Yet another dosing calculator

[rishma]

I’m glad you appreciated the feedback. It is a really cool tool.

I have another idea for you.

A persistent and common misunderstanding is the idea that consumption (and therefore dosing) of calcium, magnesium and alkalinity in a reef tank are independent of each other. They are not. This misunderstanding is perpetuated in part by inaccurate calcium and especially magnesium test kits.

For each 2.8 dKH of alkalinity consumed, about 18-20 ppm calcium and 1-2 ppm magnesium are also consumed. Fact.

Work that into your tool and you’ll be my hero. I never test magnesium and almost never test calcium, I base all my dosing on alkalinity demand and ICP has shown my tank remains well balanced in the big three. If more people understood this I think it would reduce questions in the chemistry forum by 10% :)

Also, include all for reef! There are no good calculators for it and I personally answer a lot of questions in the chemistry forum on how much to dose. I don’t mind doing the math but a calculator would be nice to point people to.

@rishma Thanks for the thoughtful feedback—it made my day! You’re absolutely right about making things more streamlined, and I’m already brainstorming ways to simplify the interface. Sometimes, I get too caught up in programming and miss the obvious—like the brand dropdown you pointed out.

Reef.Tools is very much a work in progress, and feedback like yours is what helps it get better. There’s a lot more coming, so stay tuned—and please keep sharing ideas.

Happy reefing!

 

[subodhs]

I’m glad you appreciated the feedback. It is a really cool tool.

I have another idea for you.

A persistent and common misunderstanding is the idea that consumption (and therefore dosing) of calcium, magnesium and alkalinity in a reef tank are independent of each other. They are not. This misunderstanding is perpetuated in part by inaccurate calcium and especially magnesium test kits.

For each 2.8 dKH of alkalinity consumed, about 18-20 ppm calcium and 1-2 ppm magnesium are also consumed. Fact.

Work that into your tool and you’ll be my hero. I never test magnesium and almost never test calcium, I base all my dosing on alkalinity demand and ICP has shown my tank remains well balanced in the big three. If more people understood this I think it would receive questions in the chemistry forum by 10% :)

Also, include all for reef! There are no good calculators for it and I personally answer a lot of questions in the chemistry forum on how much to dose. I don’t mind doing the math but a calculator would be nice to point people to.

@rishma You read my mind! I wish more reefers realized the interdependence between Ca, Alk, and Mg. It often gets overshadowed by oversimplified advice like, “Dose this for pink colors” or “Dose this for blue colors.” Manufacturers push the propaganda, and my efforts to highlight the science often feel like shouting into the void. Yet, for those who test regularly, it’s clear how quickly a change in one parameter impacts the others.

Your feedback is very welcome, timely (I was feeling the drag of coding for no real reason today lol), and it validates so much of what I want Reef.Tools to be. It’s painstaking work—cross-checking journals, digging into data, and bugging long-lost friends to confirm fundamentals—only to find most people just want the basics, not a breakdown of how many moles of HCO3− their tank needs. I would love to throw in more science if people won't roast me for it!

As for All-For-Reef (and similar multi-parameter supplements like Aquaforest 1+, 2+, 3+), they’re definitely in the pipeline—likely for the web UI first! I just need to tackle a few GDPR-related challenges before rolling them out. But yes, they’re coming soon!

Thanks again for your thoughtful input—it’s feedback like yours (and others on this thread, plus some through the app) that keeps me motivated to make Reef.Tools better. Thank you all!

 

[rishma]

I would love to throw in more science if people won't roast me for it!

maybe consider an advanced tab and basic tab. You are right that most people will want the basics but a few of us nerds will like the science:)

 

[minus9]

Is there an issue with the app? I haven’t received an email confirming my sign up.

 

[subodhs]

@minus9 I sent you a PM to resolve the issue. As far as I know there shouldn't be an issue but it does get flagged as spam sometimes.
Cheers
Subodh

 

[jayq16]

@minus9 I sent you a PM to resolve the issue. As far as I know there shouldn't be an issue but it does get flagged as spam sometimes.
Cheers
Subodh

@subodhs same issue for me, no confirmation email comes in. Checked spam and don’t see there either