Help with dosing and numbers

[offthehook]

Long post so bare with me. So back in the day I used 2 little fishes part a and b then switched to Mrs wages pickling lime but that’s been many years ago and on my 180 gallon. Skip to about 8 years later (today ). I have a 66 total gallon system with probably about 55 gallons of water after displacement etc, my tank is pretty full of LPs, softies and a few easy to keep sps. I started noticing with my salifert alk test that my alk was getting a little lower so I started dosing I-bionic 2 part end of January . Had chat gpt put together a small chart with what I did, it’s hard to follow but I’m trying to figure out from the last few days of not dosing what I need to dose. I just recieved my doser (first time using an doser) and want to set it up this weekend, I’m contemplating using all for reef, I have both esv I-bionic and all for reef, just need to pick a path, I feed super heavy but my nitrates are super low and I know or have read that all for reef will lower nitrates. I don’t really need that but would like to keep it simple with one bottle so that’s the delima and also figuring out the usage and dosing amount, prior to this table I started dosing about 13 ml of i-bionic 2 part for a few days. Had not been dosing previously other than weekly water changes. I started dosing around Jan 30 due to lower alk.

2/2 (after WC)

8.8

480

~10g water change (AquaForest)

2/3 -	8.3	450	Didn’t dose 2/2 or 2/3
2/6 (after 2 days @ 13 mL ESV)	8.8	475
2/8	8.2	455	No dosing since 2/6
2/10	7.3	450	Have not dosed anything since 2/6 dosed 6 ml today of alk esv ibionic today

So math is not my strong suit but I’m trying to figure it out, I don’t want to have those alk swings. Do I stick with ibionic or go with alk for reef when I set up my doser and based on usage what seems like the best dosage amount, you can see from 2/6 to today my decline in numbers slightly from not dosing. Sorry for the long post and hope it makes sense and h=any help is appreciated.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Sadly many posts in this and other threads were lost this morning.

To summarize, I would use either of your two products, AFR or B-ionic to add 0.4 dKH per day for several days. Only after those days, make an adjustment up or down to try to make a soft landing on your target.

That needs 14 mL of AFR or 11 mL of both parts of ESV original B-ionic to add 0.4 dKH in 55 gallons.

 

[offthehook]

Sadly many posts in this and other threads were lost this morning.

To summarize, I would use either of your two products, AFR or B-ionic to add 0.4 dKH per day for several days. Only after those days, make an adjustment up or down to try to make a soft landing on your target.

That needs 14 mL of AFR or 11 mL of both parts of ESV original B-ionic to add 0.4 dKH in 55 gallons.

Thanks I had responded but I’ll try and summarize….lol. I was thinking by my charting I was using about .3 a day and TM calculator said to dose 2.7 ml daily and that would add .28 dkh so thought that was pretty low but again I’m pretty illiterate when it comes to math and chemistry and need it spelled out like I’m 3 years old…LOL. I’m really unsure if exact water volume, I’m estimating that with rock work and equipment I have about 55 -58 gallons out of the 66 available.
I appreciate your input on the 14 ml of AFR, I did see your original response as well. I do think I’ll go with AFR. I was worried as my nitrates are super low but hoping this doesn’t make it worse at that low dose. I would prefer to use all for reef I think or atleast give it a go. My alk was 7.7 today after dosing the 6ml of b-ionic yesterday so I’m in a pretty good place to start the AFR. I have read it makes calcium creep so I’ll keep an eye out.

One question I had is I will set up my doser this weekend, best to spread out the one dose into 3 throughout the day or does it really matter?

 

[Privateye]

Calculations will certainly get you closer to where you want to start. You may not need them, but they help reduce trial and error.

When I first started using dosing pumps I had a rough idea of how much buffer solution I was adding per day just to keep up. So I essentially just had to make that the total amount added daily with the pump. I just split it between several additions throughout the day.

Another chemistry test after a few days will tell you whether you need to increase or decrease your dosage. This can change with livestock additions, losses, and growth. You'll find an equilibrium though.

If you're dosing metals like calcium or magnesium as well, make sure you don't add them at the same time as buffer. They will interact with each other (precipitate) instead of staying dissolved in your water.

 

[Uncle99]

The more the dose frequency, the better.
For 14ml, unless you can go less than 1ml (rare) then 1ml ever 2 hours, every day. The xtra two mls you can add at 12:00 and 00:00, or just leave it twelve to start.

Always the less flux the better in environment.

Test regularly until you have in pinned.

 

[offthehook]

Calculations will certainly get you closer to where you want to start. You may not need them, but they help reduce trial and error.

When I first started using dosing pumps I had a rough idea of how much buffer solution I was adding per day just to keep up. So I essentially just had to make that the total amount added daily with the pump. I just split it between several additions throughout the day.

Another chemistry test after a few days will tell you whether you need to increase or decrease your dosage. This can change with livestock additions, losses, and growth. You'll find an equilibrium though.

If you're dosing metals like calcium or magnesium as well, make sure you don't add them at the same time as buffer. They will interact with each other (precipitate) instead of staying dissolved in your water.

Thanks I’m not dosing anything else. Was dosing the esv 2 part but had just started it and also had AFR so decided to buy a doser as I get older my memory isn’t the best and lair that with ADHD and I’m in trouble.….lol. So figured the doser would eliminate yet another alarm on my phone. Golly seems like when I was in the hobby hit and heavy years ago I didn’t have to think this hard…hahaha

The more the dose frequency, the better.
For 14ml, unless you can go less than 1ml (rare) then 1ml ever 2 hours, every day. The xtra two mls you can add at 12:00 and 00:00, or just leave it twelve to start.

Always the less flux the better in environment.

Test regularly until you have in pinned.

Yeah I will split it as much as I can throughout the day then. I need it read up on the doser. I got the aquavitro sentia . Thank you, I’m not sure why I’m having such a hard time figuring it out…I need to order another alk test. I think I’ll try aquaforest this time. Have been using the salifert test but about out of regent