OldReefGuy
Well-known member
same
Okay, I’m Getting Tired of Dripping Kalk
- Thread starter griss
- Start date
OldReefGuy
Well-known member
Ooooh, I like.
OldReefGuy
Well-known member
yeah and at that price, you can buy two LOL
Warning - Long Post
Help me figure this out, I’ve not dosed 2 part in ages and something seems off.
Test results 12/25/23
Alk - 10.2
Mg - 1290
Ca - 425
Test results 12/30/23
Alk - 9.3
Mg - 1200
Ca - 400
Okay, per BRS:
Alk - to achieve my target of 10, I need to add 20mL now which, divided by the 5 day difference, means my daily dosing would be 4mL/day.
(I’m going to skip Mg for now as that’s what’s baffling me
)
Ca - to achieve my target of 425, I need to add 102.35 now which, divided by 5, means my daily dose would be 20.46 mL/day.
Given that I’ve continued to drip kalk during this 5 day period, those readings/numbers seem to make sense in my feeble brain.
Now to Mg
Mg - to achieve my target of 1300, I need to add 322.5 mL now which, divided by 5, means my daily dose would be 64.5 mL/day.
Does that sound right? Seems very high compared to Alk and Ca to me.
I do have a couple Acros, two favia, some Caribbean LPS and a bunch of Caribbean Porites.
Should I do a water change, and redo the 5 day test without dripping kalk?
Now, to part 2 of my question. I was going to begin getting my dosing pump ready for action so I mixed my BRS solutions per their instructions. Ca and Mg are fine. But, the Alk (Soda Ash) has a solid block of precipitate in the bottom. WTF?
Help me figure this out, I’ve not dosed 2 part in ages and something seems off.
Test results 12/25/23
Alk - 10.2
Mg - 1290
Ca - 425
Test results 12/30/23
Alk - 9.3
Mg - 1200
Ca - 400
Okay, per BRS:
Alk - to achieve my target of 10, I need to add 20mL now which, divided by the 5 day difference, means my daily dosing would be 4mL/day.
(I’m going to skip Mg for now as that’s what’s baffling me
)Ca - to achieve my target of 425, I need to add 102.35 now which, divided by 5, means my daily dose would be 20.46 mL/day.
Given that I’ve continued to drip kalk during this 5 day period, those readings/numbers seem to make sense in my feeble brain.
Now to Mg
Mg - to achieve my target of 1300, I need to add 322.5 mL now which, divided by 5, means my daily dose would be 64.5 mL/day.
Does that sound right? Seems very high compared to Alk and Ca to me.
I do have a couple Acros, two favia, some Caribbean LPS and a bunch of Caribbean Porites.
Should I do a water change, and redo the 5 day test without dripping kalk?
Now, to part 2 of my question. I was going to begin getting my dosing pump ready for action so I mixed my BRS solutions per their instructions. Ca and Mg are fine. But, the Alk (Soda Ash) has a solid block of precipitate in the bottom. WTF?
Attachments
So I think what you will find is that after you start dosing, you will need to tweak up or down a bit. It takes a few weeks to dial it in.Warning - Long Post
Help me figure this out, I’ve not dosed 2 part in ages and something seems off.
Test results 12/25/23
Alk - 10.2
Mg - 1290
Ca - 425
Test results 12/30/23
Alk - 9.3
Mg - 1200
Ca - 400
Okay, per BRS:
Alk - to achieve my target of 10, I need to add 20mL now which, divided by the 5 day difference, means my daily dosing would be 4mL/day.
(I’m going to skip Mg for now as that’s what’s baffling me
Ca - to achieve my target of 425, I need to add 102.35 now which, divided by 5, means my daily dose would be 20.46 mL/day.
Given that I’ve continued to drip kalk during this 5 day period, those readings/numbers seem to make sense in my feeble brain.
Now to Mg
Mg - to achieve my target of 1300, I need to add 322.5 mL now which, divided by 5, means my daily dose would be 64.5 mL/day.
Does that sound right? Seems very high compared to Alk and Ca to me.
I do have a couple Acros, two favia, some Caribbean LPS and a bunch of Caribbean Porites.
Should I do a water change, and redo the 5 day test without dripping kalk?
Now, to part 2 of my question. I was going to begin getting my dosing pump ready for action so I mixed my BRS solutions per their instructions. Ca and Mg are fine. But, the Alk (Soda Ash) has a solid block of precipitate in the bottom. WTF?
Magnesium indeed takes a lot of additive to make a difference. If you are going up by 100ppm, I think you can do it all at once as per RHF IIRC. Of course divying it up the way you suggested is fine too.
I used baked baking soda (another RHF recipe) which I believe becomes the equivalent of soda ash and it takes a lot of agitation to get it to fully dissolve.
Thanks Sean. It just seems the amount of daily dose of Mg is very high compared to Alk and Ca???
I bought BRS, but their Mg is now $20 for a 1 gallon mix. I guess I could look up Randy’s recipe for this and use that.
Thinking I might go with washing soda for Alk but unsure how much of that to add to a gallon of water. Been searching that and it looks like the best opinion I’ve found is on Melev’s website @ 2 cups per gallon. I can get 55 oz washing soda at Menards for $4.
I bought BRS, but their Mg is now $20 for a 1 gallon mix. I guess I could look up Randy’s recipe for this and use that.
Thinking I might go with washing soda for Alk but unsure how much of that to add to a gallon of water. Been searching that and it looks like the best opinion I’ve found is on Melev’s website @ 2 cups per gallon. I can get 55 oz washing soda at Menards for $4.
I guess where I’m confused (reading an old article) according to Randy, you’ll use a LOT less Mg than Alk and Ca. However, according to my numbers, my DAILY dose of Mg will be much higher than my Alk and Ca????
wvned
Premium Member
After reading things like this I am not sure I am smart enough to do this anymore.
but anyway
What were you doing before to supplement Mg? How does this compare to what you were doing before?
My Mg numbers only move slowly down. 90 in 5 days seems suspect.
I would correct with a dose, test that you hit 1300 and then add 1/2 the calculated amount daily and retest in 5 days.
repeat - you should be 45 down then
repeat - perhaps wait more than 5 days as the correction gets finer.
you hit the exact amount on the head eventually.
but anyway
What were you doing before to supplement Mg? How does this compare to what you were doing before?
My Mg numbers only move slowly down. 90 in 5 days seems suspect.
I would correct with a dose, test that you hit 1300 and then add 1/2 the calculated amount daily and retest in 5 days.
repeat - you should be 45 down then
repeat - perhaps wait more than 5 days as the correction gets finer.
you hit the exact amount on the head eventually.
Thanks Ned. I was adjusting Mg just dosing Fluval Mg weekly. So, I’m not confident it was doing the job. I try not to chase numbers as that has historically led to issues for me.
The only reason I’m paying such attention to numbers is I would like to get this doser going and dialed in so, come summer, we can take fishing trips without asking the kids to have to manually dose while they tank sit since only the least reliable of the three still lives at home
I think I’m going to do a water change tomorrow. Then, Monday or Tuesday test, reset parameters and start this process over.
The only reason I’m paying such attention to numbers is I would like to get this doser going and dialed in so, come summer, we can take fishing trips without asking the kids to have to manually dose while they tank sit since only the least reliable of the three still lives at home
I think I’m going to do a water change tomorrow. Then, Monday or Tuesday test, reset parameters and start this process over.
The system does not consume as much magnesium as calcium or alk BUT it takes a lot of magnesium to make an adjustment. RHF currently suggests you shouldn't even test Magnesium.
Just say NO to magnesium testing: RMM is born
I add about the same amount to my ato each week and measure maybe once a month. I'm also a kalk user but on a doser.
wvned
Premium Member
And I add 80ml a day from a doser and test twice a year. It was 60ml a day until the last test.
Mg just ins't very critical unless you have too little. Then precipitation which is bad and a mess. I have seen mine in the past from 1100 - 1500.
I correct mine to 1350 and go on.
Mg just ins't very critical unless you have too little. Then precipitation which is bad and a mess. I have seen mine in the past from 1100 - 1500.
I correct mine to 1350 and go on.
Vinny Kreyling
Premium Member
According to Randy over @ R2R as long as you use a good salt you never even have to test for MG.
Apparently, tests are not reliable enough anyway.
I personally add extra to every batch of salt I make because it drops significantly every week.
If the testing can reveal a difference every week, I tend to believe it.
Apparently, tests are not reliable enough anyway.
I personally add extra to every batch of salt I make because it drops significantly every week.
If the testing can reveal a difference every week, I tend to believe it.
Not sure I’m tracking what you’re saying Ned, can you clarify? I used Coralife exclusively for years until I had two buckets in a row with super high Ca and super low Alk.
Not here so much but other boards regularly have threads saying which salt is best or is IO really that good or similar.
I can’t attest to individual qualities, however my main LFS’s use IO, I use IO/Reef Crystals, and yea. I believe the overall sentiment was if really is a bad salt, then it wouldn’t be in the market.
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