Dosing BRS noobie questions with apex code

[LOVEROCK]

Fallback OFF
OSC 000:00/000:08/059:52 Then ON
If Time 12:00 to 22:59 Then OFF
If pH > 8.35 Then OFF

Lights on at 1:00 pm to 9 pm.
can anyone explain the OSC? line, what is OSC, this was generated by https://www.reeftronics.net/adpg/dosingcalc.php
with a dosing rate of 1.7 ml per a min, and totally dosage is 2.8 ML of alkalinity brs soda ashe liquid, mixed by my self)

does this make sense what i am doing ? , i am leaving calcium alone , because it is in desired levels,
but i read about dosing equally? but another question is is it based on ALK, dosing, then u dose the same for CA? or what am i missing lol ! any advise is welcomed !

 

[Larry L]

OSC 000:00/000:08/059:52 Then ON

When you end the OSC command with "Then ON", then that means the three numbers are interpreted as OFF/ON/OFF times. So that line of code says that at the start of the day your doser will be OFF for 0 minutes, then ON for 8 seconds, then OFF for 59 minutes 52 seconds. Since the three numbers add up to 60 minutes, the cycle will repeat every hour. So this means you will be dosing for 8 seconds every hour at the top of the hour (except from 12:00 to 22:59, since the next line turns it off between those times).

There is a good explanation at: https://www.neptunesystems.com/downloads/docs/Comprehensive_Reference_Manual.pdf

is it based on ALK, dosing, then u dose the same for CA?

You almost always want to dose Ca at the same rate as Alk, since it is consumed in equal proportions. I find it's easier to fine tune my dosing time based on Alk, since Ca tests are not super accurate. When you first start dosing, your Alk and Ca might not be at the right levels relative to each other, so you should manually supplement to get them to the right levels relative to each other, and then your dosing pumps should keep things in sync from then on.

There is a good picture labeled "Figure 1" in this article that shows what Ca should be relative to Alk: https://www.advancedaquarist.com/2002/11/chemistry

 

[TomW]

It's based on dosing alk while the lights are off and pH is below 8.5; sensible. The OSC statement is calibrated to somebody else's dosing pumps and alk requirements, likely won't apply to you at all. This is an RTFM, I'm afraid. The answer will depend on your dosing pumps and your alk consumption. Find Randy Holmes Farley's articles on managing alk and calcium.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

does this make sense what i am doing ? , i am leaving calcium alone , because it is in desired levels,
but i read about dosing equally? but another question is is it based on ALK, dosing, then u dose the same for CA? or what am i missing lol ! any advise is welcomed !

I can't comment on the code, but unless calcium is too high, I'd use both parts equally. Calcium should stay about where it is. It moves up and down much more slowly, and the dose is matched to the demand.