Hi... Hope someone can help me. I have a 60 gallon cube with a 55 gallon sump filled about 3/4 of the way to the top. I have began dosing 2 part using brs dosing pumps a few months ago. I have a mixed reef with hard and soft corals about 7 or each lps and sps. Anyway I am using randy holmes part one dosing recipe and I up to 220ml per day of each calcium and alkalinity. Why am I using so much and what is going on? I can maintain proper parameters but I am talking 8 dkh and 420 ppm of calcium. Someone please help. Thanks...
2 part dosing pros HELP
- Thread starter Marcsreef
- Start date
FullBoreReefer
New member
What salt are you using? Ever tested a fresh batch? What test kits? Ever confirmed with other test kits?
Could just be your system and what it requires...
Could just be your system and what it requires...
You say you have 7 each of sps and lps. Does this mean you have 14 stony corals? How big are they? If they are pretty good size I guess your demand could be that high. 220ml/day is 3x what I dose my 180 gal. with small sps/lps colonys. Are you sure you followed the recipe correctly?
Yes unfortunately I am sure I am following the recipe correctly. I also just tested my ph and I am getting a perfect 8.3. I do have 14 Stoney's. The larger ones are acans, montipora and a giant duncan. I have a small red planet and also a medium sized pavona . The other are fairly small in size. I am getting more corals soon and always fighting to keep my dkh out of the 7 range. Everything is doing well but I seem to get greater growth around 8 dkh. I use the brs recommended dose ... I think like 2.5 cups of calcium chloride per gallon and then 590 grams of baking soda per Randy's instructions. Stumped...maybe it is just my systems requirements, but seems like way too much. I have seen a drastic improvement in coral health since I started and I am also using kalkwasser at 2 tsp per gallon in top up water.
Jerzey
New member
you need to test your new batches of salt water and get the levels to your tanks ideal level 1 st .... on avg reefcrystals ca is 370 alkalinity 7.5 magnesium is 950... my tank uses much more alk then anything else and been using randy's holmes recipe since day one....it's saved me hundreds of dollars in dosing products.... you may be ready to use kalkwasser if your tanks eating that much alk it'll be more efficient
I have some calcium deposition on my titanium heater strategy fairly thick but nothing alarming. I dose my tank 8 times per day with each pump at 25 minutes per pump run. Essentially every three hours and I separate the times as much as possible.
Jersey, are you suggesting I test my water prior to the water change and then try to match the water to my ideal tank levels prior to doing the change? Also that mag number seems very low for reef crystals. Is there another salt I should try? I have a hard time believing my water changes could be a cause of my problems. I change about 20 gallons every two weeks .
Jersey, are you suggesting I test my water prior to the water change and then try to match the water to my ideal tank levels prior to doing the change? Also that mag number seems very low for reef crystals. Is there another salt I should try? I have a hard time believing my water changes could be a cause of my problems. I change about 20 gallons every two weeks .
Jerzey
New member
no test your newly mixed batch of water and you'll be suprised how off there levels are that they claim...then dose your freshly mixed saltwater and get the levels to where you want them to be before you use it for a water change... i test every batch of new mix before using it and stopped testing ca and mg because at 35 ppm salinity reef crystals salt has avg ca 370 and mag 950 consistently now that i know it's always low now i've had alk levels from 6 to 9dkh that always fluctuates and i don't feel comfortable throwing in random alk levels... my tank levels i keep at ca 420 alk 8 mg 1350.... every time i do a water change i make sure the new waters at those levels before i use it
Jersey got ya..this is very helpful..... So you see fluctuations of alkalinity as well. When you see a 6 in alk you don't adjust? You just let it run it's natural course? I will look at my water I am putting in my tank more carefully. I have just been looking at the salinity only and the adding just adding that water and then I try to adjust my tank mostly using kent super dkh when I see a low alk reading.
Jerzey
New member
i keep my tank parameters stable at ca440 alk8 mg1350 all day every day with randy's 2 part.. i only have to dose alk daily to keep my alk at 8 about 14 ml a day and weekly have to dose ca and mg...my ca mg levels don't fall fast enough daily to does them daily yet...but before i do my water changes i always make sure ca alk mg are at the levels i want.... some like there alk at 9 or 10, 11 i like 8...elevated ca levels past 420 do nothing benefit you so why keep it higher then 420.. mg locks your ca and alk and needs to stay at 1300-1400... but every batch of new salt mix i dose for a 15 g WC ca 90 ml mg 375 ml and alk depends what it tests at but usually 10 ml to make that batch ready for use
Jerzey
New member
i only test my tanks levels every other week because i already know what it uses and if i notice its using more of something then i ajust my daily dosing... when i mix new salt i always tested all 3 but i've been doing it for so long i know every levels gonna be low and ca and mg have be consistently low around ca 370 mg 950... the alk fluctuates to much to get an avg.... you been battling yourself every time you been doing water changes every wc if any of them is low its gonna drop your tanks levels..never trust manufacturers there products never do 100% of what they claim especially salts there's allot of fluctuations
Jerzey
New member
every now and then i'll test my new salt mix to make sure ca and mag are still low avg...but testing doesn't hurt anything only becomes apita but getting your tanks levels out of wack and no stable because you didn't test enough will kill/hurt your corals...but test your freshly mixed salt mix i wanta hear what numbers your getting just curious
This sounds like an insane amount to be dosing considering the corals you have. I have a 144 gallon sps dominant tank with a few very large LPS and a 14" clam and I don't dose anywhere near that. I too use kalkwasser in the ATO and dose two part using the same dosers. I test using Hanna meters and use Aquavitro Salinity salt and dose 45 ml per day, 2 tsp kalkwasser per gallon in ato. Alk 9, cal 430, mg 1400, SG 1.026
I'm at a loss as to how you can dose so much and have those parameters.
I'm at a loss as to how you can dose so much and have those parameters.
