Started Balling Method – Unsure About Part C Dosing

[Blue00]

Hey reefers,
I'm pretty new to the hobby, and although my tank isn't heavily stocked yet, it still requires some dosing so I started using the Tropic Marin Balling A/B/C about two months ago.

Right now, I’m dosing 11 ml of Part A and 10 ml of Part B daily. From my most recent ICP test, I noticed slight deficiencies in a few parameters:

• Sodium: 9400 mg/L
• Potassium: 370 mg/L
• Magnesium: 1280 mg/L

As far as I understand, all of these should be covered by Part C of the Balling method. I’m currently dosing 50 ml of Part C daily, yet my magnesium levels haven’t really moved—neither up nor down. I wouldn’t be too concerned if it weren’t for something I read: that Part C should generally match the lowest dose between Part A or B to maintain ionic balance or something like that.

Am I possibly overdosing Part C? That said, no element excesses showed up in the ICP results, so I’m not too worried just trying to understand if I'm doing it right!

Appreciate any input or experiences you can share!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I think they are low simply because salinity is low. Part C will not correct sodium. Salinity corrects all of them together. What do you think the salinity is? measured how?

Do you have the full ICP?

Part C should not be used to make magnesium corrections. Too many other things will move with it.

Always dose part C equal to part A or B (or average the two, if different). Never use more.

 

[Blue00]

I think they are low simply because salinity is low. Part C will not correct sodium. Salinity corrects all of them together. What do you think the salinity is? measured how?

Do you have the full ICP?

Part C should not be used to make magnesium corrections. Too many other things will move with it.

Always dose part C equal to part A or B (or average the two, if different). Never use more.

thanks for the reply, so salinity is between 1.024 and 1.025, I have attached the test results if you want to take a look, It would be much appreciated, also should I lower the dose of part c to 10 ml and integrate the magnesium with a specific supplement?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

thanks for the reply, so salinity is between 1.024 and 1.025, I have attached the test results if you want to take a look, It would be much appreciated, also should I lower the dose of part c to 10 ml and integrate the magnesium with a specific supplement?

Raising salinity from 1.024 to 35 ppt (sg = 1.0264) will boost everything by 10%.

Thus, K at 370 ppm becomes 407 ppm.

I'd do that and nothing else except experimenting with a trace element supplement such as Tropic Marin A and K. You have several traces that may benefit from it.

 

[Blue00]

Raising salinity from 1.024 to 35 ppt (sg = 1.0264) will boost everything by 10%.

Thus, K at 370 ppm becomes 407 ppm.

I'd do that and nothing else except experimenting with a trace element supplement such as Tropic Marin A and K. You have several traces that may benefit from it.

sure thing, i'll definitely try that, thanks

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

sure thing, i'll definitely try that, thanks

You're welcome.

Happy reefing. :)