How much 2 part do you dose? I know its been asked before...needing some comparisons

[Zstriker]

Hi Everyone,

I think I am over dosing my tank with 2 part. It is predominantly SPS, I have about 4 fist size colonies, 10-12 mini colonies/frags, and a couple large LPS (Softball size Duncan and Frogspawn).

My tank is 65 gallon with 20 gallon sump (total water calculation about 60 gallons, minus rock and sand) and I am dosing 92 ml per day of both parts of B-ionic.

Current Readings:

Mag - 1330
Alk - 7.6
Ca - 440

The reasons I think I am overdosing:

1. My salinity rises from 1.026 to 1.027 each week...this doesn't seem right, ato is straight 0 tds ro, so it must be the two part?

2. Corals are growing, although not very fast, and coraline algae growth is very minimal

3. I can't get my alk above 8 without dosing an extreme amount it seems...110+ ml per day


Can some of you provide your tank size (gallons), how much two-part you dose, perhaps stocking of the tank (pic would be great!) and your input on whether you think I am overdosing? What is up with the salinity rising?

I am starting to think I am over dosing in order to counter the precipitation....I'm a little nervous to drop the dose though, because I am not ULNS and an alk of 7.6 already seems kinda low...

Thoughts?

My apologies if this should go in the chemistry section, but I would like some input from those with SPS tanks! Thanks!

 

[Gyr]

As my SPS dominant tank matures, I have to occasionally adjust my Ca, Alk drip pumps to maintain good levels. My alk also has been 7 - 8 for a long time. I can't seem to get it above that but the pH is fine and the livestock is thriving so I'm fine with that. I run a quasi-low nutrient tank by doing weekly water changes via an all day fast wet-skim technique and I had heard that low-nutrient tanks do well with alk levels on the low side.
When I do my water changes I check the tank's SG and usually mix the replacement salt water to have a slightly lower SG to combat the SG creeping up like you describe.
Hope that helps.

 

[jda]

What are you using for 2 part mixes? Sodium Bicarbonate has salt in it. If you are adding enough 2 part to raise the SG, you might start thinking now about your plan for the future - I cannot evap enough water to add 2 part.

 

[elegance coral]

I cannot evap enough water to add 2 part.

Why do you need to evaporate water to add 2 part?

 

[Epicreefer]

I have found that sometimes a tank has a natural equilibrium point that it doesn't like to go above for alk. Yes you can dose it like crazy but it will partially precipitate and drop your calcium levels wasting both supplements. As long as your at 7 or above with stable ph I wouldn't be too worried. 440 ca is on the upper end, not too high, maybe try adjusting it down to 420 and see what your alk does. That said 100ml a day isn't out of this world if your corals are doing great but it sounds like there only doing good. And yes two part adds salts that aren't used up so you need to do water changes to remove them when dosing is high a calcium reactor doesn't because it only dissolves calcium carbonate, which you corals then take up completely.

 

[Dexters Reef]

I see you are using b-ionic, I started using that but switched to buying 2 part mix in bulk from BRS. For my 75g tank with a few large sps colonies, and a lot of medium sized ones, I dose 33ml a day of alk and 50ml a day of calcium. My sg doesnt swing from dosing this product.