Daily dosing requirements for a SPS tank

[goodtimes2]

I just recently changed from using kalk with vinegar (2TBS per gallon) in my ATO to a bubble magnus doser. They recommend to start at about .4 to .6 ml per gallon for alk and calcand adjust from that level as your starting point. I was wondering what everyone who has a heavy SPS tank requirements is dosing on a ML per gallon basis including your sump in to calculate your gallons. I have been doing daily testing to fine tune my dosing needs. I am at 1 ml per gallon or 130 ml per day for my tank ALK needs ( 9 DKH ) , but my needs for calc is about 2/3 of this or 80 ml and my mag levels are at around 1400 now. What are you daily dosing needs for your SPS tank.

 

[shenyong]

Every system is different. IMO
Well, I have a total of 260g of water running in my 180g display has fully of sps. This system hs been running for about 2 years now and I use B-ionic 210ml of ALK, 180ml of Calcium and 10ml of mag daily dosing by GHL doser. 30g of water changes every other weeks.

 

[robs.mark]

ill be following this as ive just set up a bubble magus doser tonight too. Im adding 100ml of ca and 200ml of alk over 12 intervals. hoping to keep alk around 8 and cal up at 450. medium stocked sps.

 

[goodtimes2]

Shen ,I agree every system is different, but I wanted to see the range of what everyone is adding on a ml per total gallons per tank basis. Also I am looking to see how much of a difference between alk and calc dosing is occurring . You also have to factor that their is a potential error factor between pumps of what they indicate they are dosing versus what they are dosing. I did test my dosing system prior to using it and it was fairly reliable .

 

[SPSEMPIRE]

people have been growing acropora and other sps corals in captivity a lot longer than some of the "supplement" companies have been in business. Not to say that there are not a lot of great products that will good growth to our corals.

When it boils down to it, most systems will do perfectly fine with calcium hydroxide (CaOH) dosed to our tanks. Kalkwasser is a great source of calcium hydroxide. This keeps calcium and alkalinity in line. Run it in a kalk reactor, feed it with fresh water, and put it on a pH meter. Doing all of that will allow one reactor to keep Ca, alk (dKh), pH, and salinity all in check.

 

[kraziezx]

What Kalkwasser (brand and model) do you recommend?

people have been growing acropora and other sps corals in captivity a lot longer than some of the "supplement" companies have been in business. Not to say that there are not a lot of great products that will good growth to our corals.

When it boils down to it, most systems will do perfectly fine with calcium hydroxide (CaOH) dosed to our tanks. Kalkwasser is a great source of calcium hydroxide. This keeps calcium and alkalinity in line. Run it in a kalk reactor, feed it with fresh water, and put it on a pH meter. Doing all of that will allow one reactor to keep Ca, alk (dKh), pH, and salinity all in check.

 

[SPSEMPIRE]

Bulk Reef Supply works. ESV is most pure best brand that I have bought but you pay for it.

 

[Logzor]

people have been growing acropora and other sps corals in captivity a lot longer than some of the "supplement" companies have been in business. Not to say that there are not a lot of great products that will good growth to our corals.

When it boils down to it, most systems will do perfectly fine with calcium hydroxide (CaOH) dosed to our tanks. Kalkwasser is a great source of calcium hydroxide. This keeps calcium and alkalinity in line. Run it in a kalk reactor, feed it with fresh water, and put it on a pH meter. Doing all of that will allow one reactor to keep Ca, alk (dKh), pH, and salinity all in check.

This is true unless your demand requires more than kalk. If I dosed kalk enough to keep my calcium up I think my alkalinity would shoot through the roof. Two-part is supreme because it is very easy to balance depending on your demand.

I would not put Calcium and Sodium Bi/Carbonate in the same class of supplements invented by companies. At one point I used Arm&Hammer and calcium from the pool store.

 

[SPSEMPIRE]

This is true unless your demand requires more than kalk. If I dosed kalk enough to keep my calcium up I think my alkalinity would shoot through the roof. Two-part is supreme because it is very easy to balance depending on your demand.

I would not put Calcium and Sodium Bi/Carbonate in the same class of supplements invented by companies. At one point I used Arm&Hammer and calcium from the pool store.

ditto, I keep everything on a pH monitor on an apex so that pH stays between 8.2 and 8.3. I usually suggest people to 2 part to get Ca and Alk in line and then use the Kalk reactor to keep everything stable. A BRS 2 part doser is great way to add part A & part B to your system if your calcium demand is higher than the kalk reactor provide.

 

[sjfishguy]

I didn't even know people still used kalk? I agree two part is far superior and kalk is a dated method.

 

[SPSEMPIRE]

I didn't even know people still used kalk? I agree two part is far superior and kalk is a dated method.

both have there own benefits but kalk will never be out dated. Kalkwrasser is purely calcium hydroxide, CaOH. No way would I ever think about running an sps tank w/o a kalk reactor. Don't get me wrong, it can be done and I have seen it successfully done over the years. I have always felt like people are making way too much work for themselves if they do not run a kalk reactor. Now a calcium reactor, I would agree that it is out of date.

IMO, pH stability, to go along with other parameters, is the key to keeping SPS corals.

 

[tjw00]

I'm up to 1.4 ml per gallon on my 55gal (heavy sps) system. I alternate CA and ALK (ESV 2 part) on half hour and hour on the Apex with BRS 1.1 dosers.

 

[Reef Bass]

My roughly 150g water system (two tanks and sump) heavily populated with sps receives something like 1.5-1.7 mls alk /gallon / day, 2.0+ mls calcium / gallon / day and 0.2mls mag / gallon / day administered in 1/4th volume 4x a day by controller and 3 dosing pumps.

 

[allsps40]

What Kalkwasser (brand and model) do you recommend?

Kalk is kalk, they are all the same. IMO it is the best way to maintain alk ca and mag levels in a reef tank. I have been using Kent Kalk but I am going to switch to BRS or store bought pickling lime (same as Kalk).
Every tank is different in what and how much needs to be dosed. For any sps tank you must keep ca alk and mag in check and as stable as possible. My 50g tank gets dosed kalk through my ATO many times a day. I mix 3 tsp of kalk in 5 gallons of ro water, this keeps my alk and ca right at 8-9dkh and 420-440ppm.

 

[Toddrtrex]

I didn't even know people still used kalk? I agree two part is far superior and kalk is a dated method.

I still drip kalk -- poor man's ATO, and have been for about 10 years now. I still dose 2 part every other night (( ideally it should be less, every night, but.... )).

 

[DustinB]

I dose 75/mL each (bionic) in my 90 w/105g total volume. Alk stays around 8 and calcium is balanced around 420. Mag steady at 1290 via 1% daily water changes using reef crystals. No kalk.

 

[zangmann]

When it boils down to it, most systems will do perfectly fine with calcium hydroxide (CaOH) dosed to our tanks. Kalkwasser is a great source of calcium hydroxide. This keeps calcium and alkalinity in line. Run it in a kalk reactor, feed it with fresh water, and put it on a pH meter. Doing all of that will allow one reactor to keep Ca, alk (dKh), pH, and salinity all in check.

Can you expand on this when you get a second? Got any links where I can read more?

 

[SPSEMPIRE]

Sure. I don't really have any links but years of running sps aquariums. Every system that I set up has had a kalk reactor.

What exactly do you have questions about?

 

[nivenethan]

both have there own benefits but kalk will never be out dated. Kalkwrasser is purely calcium hydroxide, CaOH. No way would I ever think about running an sps tank w/o a kalk reactor. Don't get me wrong, it can be done and I have seen it successfully done over the years. I have always felt like people are making way too much work for themselves if they do not run a kalk reactor. Now a calcium reactor, I would agree that it is out of date.

IMO, pH stability, to go along with other parameters, is the key to keeping SPS corals.

Really...Ca reactor out of date? Are kidding me?

 

[SPSEMPIRE]

I would say so but not going to argue that calcium reactors are not beneficial. Just a lot of substitutes available.