2 part dosing issue looking for advice

  • Thread starter Thread starter Deep Reef
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Deep Reef

I have been using randy's 2 part recipe 1 for alk. I have been using brs calc recipe for the calc. My alk is high so I've had to lower it but the calc just keeps going lower. Not sure where to go.. any advice would be appreciated.
 
Is your magnesium level correct? Are you seeing any signs of calcium precipitation on your tank walls, sump of heavily on your pumps, you could be overdosing. Have you tried stopping the dosage of alkalinity so it can drop but continue the calcium at your normal levels?
 
My mag was a little low 1120 so i added some to raise it. I will add more tomorrow to bring it to the correct level. I have recuced my alk dosing and it is now at 10.3 so I'm good there. I had to increased calc and it is now up to 320. Unfortunately I am dosing almost twice the calc as alk. I will check again tomorrow. I had been told that the brs chem is similar to randy's recipe 1. Which is what I'm using. However I don't think its close enough. I live in florida so snow melt is impossible to get. I think I will be ordering some on line to hopefully resolve this discrepancy in chemical strength.
 
The BRS recipe is essentially RHF's recipe, but with a higher purity CaCl2 source. When I was dosing 2-part, I always used baked baking soda and BRS CaCl2. The calcium is probably dropping and your alk staying the same because you're precipitating out the calcium as calcium carbonate by overdosing on alk. Your alk level probably isn't dropping because you are adding enough to compensate for the precipitation.

In your situation, I would dose ~50-60 ppm CaCl2 in 2 25-30 ppm doses over the next day or two, and cut my alk dosage in half so that I'm dosing the same amount of calcium and alkalinity (or not dose at all if your tank isn't consuming much and you aren't in danger of an alkalinity crash). I'd take a reading before I adjusted my dosing, and then I'd then test at the same time the next day to get an idea of my consumption, using alk as my guide because it's changes much faster than calcium. Adjusting the dosing in a balanced fashion every time.

I'd then continue to test and adjust my dosing accordingly until my level stayed constant. At some point you might see a slight unbalanced consumption, but that will manifest slowly, over days-weeks.
 
The BRS recipe is essentially RHF's recipe, but with a higher purity CaCl2 source. When I was dosing 2-part, I always used baked baking soda and BRS CaCl2. The calcium is probably dropping and your alk staying the same because you're precipitating out the calcium as calcium carbonate by overdosing on alk. Your alk level probably isn't dropping because you are adding enough to compensate for the precipitation.

In your situation, I would dose ~50-60 ppm CaCl2 in 2 25-30 ppm doses over the next day or two, and cut my alk dosage in half so that I'm dosing the same amount of calcium and alkalinity (or not dose at all if your tank isn't consuming much and you aren't in danger of an alkalinity crash). I'd take a reading before I adjusted my dosing, and then I'd then test at the same time the next day to get an idea of my consumption, using alk as my guide because it's changes much faster than calcium. Adjusting the dosing in a balanced fashion every time.

I'd then continue to test and adjust my dosing accordingly until my level stayed constant. At some point you might see a slight unbalanced consumption, but that will manifest slowly, over days-weeks.
Thanks for the advice I will give it a try
 
i had the same issue dosing brs 2 part. my alk was over 12 and calcium was under 350. was dosing both 50 ml. i dosed 100 ml of calcium 2 days in a row with no alk at all. then did 20 alk and 50 calcium for 1 week. then went 30/30 ml on both and my alk is now 10 and caliuim 430. stable for last month . think maybe i was over dosing and using up more ca then alk. not really sure though
 
wow that great advice guys. thanks I'm off to the lab to make adjustments..lol
 
If you are doing water changes, the values in the salt mix will have an effect. I do AWC's and very seldom need to dose calcium, but dose ALK daily to meet demand. The Calcium in the water change water is sufficient to keep my level where I like it.
 
OK, so i stopped dosing the alk completely. Its level slowly fell to about 8.3. I continued dosing the calc until my values rose above 450. then I started cutting it back by 20 ml at a time. I then started dosing my alk and slowly brought it up. my values are now equal at about 100 ml per day. so now I will be watching to make sure it has stabilized.

Thanks again for the help.
 
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