Is my ALK swinging to much?

[gabesreef]

Just wondering if this is considered unstable? This is how my alk has been fluctuating from 5/26-6/2. I use b ionic 2 part and I use much more alk than calcium. I have my trident and DOS working together to dose my tank. I’m just wondering if this is okay for SPS.

My goal is 9 alk and 440 calcium

 

[Justfebreezeit]

Yes but b ionic 2 part is designed to be dosed in equal amounts no?

 

[get-salty]

that is pretty close to your goal isnt it?
i wouldnt say alk from 8.79-9.42 is a huge swing or any that effect your corals.
what salt are you using?
there are salt that has high alk after mix - redsea pro is one.

You dose b-ionic alk and cal separately. I dose cal during the day and alk at night.

 

[gabesreef]

Yes but b ionic 2 part is designed to be dosed in equal amounts no?

Hmm I’m not sure actually…. But I mean if it was equal parts my calcium would
Be sky high

 

[gabesreef]

that is pretty close to your goal isnt it?
i wouldnt say alk from 8.79-9.42 is a huge swing or any that effect your corals.
what salt are you using?
there are salt that has high alk after mix - redsea pro is one.

You dose b-ionic alk and cal separately. I dose cal during the day and alk at night.

I use Fritz which mixes up pretty close to that

 

[get-salty]

Hmm I’m not sure actually…. But I mean if it was equal parts my calcium would
Be sky high

you dont dose bionic 2 parts together. it is really for manual adjustments but commonly dose using two dosers separately.

 

[Justfebreezeit]

you dont dose bionic 2 parts together. it is really for manual adjustments but commonly dose using two dosers separately.

By equal parts we mean when you dose 1ml of 1, you dose 1ml of the other

Not meaning at the exact same time

 

[get-salty]

By equal parts we mean when you dose 1ml of 1, you dose 1ml of the other

Not meaning at the exact same time

still no. its meant for manual dosing - adjustments. However if your levels are where you like them to be then you can do that.

then again.. once you start going into some sps, your level of dosing changes bc they need more cal which requires for you to bump up your cal dosage.

 

[gabesreef]

I don’t dose them at the same time but I use significantly more alk then calcium right now. Is that okay?

 

[Justfebreezeit]

still no. its meant for manual dosing - adjustments. However if your levels are where you like them to be then you can do that.

then again.. once you start going into some sps, your level of dosing changes bc they need more cal which requires for you to bump up your cal dosage.

It is definitely designed to be dosed in equal amounts.

"When using equal volumes of each component, the aquarist can easily maintain calcium and alkalinity levels with no mixing powders, disruption of ionic balance, or addition of organic chemicals."

I'm not sure why you are so certain otherwise.

Whether you should or not is a different debate.

 

[Justfebreezeit]

I don’t dose them at the same time but I use significantly more alk then calcium right now. Is that okay?

Alk and Calcium are normally consumed in the ratio that B ionic provides. So either your testing for Calcium is inaccurate (Seemingly a common issue) or you truly are consuming more Alk for an unknown reason.

 

[get-salty]

It is definitely designed to be dosed in equal amounts.

"When using equal volumes of each component, the aquarist can easily maintain calcium and alkalinity levels with no mixing powders, disruption of ionic balance, or addition of organic chemicals."

I'm not sure why you are so certain otherwise.

Whether you should or not is a different debate.

haha im not the one that came back with a follow up question bud and my msg was to the OP and nvr meant to you.


as your coral grows.. your alk and cal levels will be differ. sps will need more cal , so if you're dosing 1ml alk and 1ml cal , your alk wil sky rocket.

 

[BryanM]

Personally I would strive for more consistent alk. Corals really enjoy this to be stable, but that "swing" isn't too bad.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Hmm I’m not sure actually…. But I mean if it was equal parts my calcium would
Be sky high

Would it? Folks often misunderstand the effect. Calcium moves far more slowly than alk. I think if you dosed both parts equally based on alk, calcium would stay pretty much fine.

The main caveat is a tank using a sulfur denitrator where alk is being consumed by it, or one with rapidly rising nitrate which also consumes alk.

Otherwise, alk and calcium are used pretty much in a fixed ratio.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

as your coral grows.. your alk and cal levels will be differ. sps will need more cal , so if you're dosing 1ml alk and 1ml cal , your alk wil sky rocket.

That doesn’t make sense. No coral uses much different than 2.8 dKH to consume 19-20 ppm calcium to make skeletons. Corals do not have any other use for calcium or alkalinity.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Just wondering if this is considered unstable? This is how my alk has been fluctuating from 5/26-6/2. I use b ionic 2 part and I use much more alk than calcium. I have my trident and DOS working together to dose my tank. I’m just wondering if this is okay for SPS.

My goal is 9 alk and 440 calcium

The daily alk change is fine. Many folks use once a day manual dosing to add large amounts of alk and it apparently works fine.

 

[gabesreef]

Would it? Folks often misunderstand the effect. Calcium moves far more slowly than alk. I think if you dosed both parts equally based on alk, calcium would stay pretty much fine.

The main caveat is a tank using a sulfur denitrator where alk is being consumed by it, or one with rapidly rising nitrate which also consumes alk.

Otherwise, alk and calcium are used pretty much in a fixed ratio.

When I started the tank I was trying to dose equal parts but the calcium kept going up what do you recommend I'm do? Seems like I’m using double the alk then calcium.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

When I started the tank I was trying to dose equal parts but the calcium kept going up what do you recommend I'm do? Seems like I’m using double the alk then calcium.

How are you dosing? Dosing pumps often deliver amounts different than the rating.

How much did calcium rise? Unless calcium is already too high (say, above 550 ppm), I’d stick to equal parts dosing and keep monitoring once every few weeks. I do not test calcium at all at home and it is working fine based on icp.

I generally think calcium testing is not a good way to control dosing because calcium moves too slowly and tests are imprecise/inaccurate enough to cause misunderstandings and over or under dosing.

ESV can come in packages requiring dilution. Did you dilute both?

The also at least used to see a bicarbonate version with half the potency. Any chance you got half of one of those?

 

[gabesreef]

How are you dosing? Dosing pumps often deliver amounts different than the rating.

How much did calcium rise? Unless calcium is already too high (say, above 550 ppm), I’d stick to equal parts dosing and keep monitoring once every few weeks. I do not test calcium at all at home and it is working fine based on icp.

I generally think calcium testing is not a good way to control dosing because calcium moves too slowly and tests are imprecise/inaccurate enough to cause misunderstandings and over or under dosing.

ESV can come in packages requiring dilution. Did you dilute both?

The also at least used to see a bicarbonate version with half the potency. Any chance you got half of one of those?

I bought the big gallons they require dilution. I’m dosing them with the dos pumps with my apex.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I bought the big gallons they require dilution. I’m dosing them with the dos pumps with my apex.

Have you ever calibrated those to check for delivery?