DIY BIonic Solution

[ste6168]

Ok, so at the last club meeting someone was selling DowFlake (i think it was) and, being new to the hobby, i didnt get it. I have done a little research and found that it is used in some type of homemade BIonic solution. I was wondering if anyone could get me a write up of how this is used, why, and stuff like that.

Thanks, Mike

 

[Ghumbee]

Link To Recipe

Mike,

Read the article above--It is very informative.

I can bring you enough of Dowflake (2 1/2 Cups) to make a gallon of Part #1 (Calcium) I was giving away free at the meeting---You should have grabbed a bag

You will only need to buy Baking Soda (Arm and Hammer 2 1/4 Cups Baked at 300 deg for an hour) For Part #2

Epsom Salt (3 Cups Needed)(Can get at Giant Eagle) and Magflake (5 Cups Needed) for #3 Additive

Ask Raynist about purchasing a 5# bag of the Magflake from him. I have an extra 5# bag but Ray has a bunch left to sell.

Chuck

 

[ste6168]

ok, sounds good- if you wanted to bring that to the next meeting i could take it off your hands... thanks for the info also.

 

[acer]

Mike I am also a newbe at this - so - we can get thru this together. I was confusing Mag flake ( magnesium) with dow flake ( calcium) at first and was very confused. Just picked up baking soda adn got Dowflake and magflake at the last meeting - I think I still need one more thing= epson salts- but have no time to check right now. good luck. Ted

 

[ste6168]

yeah, well as of right now i only have pulsing xenia in my tank, but plan to get more so right now i dont think i even need it but would like to get it going

 

[BeanAnimal]

The measurements for this stuff are not that critical, but the closer you get them the more "balanced" you additions will be over time. A cheap digital postal scale is great for weighing the portions. I purchased a cart full of baking sode, and the other raw materials. I then set up what looked like a cocaine lab on the kitchen table.

I now have about 5 dozen pre-weighed ziploc bags full of white powder and flakes... each marked with a sharpie and stored in the fishroom. I use about a gallon of part 1 and 2 every month or so. When it is time to mix a new batch, I simply grab a baggie of dowflake and mx with water to make a gallon. I toss the baking soda in the oven for an hour or so and then mix it to make a gallon also.

Bean

 

[ste6168]

Bean, what is your stocking like? doyou have SPS and clams? If so then hopefully when i am fully stocked i will only use about a gallon every 3 months as i only plan to have softies.

 

[BeanAnimal]

I have a 20 gallon fuge with some cheato, a few decent size softies (frogspawn, pearl, sinularia) and a dozen or so frags of SPS (some getting large) a decent selection of lPS (trumpet, candy canes, open brain) I have a lot of zoos and some other stuff. TONS of coraline.

Coraline takes a lot of alk and calcium, as does the cheato.

My tank is a 75, and I started dosing about 30ml of each solution a day, that has gone up to about 65ml over the last 6 months. I would assume that it will level off around 100-130ml or so in the next year or two.

Bean