Looking for help determining ideal daily Ca/Alk dosing

AndyR83

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As stated in the title, I’m attempting to determine the correct daily dosing of calcium and alkalinity for my system.

About two months ago I upgraded from a 55 gallon tank to a 250 gallon system. I only had a few basic/easy corals in the old tank and I wasn't really monitoring or adjusting parameters too closely before the move. Now that my fish are settled into their new home and the tank has been running for a bit, I’m looking to step up my game and get better control of my system so I can eventually keep a true reef tank.

I can’t seem to get a good handle on my calcium/alk. I have attached data below. For about five weeks I was dosing Kent liquid calcium per instructions on the bottle (25-30ml daily) but my levels remained below the ideal range. One week ago, I stopped dosing the Kent liquid calcium and switched to using Seachem two-part daily instead (Fusion 1 and 2.) I’m still not reliably seeng these parameters maintained in the target ranges. I’m looking for any guidance regarding the correct daily dosage to achieve the desired result. I’ve used the various calculators that are available online but they all seem to be set up to provide a one time dose required to bring the tank to ideal state rather than daily dosages.

Additional Details:
250 gallons total volume, created from home made RODI and brought to 1.025 - 1.026 salinity using Red Sea salt mix

Nothing is currently automated. Top off, dosing, monitoring of parameters, etc are all performed manually. Of course I’d like to automate as much of this as possible some day but that's not currently feasible for me.

Regimen
For the past two months months:
- Kent Essential Elements 25ml weekly
- Kent Iodide 25ml weekly
- 10% water change weekly

As of last week:
- Seachem Fusion 1: 40ml daily (morning)
- Seachem Fusion 2: 40ml daily (evening)

Data
C35B3845-D148-463E-B58B-B4DFBB50A3D5.png

8522E0C9-ABC2-49AE-AF82-0FEDEEBE6A82.png


4724A262-1FA7-4CA3-BF5F-409CB44FDB37.png

B13D9BC5-6801-4D25-8F31-D0417B0A0C24.png
 

dankaqua

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Nothing is currently automated. Top off, dosing, monitoring of parameters, etc are all performed manually. Of course I’d like to automate as much of this as possible some day but that's not currently feasible for me.

With a cheap timer, you could add a simple dosing pump:


Maybe your numbers will show better consistency if you are dosing at regular time intervals. I like Kalkwasser dosing for steady alk and calcium (and it's cheaper).
 

Randy Holmes-Farley

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The magnesium variations are entirely effects of test error or salinity changes. It does not rise and fall like that. Real consumption is 0-2 ppm per day.

I'd dose a little less of each part each day unless you want to maintain 10 dKH.

Don't change the daily dose for at least a week.

Also not that Seachem Fusion is not properly designed for 1:1 dosing, so long term you may need to shift away from 1:1.
 
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