Dosing two-part for the first time and I am scared!

[chipmunkofdoom2]

I have watched every video BRS has about two-part and even the website says:
Ideal for large changes in alkalinity levels or daily dosing in aquariums with high pH.

This is accurate, but not easy to understand. Bottom line is use sodium bicarbonate if you don't want to affect your pH when you supplement alkalinity*. Use sodium carbonate if you want to boost your pH every time you supplement alkalinity.

* - sodium bicarbonate has a slight lowering effect on pH. For every 1 dKh increase, pH drops by about 0.03. It will be difficult to measure a drop this small with hobbyist equipment, so there is essentially no change to pH with sodium bicarbonate. If you dose a tremendous amount of two-part or you have low pH, you may consider using sodium carbonate instead of sodium bicarbonate. But for most reefers, you will see no pH effect using bicarbonate.

 

[Mikeneedsahobby]

@markysgirl

Thank you for this thread. I am having a lot of the same questions as you. I am even newer than you though. My DT doesn’t have any corals yet. Heck I don’t even have a fish in there.

I do have a desire to automate and a desire to future proof. I like to establish and tweak my methods before I actually need it. For this reason I was thinking of beginning to dose two part in a month or so. I already have a controller and dosing pumps. I can set the dosing time low as I don’t need much. My alk is in the upper 6s and calc around 410.

So did you get an answer on the right brs alk additive for your tank?

Edit: Looks like @chipmunkofdoom2 answered while I was typing. Thank you!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

@markysgirl

Thank you for this thread. I am having a lot of the same questions as you. I am even newer than you though. My DT doesn’t have any corals yet. Heck I don’t even have a fish in there.

I do have a desire to automate and a desire to future proof. I like to establish and tweak my methods before I actually need it. For this reason I was thinking of beginning to dose two part in a month or so. I already have a controller and dosing pumps. I can set the dosing time low as I don’t need much. My alk is in the upper 6s and calc around 410.

So did you get an answer on the right brs alk additive for your tank?

Edit: Looks like @chipmunkofdoom2 answered while I was typing. Thank you!

For folks who want a general review of the various ways to supplement calcium and alkalintiy, i discuss them here:

The Many Methods for Supplementing Calcium and Alkalinity - REEFEDITION
http://www.reefedition.com/the-many-methods-for-supplementing-calcium-and-alkalinity/

 

[markysgirl]

For folks who want a general review of the various ways to supplement calcium and alkalintiy, i discuss them here:

The Many Methods for Supplementing Calcium and Alkalinity - REEFEDITION
http://www.reefedition.com/the-many-methods-for-supplementing-calcium-and-alkalinity/

Exactly what I needed!!!
Thank you soooo much!

 

[markysgirl]

@markysgirl

Thank you for this thread. I am having a lot of the same questions as you. I am even newer than you though. My DT doesn’t have any corals yet. Heck I don’t even have a fish in there.

I do have a desire to automate and a desire to future proof. I like to establish and tweak my methods before I actually need it. For this reason I was thinking of beginning to dose two part in a month or so. I already have a controller and dosing pumps. I can set the dosing time low as I don’t need much. My alk is in the upper 6s and calc around 410.

So did you get an answer on the right brs alk additive for your tank?

Edit: Looks like @chipmunkofdoom2 answered while I was typing. Thank you!

I actually ended up calling BRS, who have the most helpful people, and they said the soda ash shouldn't raise my pH too much. So I am going with that.
My plan is to dose by hand, and test, test, test while I wrap my head around what I am doing and then eventually get it on the auto doser.
I've read everything I can and watched hours of how to videos so I just need to learn the rest by just doing it.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I actually ended up calling BRS, who have the most helpful people, and they said the soda ash shouldn't raise my pH too much. So I am going with that.
My plan is to dose by hand, and test, test, test while I wrap my head around what I am doing and then eventually get it on the auto doser.
I've read everything I can and watched hours of how to videos so I just need to learn the rest by just doing it.

Just remember, these BRS folks are salesman. Many of us are scientists.

I could have told you the exact amount sodium carbonate raise pH because I have measured it and published the results.

 

[Futuretotm]

Just remember, these BRS folks are salesman. Many of us are scientists.

I could have told you the exact amount sodium carbonate raise pH because I have measured it and published the results.

Another beginner here @Randy Holmes-Farley
So over the last 6 weeks my new tank with LR and minimal LPS is going through Alk but not Ca,
Ca is actually going up due to my water changes 430 to 475 to 490 (three weeks)
Alk is 7.1 to 6.9 to 6.8 (three weeks)

So in this case I would like to use soda ash alone to dose.
In my case my pH despite a co2 scrubber is only 7.9 so the little bit I dose will help me in this regard as well.
Will adding alk/soda ash change my calcium in anyway.....


Do you have a diagram anywhere which shows which parameter is connected to who? directly/inversely?

Again thank you for your time Randy.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Another beginner here @Randy Holmes-Farley
So over the last 6 weeks my new tank with LR and minimal LPS is going through Alk but not Ca,
Ca is actually going up due to my water changes 430 to 475 to 490 (three weeks)
Alk is 7.1 to 6.9 to 6.8 (three weeks)

So in this case I would like to use soda ash alone to dose.
In my case my pH despite a co2 scrubber is only 7.9 so the little bit I dose will help me in this regard as well.
Will adding alk/soda ash change my calcium in anyway.....


Do you have a diagram anywhere which shows which parameter is connected to who? directly/inversely?

Again thank you for your time Randy.

That amount of sodium carbonate you will dose to boost alk is small and won't do anything else except a small pH rise that will go away in a few hours.

There's no chart that you mention because there is little direct connection except between pH and alkalinity supplements.

 

[Doglips56]

Use a Kalk stirrer. That makes it waaaayyyyy less messy and gives you fully saturated solution. I wouldn't put Kalk on an ATO. Use the ATO for peaks in evaporation and push through the stirrer a constant amount. This is very clean and works extremely well.

Going down the dosing path should be scary there is a lot going into the tank with the two part and you can't test the other elements at home.

I highly suggest the kalk over the dosing especially for your situation.

I found this thread through a Forum search so I wouldn’t be asking same thing as has been asked and answered. Reading your comment here, OMG, I hope nothing dies.
we have a 125 DT with 40g sump that had been doing GREAT with just water changes. Tried ATO/AWC made by AutoAqua but the pumps died rather quickly. I think perhaps it wasn’t designed for such a large tank.
Anyway, all of a sudden my encrusting corals died. It seemed to happen very quickly. Did testing and everything was low. Someone I don’t know well, but who is a lighting techie guy told me to start using ATI Essentials Pro. Ok I’m new and stupid I guess so I programmed the doser according to manufacturers dosing calculator. All of a sudden my beautiful hammer that in 9 months has gone from a tiny 2 heads to a 10 head beauty stopped plumping up. Then I noticed my always happy and forever splitting hairy mushrooms and ricordia were staying retracted (not closed) and my bubble coral as well. Testing showed stable dKH within a.3 margin @10, prior to starting dosing was 7.6; Magnesium had risen to 1600 from 1200 (had been testing and turning supplement down by half every other day as levels started rising), Ca+ previous to dosing was in the toilet at 250, now 461. pH up to 8.4 from 7.8. Turned off doser completely. Was going to do a water change last night but decided to wait till today. I have not retested parameters yet today but everything that’s been mad for the past week is looking much better today. So should I hold off on the water change so as not to stress them anymore? (My husband just did a 15 gallon water change last weekend). I should have done better research before buying and starting this stuff. My friend said I just need regular 2 part. I don’t have that but I do have kalkwasser on hand I’ve never used. I don’t have a stirrer. Wondering if I should just try what I’ve got (Kalkwasser) and get a stirrer or do the actual BRS 2 part. Thoughts?

 

[HuduVudu]

I found this thread through a Forum search so I wouldn’t be asking same thing as has been asked and answered. Reading your comment here, OMG, I hope nothing dies.
pour 125 DT with 40g sump had been doing GREAT with just water changes. Tried ATO/AWC made by AutoAqua but the pumps died rather quickly. I think perhaps it wasn’t designed for such a large tank.
Anayway, all of a sudden the f my encrusting corals died. It seemed to happen very quickly. Did testing and everything was low. Someone I don’t know well, but who is a lighting techie guy told me to start using ATI Essentials Pro. Ok I’m new and stupid I guess so I programmed the dozer according to manufacturers dosing calculator. All of a sudden my beautiful hammer that in 9 months has gone from a tiny 2 heads to a 10 head beauty stopped plumping up. Then I noticed mt always happy and forever splitting hairy mushrooms and ricordia were staying retracted (not closed) and my bubble coral as well. Testing showed stable dKH within a.3 margin @10, prior to starting dosing was 7.6; Magnesium had risen to 1600 from 1200 (had been testing and turning supplement down by half every other day as levels started rising), Ca+ previous todosing was in the toilet at 250, now 461. pH up to 8.4 from 7.8. Turned off dozer completely. Was going to do a water change last night but decided to wait till today. I have not retested parameters yet today but everything that’s been mad for the past week is looking much better today. So should I hold off on the water change so as not to stress them anymore? (My husband just did a 15 gallon water change last weekend). I should have done better research before buying and starting this stuff. My friend said I just need regular 2 part. I don’t have that but I do have kalkwasser on hand I’ve never used. I don’t have a stirrer. Wondering if I should just try what I’ve got (Kalkwasser) and get a stirrer or do the actual BRS 2 part. Thoughts?

You can make your own Kalkwasser solution easily. Fill up a container with RO/DI and then add Kalc and stir untill you see a 1/8" or so off the Kalk on the bottom. Cover the container. Wait until the water clarifies. This should take 4-5ish hours. Just keep watching. You can use a doser to dose this with. The important part is to not put it in fast. Also don't suck in the top crusty stuff of the bottom stuff. It is ok if you do it on accident it won't hurt anything, it is just gets in the lines and you will have to get it out later. It is relative easy to get out it just is a PITA.

If you need more than what the Kalkwasser can provide, you can check out the link in my signature for a way to uncouple Kalkwasser from the top off alltogether. Be warned when reading the thread what I am doing is contraversial and the responses are a bit ugly. Just know that I am running a full SPS tank on this method.

 

[rmurken]

I’m a kalk afficionado and feel a deep sense of loss that the OP is going with two-part. Lol JK—enjoy the hobby, and #ReadRandy. (Thank you @Randy Holmes-Farley )