Correct. You do your initial dosing to get the levels up to where you need them, and from there on out you dose alk and calcium in the same amounts. So once you get your levels to where you want them, wait 24 hours and test to calculate your consumption. Which 2 part are you using?

 

[Filthybum]

Correct. You do your initial dosing to get the levels up to where you need them, and from there on out you dose alk and calcium in the same amounts. So once you get your levels to where you want them, wait 24 hours and test to calculate your consumption. Which 2 part are you using?

BRS 2 part have to mix with RODI water. Thanks for the information I am getting some frags in this week so I’m gonna set up my dos and try to set it all up. Is there anything else other than correct dosing amount I need to know about?

 

[Crabs McJones]

BRS 2 part have to mix with RODI water. Thanks for the information I am getting some frags in this week so I’m gonna set up my dos and try to set it all up. Is there anything else other than correct dosing amount I need to know about?

Not really. Just test to get your levels, dose to adjust to desired levels. Wait 24 hours and calculate your consumption. Dose to get levels back up and then turn on your dosing pump to what your consumption is

 

[road_runner]

Not really. Just test to get your levels, dose to adjust to desired levels. Wait 24 hours and calculate your consumption. Dose to get levels back up and then turn on your dosing pump to what your consumption is

if you saying test then dose..but at the same time you say dose equally. The question is: dose based in which? Alk or CA?
Am trying to understand, if the statment is "dose equally" what's the value of testing both?

 

[BestMomEver]

If I dosed equal parts of A and B, my calcium would skyrocket. I dose way more alkalinity than calcium.

 

[Crabs McJones]

if you saying test then dose..but at the same time you say dose equally. The question is: dose based in which? Alk or CA?
Am trying to understand, if the statment is "dose equally" what's the value of testing both?

You initially test both to get your current levels. So for example if you test alk and it's at 6.8 dkh and you test calcium and it's at 340, you want to dose both to bring them up to the range you want them, so if you want alk at 8.0dkh youd dose X amount of alk solution and calcium at 420 youd dose X amount of solution. Then after 24 hours test your alk again and calculate your consumption, and dose accordingly

 

[road_runner]

You initially test both to get your current levels. So for example if you test alk and it's at 6.8 dkh and you test calcium and it's at 340, you want to dose both to bring them up to the range you want them, so if you want alk at 8.0dkh youd dose X amount of alk solution and calcium at 420 youd dose X amount of solution. Then after 24 hours test your alk again and calculate your consumption, and dose accordingly

So you dose based on the alk consumption at the end of the day..correct? Kind off like what we do when we run CArx..?

 

[Crabs McJones]

So you dose based on the alk consumption at the end of the day..correct? Kind off like what we do when we run CArx..?

Yes, sorry, based on alk consumption

 

[road_runner]

Yes, sorry, based on alk consumption

Have you ever seen a situation where alk is consumed much more than CA? I have had couple of months where alk consumption is decent but almost zero ca consumption...this is based on icp and home kits btw...

 

[ZoWhat]

I dosed 2part and arbitrarily decided to use equal parts.

I didnt take the time to CHART my consumption rate of Alk and Calc over the course of days and weeks

Right around day 20-smthg my Alk was like 15dKH.

I have a veeeeeery low need for Alk in my tank. I still use the Calc 2part to supplement my water changes.

So I've learned my tank doesn't need 2part'ing. just consistent WCs


.

 

[road_runner]

I dosed 2part and arbitrarily decided to use equal parts.

I didnt take the time to CHART my consumption rate of Alk and Calc over the course of days and weeks

right around day 20-smthg my Alk was like 15dKH.

I have a veeeeeery low need for Alk in my tank. I still use the Calc 2part to supplement my water changes.

So I've learned my tank doesn't need 2part'ing. just consistent WCs


.

Yup, I think 24 testing hours is not enough to get you to know your system demand. Some tiems there are spikes in consumptions and some days there is rarely a consumption.
I would collect at least 1 month of testing before I out on fixed 2 part dosing. Or. I would test every day and adjust my dosing accordingly.
In my case I almost never have equal ca to alk dosing demand...I still do not know why...
When I switched to CArx I gave up on keeping the ratio. I just depend on alk and let CArx do its thing.

Btw there is an incredible article by randy holms about the alk to ca ratio and why it can be deceiving some times to think your ratios are other then what it actually is.
I strongly recommend reading it

https://www.advancedaquarist.com/2002/11/chemistry

 

[Crabs McJones]

Have you ever seen a situation where alk is consumed much more than CA? I have had couple of months where alk consumption is decent but almost zero ca consumption...this is based on icp and home kits btw...

I've never personally seen it, but I'm sure its entirely possible

 

[road_runner]

I've never personally seen it, but I'm sure its entirely possible

More common than you would expect...I think it has something to do with the system lile the rocks source and type, the substrate, the additives..etc and its inhabitants ofcourse.

 

[road_runner]

Just to clarify, I also believe it's all about the alk. Chasing ca can be tricky(read randy Holmes article).
So I started testing daily, then I got a khg 2 years ago and since then I rarely test ca(once a month or so)

 

[Filthybum]

Ok so dose to get to target number then test few weeks making adjustments to dosing amount. So the dosing amount doesn’t have to be equal? Or it should be equal?

 

[road_runner]

,...

 

[saltyhog]

Agree with @Ohashimz . In theory it should be equal parts because that's the way the solutions are designed. However, in real world situations a lot of other things can intervene. Calcium levels change much more slowly in my experience and for that reason it takes a lot longer to see your actual calcium consumption and adjust the dose correctly. Continue to monitor often because things can change over time...and a sudden decrease in alkalinity demand (rise in your alkalinity test) can often alert you to a problem with stoney corals before it's visible by looking at your tank (IME).

 

[LobsterOfJustice]

Ok so dose to get to target number then test few weeks making adjustments to dosing amount. So the dosing amount doesn’t have to be equal? Or it should be equal?

Equal is a good starting point, but over time you will test and adjust accordingly.

 

[Filthybum]

Ok I just got in a frag pack 15 new sps corals I checked alkalinity Hannah checker 8.1 calcium is 462 do I just need to dose alkalinity to get it up to say around 9 or is that to much? And no dosing calcium correct? Thanks