Mastering dosing?

[Cbray305]

So , like every reefer, ive run into some kind of prob. That forces "dosing"... magnesium, calcium, iodide, trace elements, dkh... you get it. Now usualy 1 can offset the other.. so unless you test on a daily basis while fixing something by dosing, you may throw something off... my dkh dropped to a 7/8 using api test kit. I have boosted magnesium because of bryopsis, also calcium because, well its just part of my dosing...

So my question is, any recommendations, tips, or actualy facts to dosing and doing so properly without hurting a different "chemical"?.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

So , like every reefer, ive run into some kind of prob. That forces "dosing"... magnesium, calcium, iodide, trace elements, dkh... you get it. Now usualy 1 can offset the other.. so unless you test on a daily basis while fixing something by dosing, you may throw something off... my dkh dropped to a 7/8 using api test kit. I have boosted magnesium because of bryopsis, also calcium because, well its just part of my dosing...

So my question is, any recommendations, tips, or actualy facts to dosing and doing so properly without hurting a different "chemical"?.

Thanks in advance.

The impact of chemicals and dosing on each other is often GREATLY exaggerated and greatly oversimplified by people making claims about it.

The easiest way to dose and maintain most of these is with a good quality two part, such as ESV-B-ionic, but there are many other suitable ways. With such a method, I'd suggest only monitoring alkalinity, and calcium infrequently, as the other major and minor ions will follow along OK unless you mess with it.

A trace element supplement may be useful, but most folks do not dose those based on testing anyway.

You do not mention nitrate or phosphate, but those are important and I'd measure them long before I'd measure iodine (because I'm not convinced it matters) and magnesium (since it varies very slowly and is easily maintained without monitoring it).

 

[Cbray305]

I have tested everything, just calcium, alk, and oh are whats usualy effected. That is why i touch basis on those in this thread

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I have tested everything, just calcium, alk, and oh are whats usualy effected. That is why i touch basis on those in this thread

"oh" means what to you?

Well, I'm not sure exactly what effects you are seeing or what level of discussion you want. I have a bunch of articles posted above like this one that go into a lot of chemical detail about how they can impact one another, but assuming you elect a good dosing method, it isn't something that needs constant thinking about.

A Simplified Guide to the Relationship Between Calcium, Alkalinity, Magnesium and pH by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com

Calcium and alk certainly relate to one another, but the dosing of one does not rapidly cause issue with the other, assuming you do it reasonably.

 

[Cbray305]

It meant "ph". Thank you for the response

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

It meant "ph". Thank you for the response

OK, it is certainly true that some alkalinity additives will have a temporary impact on pH.

The three basic alkalinity additives are:

Bicarbonate (a slight pH lowering)
Carbonate (a substantial pH rise)
Hydroxide (a larger pH increase)