Running 2 Part on a Large Acro Dominated Tank?

Tuffloud1

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 24, 2014
Messages
1,274
Reaction score
1,079
Location
The People's Republic of California
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I’m curious if any of you stick heads out there with large tanks have opted to use 2 part instead of a calcium reactor.

1. How do you replenish trace elements. Water changes? Dosing trace elements?

2. Why did you choose 2 part?

3. What kind of 2 part are you using?

4. What is your daily consumption of alk/calcium?
 
Last edited:

NoFoolin

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 23, 2019
Messages
39
Reaction score
40
Location
Grand Rapids
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I have a 200 gallon tank at my office that struggles with low pH. It is 2 years old, and looking great, but the corals are stripping the calcium and alkalinity between weekly 20% water changes. I am choosing to start two-part because of the simplicity and because I don't want to lower the ph anymore.
 

blstravler

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
May 5, 2019
Messages
4,038
Reaction score
1,360
Location
Coastal New Jersey
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
I’m curious if any of you stick heads out there with large tanks have opted to use 2 part instead of a calcium reactor.

1. How do you replenish trace elements. Water changes? Dosing trace elements?

2. Why did you choose 2 part?

3. What kind of 2 part are you using?

4. What is your daily consumption of alk/calcium?
I just changed from a Calcium Reactor to ESV 2 part and my tank is full of SPS. I moved away from the CalRx because when I travel i just didn’t have anyone to maintain it - while they are mostly set and forget - what is the effluent clogs, CO2 runs out, etc. it’s too much for anyone I had to take care of it.

I moved to using a DOS and a Trident. I can manage from a far as needed. I set up a custom reservoir that hold 5 gals of both ESV parts so I won’t run out for a long time. It’s been about a week abs my ALK consumption sits at 135ml a day and my CAL is about the same - my Calc was getting really high so I turned it down a little. So far I’m very happy and my Corals have not noticed the difference.

I do a daily 1gal AWC so that generally covers trace elements pretty well as does the ESV 2 part. I do have the Tropic Marine A and K elements but I haven’t started dosing them yet. Maybe this week but I might do an ICP water test first to see where things are at.
 
OP
OP
Tuffloud1

Tuffloud1

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 24, 2014
Messages
1,274
Reaction score
1,079
Location
The People's Republic of California
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I just changed from a Calcium Reactor to ESV 2 part and my tank is full of SPS. I moved away from the CalRx because when I travel i just didn’t have anyone to maintain it - while they are mostly set and forget - what is the effluent clogs, CO2 runs out, etc. it’s too much for anyone I had to take care of it.

I moved to using a DOS and a Trident. I can manage from a far as needed. I set up a custom reservoir that hold 5 gals of both ESV parts so I won’t run out for a long time. It’s been about a week abs my ALK consumption sits at 135ml a day and my CAL is about the same - my Calc was getting really high so I turned it down a little. So far I’m very happy and my Corals have not noticed the difference.

I do a daily 1gal AWC so that generally covers trace elements pretty well as does the ESV 2 part. I do have the Tropic Marine A and K elements but I haven’t started dosing them yet. Maybe this week but I might do an ICP water test first to see where things are at.
Where do you get the ESV 2 part from?

I’m currently using BRS Soda Ash and Calcium Chloride but thinking about switching for the trace elements.
 

RuuToo

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 13, 2021
Messages
146
Reaction score
168
Location
south jersey
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Where do you get the ESV 2 part from?

I’m currently using BRS Soda Ash and Calcium Chloride but thinking about switching for the trace elements.
Brs now sell a hybrid balling setup to supplement trace elements into both alk and calcium (as well as part c to deal with nacl buildup) Might be worth looking at that too.
 

blstravler

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
May 5, 2019
Messages
4,038
Reaction score
1,360
Location
Coastal New Jersey
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
Where do you get the ESV 2 part from?

I’m currently using BRS Soda Ash and Calcium Chloride but thinking about switching for the trace elements.

I get it from my LFS. I am lucky as I live close to ESV HQ in NY so I can get the larger 2 gallon kit and it isn't shipped as a concentrate.
 
OP
OP
Tuffloud1

Tuffloud1

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 24, 2014
Messages
1,274
Reaction score
1,079
Location
The People's Republic of California
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Brs now sell a hybrid balling setup to supplement trace elements into both alk and calcium (as well as part c to deal with nacl buildup) Might be worth looking at that too.
I was running this for 6 months, got an ICP test done and trace elements were all out of whack. Some too high, some way low. Was adding the amount recommended for “medium demand”. My sodium level was near perfect though so the part c was doing what it is supposed to.
 

RuuToo

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 13, 2021
Messages
146
Reaction score
168
Location
south jersey
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I was running this for 6 months, got an ICP test done and trace elements were all out of whack. Some too high, some way low.
Yeah. I’ve been running it for about that time period, and an icp test is on its way to the lab now. The trace element dosing is definitely a little loosely defined.
 
OP
OP
Tuffloud1

Tuffloud1

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 24, 2014
Messages
1,274
Reaction score
1,079
Location
The People's Republic of California
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Yeah. I’ve been running it for about that time period, and an icp test is on its way to the lab now. The trace element dosing is definitely a little loosely defined.
And the issue is, there is no way really to continue using it without making things worse. Since each part contains a list of elements, if you are too high in one of the elements and too low in another, you can’t just reduce or increase the amount you are dosing because you can’t dose one thing without the list of others. You have to do tons of water changes to get it back in balance which is where I was at. I did a series of water changes, 200 gallons in total on a 300 gallon system. My corals look way better now. I’m going to send another ICP to confirm things are in better balance.
 

blstravler

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
May 5, 2019
Messages
4,038
Reaction score
1,360
Location
Coastal New Jersey
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
And the issue is, there is no way really to continue using it without making things worse. Since each part contains a list of elements, if you are too high in one of the elements and too low in another, you can’t just reduce or increase the amount you are dosing because you can’t dose one thing without the list of others. You have to do tons of water changes to get it back in balance which is where I was at. I did a series of water changes, 200 gallons in total on a 300 gallon system. My corals look way better now. I’m going to send another ICP to confirm things are in better balance.

This is the exact reason I haven't started dosing Tropic Marine A and K elements yet. Want to get the ICP on the 2 part alone then start the A and K if needed.
 
OP
OP
Tuffloud1

Tuffloud1

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 24, 2014
Messages
1,274
Reaction score
1,079
Location
The People's Republic of California
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
This is the exact reason I haven't started dosing Tropic Marine A and K elements yet. Want to get the ICP on the 2 part alone then start the A and K if needed.
So you are using ESV but may start dosing Tropic Marin elements? You may be good with just the ESV.
 

blstravler

2500 Club Member
View Badges
Joined
May 5, 2019
Messages
4,038
Reaction score
1,360
Location
Coastal New Jersey
Rating - 100%
1   0   0
So you are using ESV but may start dosing Tropic Marin elements? You may be good with just the ESV.
Correct - I'm going to send in the ICP test before I start to do the Tropic Marine elements as I might not need them. It's only been about 2 weeks since I moved over to the 2 part so I'm going to give it another couple weeks I think. I will say when I had the ICP done when I was using the CalRx I wasn't incredibly happy with the results - they weren't awful but not perfect either. I will say my SPS look much happier but I think this might partially be from my PH being much better on 2 part. I struggled to get my PH up to 8.15 using the CarRx- now with 2 part I sit at 8.3 or higher. I actually unhooked the external air feed to my skimmer as my PH was approaching 8.5.
 

A worm with high fashion and practical utility: Have you ever kept feather dusters in your reef aquarium?

  • I currently have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 64 36.8%
  • Not currently, but I have had feather dusters in my tank in the past.

    Votes: 59 33.9%
  • I have not had feather dusters, but I hope to in the future.

    Votes: 25 14.4%
  • I have no plans to have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 26 14.9%
  • Other.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
Back
Top