Question about BRS 2 Part

[bluecheese]

I have the 2 part dosing system from BRS.

Reading their instructions online, and watching their videos, it is my understanding that I will first dose calcium and soda ash to bring up my calcium and alkalinity to where I want them, then dose daily to maintain those levels.

But their instructions don’t really talk about magnesium, other than to say that I should dose magnesium in a certain amount after emptying the gallon jugs of calc and alk.

So, my question is, do I need to do an initial dose of magnesium to bring that up to my preferred level? Or does just doing a large dose after depleting calc and alk suffice?

 

[OutColdCRNA]

You would need to test to determine what your mag level is. Then you can correct with whichever mag solution you choose. The BRS calculator would tell you how much to bring to desired level.

Here are some basic steps. For 2 part dosing.

1. Test alk to determine you level and use the BRS calculator to figure out what your dose would be to bring up to the desired level.
2. Test cal and follow the same steps in number one
3. Test all and cal on consecutive days at approximately the same time each day. That will tell you what your consumption is per day. (Ex. 8.1 then 7.9 the next day. So 0.2 per day)
4. Go back to the calculator and plug in your low number and then your desired number. That will give you what your daily dosing would be.
5. Mag is something that is usually maintained with regular water changes. But if need test like once a month and can correct using the BRS calculator as well.

Hope this makes sense.

 

[bluecheese]

You would need to test to determine what your mag level is.
Here are some basic steps.
1. Test alk to determine you level and use the BRS calculator to figure out what your dose would be to bring up to the desired level.
2. Test cal and follow the same steps in number one
3. Test all and cal on consecutive days at approximately the same time each day. That will tell you what your consumption is per day. (Ex. 8.1 then 7.9 the next day. So 0.2 per day)
4. Go back to the calculator and plug in your low number and then your desired number. That will give you what your daily dosing would be.
5. Mag is something that is usually maintained with regular water changes. But if need test like once a month and can correct using the BRS calculator as well.

Hope this makes sense.

Right. So should I do the initial large dose of magnesium to bring the levels up to my preference, like I would calc and alk?

 

[OutColdCRNA]

Right. So should I do the initial large dose of magnesium to bring the levels up to my preference, like I would calc and alk?

Sorry, I edited my post after I reread your question. Correct, test and see what the difference is between your value and your desired value. Adjust and then test again in a few weeks. Mag doesn’t deplete very quickly.

 

[OutColdCRNA]

If your in New Orleans, I was south of you this weekend fishing in Dulac.

 

[bluecheese]

If your in New Orleans, I was south of you this weekend fishing in Dulac.

Good fishing there. I’m surprised the fish weren’t boiling with the heat wave we’ve been dealing with.

 

[OutColdCRNA]

80 speckled trout on Saturday. 5 bull redfish and a few smaller ones yesterday. Tore em up!

 

[bluecheese]

That’s a good haul. It’s been too long since I’ve been fishing. We usually head out from Delacroix, or head to my buddy’s camp in Bay St Louis.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I have the 2 part dosing system from BRS.

Reading their instructions online, and watching their videos, it is my understanding that I will first dose calcium and soda ash to bring up my calcium and alkalinity to where I want them, then dose daily to maintain those levels.

But their instructions don’t really talk about magnesium, other than to say that I should dose magnesium in a certain amount after emptying the gallon jugs of calc and alk.

So, my question is, do I need to do an initial dose of magnesium to bring that up to my preferred level? Or does just doing a large dose after depleting calc and alk suffice?

I designed the BRS two part.

Some basic info to guide you in using it:

The third part, which is not just a magnesium supplement, but also balances the chloride and sulfate, is designed to be dosed at a fixed rate to the other parts. 610 mL of it per gallon of the alk or calcium part. The fact that you can adjust it does not mean that you should. Most high end commercial two parts have the functionality of this third part built into the other two and cannot be adjusted.

I do not recommend dosing the third part based on magnesium.

If you need corrective doses to fix low magnesium, do it.

If there is a problem with high magneisum, it might be worth checking why, and test error is msot common, but if magnesium is already higher than your target, stop using the third part, and test your salt mix for excessive magnesium.

 

[bluecheese]

I designed the BRS two part.

Some basic info to guide you in using it:

The third part, which is not just a magnesium supplement, but also balances the chloride and sulfate, is designed to be dosed at a fixed rate to the other parts. 610 mL of it per gallon of the alk or calcium part. The fact that you can adjust it does not mean that you should. Most high end commercial two parts have the functionality of this third part built into the other two and cannot be adjusted.

I do not recommend dosing the third part based on magnesium.

If you need corrective doses to fix low magnesium, do it.

If there is a problem with high magneisum, it might be worth checking why, and test error is msot common, but if magnesium is already higher than your target, stop using the third part, and test your salt mix for excessive magnesium.

Thank you for the information.

So if my magnesium is currently at 1280, should I just roll with that and replenish it after the gallons are depleted, or should I get some maintenance magnesium and bring that level up? I know magnesium levels are kind of a personal preference thing, but what is your opinon on it?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Thank you for the information.

So if my magnesium is currently at 1280, should I just roll with that and replenish it after the gallons are depleted, or should I get some maintenance magnesium and bring that level up? I know magnesium levels are kind of a personal preference thing, but what is your opinon on it?

1280 ppm exactly matches world ocean average magneisum levels, so it is fine to leave it there and just dose the third part based on alk and calcium dosing (note it is NOT 1:1:1 dosing).

But if you want it higher for any reason, it is also fine to boost it with a one time correction, or perhaps raise salinity, if it is not 35 ppt, because that brings up magneisum substantially in many cases.

 

[bluecheese]

1280 ppm exactly matches world ocean average magneisum levels, so it is fine to leave it there and just dose the third part based on alk and calcium dosing (note it is NOT 1:1:1 dosing).

But if you want it higher for any reason, it is also fine to boost it with a one time correction, or perhaps raise salinity, if it is not 35 ppt, because that brings up magneisum substantially in many cases.

Excellent. Thank you.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Excellent. Thank you.

You're welcome.

Happy reefing.

 

[GuppyHJD]

You're welcome.

Happy reefing.

Randy,
This thread is exactly what I was searching for.
I am dosing BRS-ALK - currently 35ml and BRS-Calcium - currently 33ml each day. Target is 9.5 ALK and 450 Calc.
I have been testing Magnesium every two weeks, and dose the BRS-Magnesium using the BRS calculator to maintain 1450 magnesium.
My ALK and Calcium uptake is not 1:1. At times my ALK has needed up to 48ml while Calcium was only 15ml.
Should I be adjusting the Magnesium when I mix a new gallon of ALK instead?

Long term - should I be concerned about the BRS 2-part ionic balance? Will I need to shift from Soda Ash to Kalk or other product?
Thank you. I think I should have worked harder in high school chemistry class.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I do not recommend dosing the part 3 based on magnesium testing since it does more than that. Magnesium has a pretty wide range of acceptability, and if you are anywhere in that range, dose the mag part based on the alk dosing (610 ml of part 3 per gallon of the alk part), since water changes with a high calcium mix may artificially reduce demand for it, and testing for it is not as accurate as for alk.

If you do regular water changes, the ionic balance may be fine, but using Balling Part C in place of my part 3 eliminates that concern.

 

[GuppyHJD]

I do not recommend dosing the part 3 based on magnesium testing since it does more than that. Magnesium has a pretty wide range of acceptability, and if you are anywhere in that range, dose the mag part based on the alk dosing (610 ml of part 3 per gallon of the alk part), since water changes with a high calcium mix may artificially reduce demand for it, and testing for it is not as accurate as for alk.

If you do regular water changes, the ionic balance may be fine, but using Balling Part C in place of my part 3 eliminates that concern.

THANK YOU

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

You're welcome.

Happy reefing.

 

[REEFRIED!]

I do not recommend dosing the part 3 based on magnesium testing since it does more than that. Magnesium has a pretty wide range of acceptability, and if you are anywhere in that range, dose the mag part based on the alk dosing (610 ml of part 3 per gallon of the alk part), since water changes with a high calcium mix may artificially reduce demand for it, and testing for it is not as accurate as for alk.

If you do regular water changes, the ionic balance may be fine, but using Balling Part C in place of my part 3 eliminates that concern.

Old thread but I have a question. Randy, If it is 610 mls of part 3 per gallon of part one. Does that mean that we should be using a roughly 6/1 ratio for part 3? Example: if my tank uses 12mls of parts one and two daily should I dose 2mls of part 3 daily? Cool that you designed the BRD two part. I didn’t know that!!!

Thank you

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Old thread but I have a question. Randy, If it is 610 mls of part 3 per gallon of part one. Does that mean that we should be using a roughly 6/1 ratio for part 3? Example: if my tank uses 12mls of parts one and two daily should I dose 2mls of part 3 daily? Cool that you designed the BRD two part. I didn’t know that!!!

Thank you

Yes, that’s a fine plan. But in reality you need not dose it every day or even every week because magnesium is moving very slowly.

 

[homer1475]

Depending on whether your doing WC's or not, you may not even need to add a magnesium supplement.