Best dosing schedule for 2-part

D

droog

New member
Hi,

I'm in the process of calibrating my 2-part dosing regimen to keep Alk/Ca/Mg as stable as possible in my 120g system. Seems my daily dose will need to be about 50ml or so of each part.

Since I have a dosing pump is this best split into 24 equal doses once an hour, or some other schedule?

-droog
 
It really doesn't matter as long as you are consistent. The only thing you really have to think about is how fast your dosing pumps run. If you split the doses up too small then the dosing pump barely kicks on and it might not pump well.

With only 50ml I would go at least 2 hours apart. Do alkalinity on the even hours and calcium on the odd hours. Or vice-versa. You could go a lot wider and not be in trouble. You only have to start really breaking the doses up when they start to get really big and you start creating big swings or they start swinging the pH and precipitating themselves out as fast as you dose them in.
 
For a 50 ml dose into a 120g system, I agree that the timing shouldn't be critical. Splitting the dose into a few parts is a fine idea, if it's easy to do, and might be more critical in the future if the consumption increases.
 
Probably an obvious post but be sure to check the actual rate for your individual dosing pump...they can vary from one pump to another of the same brand.
 
Lavoisier said:
Probably an obvious post but be sure to check the actual rate for your individual dosing pump...they can vary from one pump to another of the same brand.
Click to expand...

Thanks to all who responded. I have a bubble magus dosing pump so its easy to split into 2/4/6/8/12 or 24 doses. Not sure how reliable it is, 2x 25ml seems more likely to result in an accurate dose than (say) 24x2ml

This dosing pump doesn't strike me as terribly accurate. Nor can I choose the time period - the dose is split automatically and spread over a 24 hr period. Maybe I'll upgrade to a better doser at some point

-droog
 
You can also dilute your 2 part solutions to dose a higher amount. I use lm3 dosers and love them. They break the total amount into over 150 doses per day so there is no swing at all. Just nice easy, even dosing.
 
Good point on diluting the 2-part. I may do that.

I was diluting my carbon source (NoPOX) which only needed 3-4ml a day. I diluted that 1:9 with RODI, but I think this was a mistake for a couple of reasons.

1] My container was not sealed, so I may have lost some alcohol to evaporation...
2] At weaker dilution the pH is less extreme and bacteria can populate in the dosing vessel before dosing

Probably I was dosing dead bacteria for a couple of months while my PO4 and NO3 climbed steadily upwards. I've now swapped the container out for one that seals, and am dosing in one go, seems to be working well.

Diluting the 2-part seems safe though, 1:1 with RODI.

-droog
 
swk said:
You can also dilute your 2 part solutions to dose a higher amount. I use lm3 dosers and love them. They break the total amount into over 150 doses per day so there is no swing at all. Just nice easy, even dosing.
Click to expand...

No swing that is caused by the dosing anyway. I believe your Alk will still swing during the day as your SPS do their thing.

Unless you've somehow timed the doses to occur only during your photo period? That would be pretty cool!

-droog
 
Corals can grow at night, too, although I think that at least some grow more strongly in the day. I'll take a look around and see whether I can find the references.
 
I have been dosing Alk during night hours and calcium during day hours for many years. Increasing alkalinity makes sense to me during night hours to counter pH drop.
 
DiscusHeckel said:
I have been dosing Alk during night hours and calcium during day hours for many years. Increasing alkalinity makes sense to me during night hours to counter pH drop.
Click to expand...

+1.

pH starts dropping after lights out and starts climbing when the lights come on.
To minimize that drop, I start an hour after lights out and stop 1hr before the lights come on.
 
I would highly recommend testing before the first dose, then every 48 hours for about a week. Then go to 96 and keep increasing. Your consumption could be different than anyone else's so don't assume it will be the right amount. For example my calcium dose is much less than my alk. Just my tank and its chemistry.
 
Im not sure if this is correct or not, I think I remember reading it in Fossa/ Nilsen series I think I remember reading that calcification occurs mostly at night and does so more readily and rapidly at higher pH levels, and that is one of the reasons in addtion to why kalkwasser dosing at night/ reverse lit fuges can prove to be very useful.
 
swk said:
I test alk every day. Most important parameter for sps
Click to expand...

truth be told!!! My box of test kits is in the cabinet right above my coffee maker, its become routine almost every morning.

usually Ill only check alk, it takes literally 90secs if that.
 
I like the Hana Checker for alkalinity, but I get very similar results with both the Salifert and Red Sea Pro test kits. Any of the above mentioned test kits will be fine.
 
I was a die hard salifert alk test user. Far more obvious end point on the salifert test imo.

That all changed when I invested in a hanna alk checker. This thing is awesome. Very easy to detect small changes without wondering if I added enough solution to truly reach the end of a titration test. I buy 3 bottles of reagent at a time and yes, it's a bit more expensive than test with salifert everyday, but it's worth it imo.

I think it's about the only hanna checker that's worth the money imo
 
swk said:
I was a die hard salifert alk test user. Far more obvious end point on the salifert test imo.

That all changed when I invested in a hanna alk checker. This thing is awesome. Very easy to detect small changes without wondering if I added enough solution to truly reach the end of a titration test. I buy 3 bottles of reagent at a time and yes, it's a bit more expensive than test with salifert everyday, but it's worth it imo.

I think it's about the only hanna checker that's worth the money imo
Click to expand...

I also use the Hanna alk checker and its been consistent for the most part. I also use their ulr phosphorus checker which is also a nice unit. Just avoid the calcium checker as a lot of people have been having a hard time with it
 
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