Dosing Timing

[penguinexdeus]

So I've been dosing Kalk (via kalk stirrer/ DOS) and 2 part (ESV B Ionic by Red Sea Reef Dose). I initially had my dosing scheduled to distribute Kalk fairly evenly during the 24 hours and to dose the 2 part evenly three times (morning, afternoon, evening) midway between Trident tests. My Trident tests on the default schedule at Midnight, 6am (just alk), Noon, and 6pm (just alk).

I had stopped all dosing for about 15 minutes prior to any testing, and resumed after testing was complete. I also had stopped dosing Kalk about 15 minutes prior and resumed 15 min after 2 part dosing. 2 part Alk and Cal are dosed about 45 minutes apart from each other.

This had been working ok for me, but I did have to go in and periodically tweak things if my Alk was starting to decline. Last couple of days it seemed like my Alk usage had increased (pH has been higher last couple days and I was having to supplement a bit extra/ tweak things trying to get back to targets slowly), growth has increased in coral, and I've been getting some solidification in the sand bed the past month. I thought it may be simpler if I tried to distribute the 2 part evenly throughout the day in about 16 doses vs 3 large doses and that maybe it would cause less swings in the day also.

The programing I used for the 2 part I'm assuming was too close in time with the Kalk or even overlapped with it or possibly the Alk/ Cal was too close (looked like it was 10 min apart sometimes). Either way, trialing the new method didn't work... my Alk was dropping through the day and each of my Trident tests was lower by about 0.1 dkH than the last. As I was trying to compensate and adjust, My Alk usages was looking to be almost double what it had been... so I moved back to my original method and hope things calm down... I assume I was precipitating out.

Curious when/ what times/ how others are dosing if using 2 part and Kalk? Or if anyone has any suggestions. I'd like sand bed to soften up and get my dosing stabilized. Trying to avoid drastic swings as much as possible so I don't lose any acros...

85 gallons net volume, SPS dominate (mostly frags)
Target Alk 8.2/8.3, I try to keep above 8.0 and below 8.6 as my alarms. Currently 8.0, but had been down to 7.7 earlier today
Target Cal 420-450
Target Mag 1400-1450
pH has been about 8.1 to 8.3 lately.
Nitrate currently about 9 (trying to get to 10)
Phos currently about 0.04 (struggling to get to 0.1)
Salinity 35 ppt

Dosing about 3750ml of Kalk throughout 24 hours
ESV B-Ionic had been around 30ml of each part (10ml each of 3 periods)

Thanks in advance!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

The hardening sand is at least part of why the demand is increasing. You need to break the precipitation cycle or it will keep going.

Here's my general advice for this:


1. Stop all efforts to boost pH.
2. Stop dosing alk for a bit and let it decline.
3. Reduce pH by switching to a low pH alk mix like sodium bicarbonate, or a calcium organic such as Tropic Marin All for Reef.
4. Ensure magnesium is normal to high.
5. Keep organics and phosphate on the high side.

After a few days of not dosing alk, restart slowly, adding additives to a very high flow area so it mixes in fast.