Spending time with AI

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Well, I'm either a moron (I guess we knew this!) or at the least geographically challenged. I assumed that "Beefingham" was a real town in the UK

I mean, I live right next to a town called "Farmington", would "Beefingham" really be so hard to believe

I did too, but was suspicious enough to google and find there was no such place. lol

 

[Fish Fan]

I did too, but was suspicious enough to google and find there was no such place. lol

Once again, you're clearly smarter than I am

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Rare beef is my favourite food, Reef beef is my favourite fishy related YouTube. You are only the second person to highlight my fictitious location, lol.

I understand rare and raw are different, but..

Reminds me of a story. My wife and I only speak a little French based on high school french class. On a family trip to France, she ordered something that turned out to be raw beef slabs. She did not want to eat it, nor did she want it left on her plate. As a good husband does, I ate it, despite not liking it at all. Lol

Another story… I was on a business trip with a colleague to visit a consultant. At a fine steak house, I was rather surprised when he ordered his raw. Not fazed a bit, the waiter asked if he wanted it warmed up a bit on the grill, which he agreed to. A few years later, he sadly died of pancreatic cancer. Related? Inquiring minds want to know.

 

[areefer01]

Reminds me of a story. My wife and I only speak a little French based on high school french class. On a family trip to France, she ordered something that turned out to be raw beef slabs. She did not want to eat it, nor did she want it left on her plate. As a good husband does, I ate it, despite not liking it at all. Lol

Similar experience. On travel back from India I asked a former co-worker if he wanted to meet anywhere that I might be able to stop on the way back to California. He picked France. I said why not. My first time being there, language barrier, made ordering food a bit of a challenge. I was tired, saw steak, and the waiter brought me Steak TarTar. I politely asked them to offer it to someone else - a treat on me.

On the other hand I did find a nice place to eat off the beaten path. Owner sat with us, asked what I liked, and brought me back pasta meal that I will remember for ever. Simple but amazing. Probably more due to them sitting and talking - the personal touch.

Didn't think I was going to enjoy France but turns out one of my better stops. Just need to learn French before I go back or remember to order careful (or use pictures :))

 

[BeanAnimal]

 

[Clarkjw2002]

Interesting discussion. Not for the AI but the relative concentrations of elements in solution.

Let me ask if what I am doing is appropriate. I am currently mixing my salt mix to 32-33ppt and then dosing up alk, Mg and Ca to my targets (8-8.5, 1350, 420) in the water change mix. I mix the salinity lower to account for the salinity increase in the Main system from dosing B-ionic. Main system is 35ppt.

Is it better to not dose the change water and just up the B-ionic dose in the tank? Water changes are 5% weekly done automatically a gallon at a time throughout the week.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Interesting discussion. Not for the AI but the relative concentrations of elements in solution.

Let me ask if what I am doing is appropriate. I am currently mixing my salt mix to 32-33ppt and then dosing up alk, Mg and Ca to my targets (8-8.5, 1350, 420) in the water change mix. I mix the salinity lower to account for the salinity increase in the Main system from dosing B-ionic. Main system is 35ppt.

Is it better to not dose the change water and just up the B-ionic dose in the tank? Water changes are 5% weekly done automatically a gallon at a time throughout the week.

How much do you find you are raising magnesium and calcium that way?

It’s not as good as other ways of correcting for the salinity rise, but how much less then optimal it is depends on how much you are boosting those.

 

[BeanAnimal]

I don’t see an issue with the workflow, but would add that it feels more co located than it may need to be.

I personally would rely on dosing to maintain levels and not be concerned with the minor fluctuations introduced by the small water changes. I would tweak salinity as needed in either the change water or by adding extra of volume of saltwater( raising salinity as it evaporates and leaves the extra salt) or RO/DI as needed.

 

[Clarkjw2002]

It really depends on the salt batch. Using Fritz RPM blue box right now and it consistently mixes to dKh of 6-6.7 and 400/1100 on the Ca/Mg but the current box is mixing Ca/Mg at around 350/950 on those and 5.9 on Alk (on Hanna alk and Salifert Ca and Mg test kits) which really got me thinking about this. these last two batches I have been adding like 15tsp CaCl, 1.5L of BRS general Mg supplement and 150ml or so of Tropic Marin balling alk.

I'm using the 4/50gal bag boxes and have one more bag of the current box plus 2 or 3 boxes left. Thinking of switching to B-ionic after this. Had one box where every bag had some precipitation while mixing no matter how slow I added salt. Used to use Tropic Marin but thought these bags would save me from having to count scoops but that didn't happen. I still add one scoop of TM classic to each 50 gal mix to raise salinity a little more. Mixing container is closed so I don't lose anything to evaporation over the two week span I use it.

Maybe I'll just add a second scoop to bring mix salinity up to about 34ppt (this is what I think the B-ionic 50 gal mix mixes to) since I still have a half box left.

When I was using TM I only ever had to add a little Mg sometimes so never really thought about it. If these salts would mix to the same parameters each time I would not worry but the Fritz seems to be all over the place from box to box.

Think I am also going to stop buying my salt supply for a year at a time so I can change more quickly if needed. By the 4th or 5th box the Fed Ex guys usually start throwing the boxes around.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

It really depends on the salt batch. Using Fritz RPM blue box right now and it consistently mixes to dKh of 6-6.7 and 400/1100 on the Ca/Mg but the current box is mixing Ca/Mg at around 350/950 on those and 5.9 on Alk (on Hanna alk and Salifert Ca and Mg test kits) which really got me thinking about this. these last two batches I have been adding like 15tsp CaCl, 1.5L of BRS general Mg supplement and 150ml or so of Tropic Marin balling alk.

I think it is much more likely that one or more of these are the explanation rather than a truly bad batch:

1. Test kit error. Magneisum kits are so poor that I do not recommend them for determinign magneisum dosing. There are better options.

2. A batch that settled in the bucket during transit.

3. Salinity is lower than you think.

 

[areefer01]

I think it is much more likely that one or more of these are the explanation rather than a truly bad batch:

1. Test kit error. Magneisum kits are so poor that I do not recommend them for determinign magneisum dosing. There are better options.

2. A batch that settled in the bucket during transit.

3. Salinity is lower than you think.

I would add a 4th. Using a scoop instead of weight / scale.

Side note - only throwing this out there as I used to experience salinity challenges when making new water using 1/2 measuring cup. Recently started to weigh it based on TM's bucket and it worked amazingly better.