Dosing 2-Part

[720 Reefer]

Just wondering what everyone uses. I was contemplating between the ESV B-Ionic and Bulk Reef Supply. The ESV includes trace elements so was leaning that route, but not sure how important that is. I am also curious on everyone's opinion on dkh. I know stability is key, but i am consistently running between 7.2 and 7.8. I have fairly low demand as of now and have been keeping it stable with weekly water changes, but was thinking about dosing to get up to about 8.5. I hear a lot about not chasing numbers, but i would like to get the dkh slightly higher so i have a little more room for error on the low end since i am flirting with it. Thoughts? My parameters are:

Temp: 78
Salinity: 1.025
Nitrate: 0
Phosphate: .06
Alkalinity: 7.6
Calcium: 425
Magnesium: 1,380

 

[Joedubyk]

Totally agree, I keep my alk @ 8.2ish for the exact reason you mentioned. A low demand tank won't need trace elements if you're doing ample water changes, which you are. I like BRS 2 part. It's cheap and works great. It's great to have around, too when you'll have to start daily dosing.

 

[720 Reefer]

Totally agree, I keep my alk @ 8.2ish for the exact reason you mentioned. A low demand tank won't need trace elements if you're doing ample water changes, which you are. I like BRS 2 part. It's cheap and works great. It's great to have around, too when you'll have to start daily dosing.

So at this point to get the alk up, would you recommend just dosing manually instead of dosing daily with a dosing pump? I am using roughly .5 dkh a week.

 

[Dempsey941]

I use esv and find it very easy to work with especially with the calculator at marinedepot.

I would also check the chemistry on the batch of fleshly mixed saltwater you use for water changes and try to make your dt match those levels more than anything else.

 

[Joedubyk]

So at this point to get the alk up, would you recommend just dosing manually instead of dosing daily with a dosing pump? I am using roughly .5 dkh a week.

It's definitely good to have a really good dosing pump ready for when your tank starts turning up the juice. At this point, I would just manually dose it to 8.5 (as slow as you can do it). I wouldn't start daily dosing until you're doubling that alk consumption though.

 

[720 Reefer]

It's definitely good to have a really good dosing pump ready for when your tank starts turning up the juice. At this point, I would just manually dose it to 8.5 (as slow as you can do it). I wouldn't start daily dosing until you're doubling that alk consumption though.

Great, thank you!

 

[lapin]

I would look to changing salt mix to a higher alk one for now and see if that brings up your numbers with 10% pere week water changes before you go the dosing route.

 

[User1]

I would look to changing salt mix to a higher alk one for now and see if that brings up your numbers with 10% pere week water changes before you go the dosing route.

This is what I've been doing actually. I use IO Reef Crystals and over the course of a week I'll see my ALK go from 8.1 or so down to 7.9 give or take a few. At least that is what the Trident is reporting. I manually checked when it was reporting 8.1 and my Hanna checker was the same.

Last week I dosed 20 ml of ESV's 2-part (ALK) and it raise it from 7.8 to 8.1 which then proceeded to fall off over the course of the week. yesterday I did about a 15 gallon water change on my 210 gallon tank (probably 170 or so gallons of water) and ALK is back up to 8.0x. Waiting to see how it goes the rest of the day and its consumption.

I'm starting to get a lot of Coralline algae on my rocks and the starter corals I have are showing signs of growth. So I am ordering the ESV 2 Part jugs and will prepare to start dosing within a couple weeks. I'd rather have it a steady over time drip than me dumping it in mainly due to the ph swing.

Edit: I can probably cut back my 20 ml dose manual to maybe a 5 ml or 10 ml once or twice a week (I'd probably forget because I'm lazy...).

 

[720 Reefer]

I would look to changing salt mix to a higher alk one for now and see if that brings up your numbers with 10% pere week water changes before you go the dosing route.

I have been using Fritz (blue box) and last time I tested the mix, it was at 9.1 dkh. Is that high enough? Or should I look for something higher?

 

[lapin]

I have been using Fritz (blue box) and last time I tested the mix, it was at 9.1 dkh. Is that high enough? Or should I look for something higher?

That is prob a good number for a salt mix and I would not change.
Top raise it without causing other issues look at using Randy's baked baking soda. You can raise it from the 7's to 9 over a weeks time. Then your normal water changes should take care of demand. If your tank is new things like coraline algae can use the alk without you seeing its growth. it usually takes 6 months to a year for a tank to stabilize.