Reef Advantage Calcium vs. ESV B-Ionic???

[drummereef]

What do you guys think of the Seachem Reef Advantage Calcium / Reef builder way of adjusting calcium and alkalinity verses the ESV B-Ionic? I have a 40 gallon with low bioload and calcium load.

I've been using the Advantage Calcium / Reef Builder for some time now, but thought about moving to the B-Ionic method.

Thoughts?

 

[Boomer]

Not a good idea. They are not balanced additives lile B-Ionic.

 

[drummereef]

Not a good idea meaning... it's too hard to balance the two over long periods of time?

thanks for the input!

 

[Boomer]

Thye are not balanced at all You would have to guess, run home tests and then calculate how much you need. For example, your Ca++ is 385ppm and you want to raise it to 410, how much Reef Advantage Calcium do you need. And your Alk is 2.1 meq / l and you want to raise to a balanced alk with Reef builder how much do you need. You can do that with a two-part. To be simple we could say for each drop of ESV part 1 we add 1 part of ESV part 2 and if 1 drop of part 1 increase the Ca++ 20 ppm then 1 drop of part 2 raises the Alk 1 meq /l. That is balanced rate. You could use these and get a more balanced rate for the SeaChem products by using JD's calculator. But unless you have a pricey balance weight scale you still will only be close i.e., you will be guessing what 1/3 tsp is if that was the required amount.

http://home.comcast.net/~jdieck1/chem_calc3.html

In a two part, like ESV, you measure the Ca++ and ALK and then add x number of drops of each to get the Ca++ and Alk to the required level you want.

 

[drummereef]

Gotcha - i think i'm going to start using the b-ionic then.

thanks for the help!

 

[drummereef]

Hey Boomer,
Can I adjust my levels to get them to where they should be with the Seachem products, then start using the B-Ionic to maintain?

thanks again!

 

[Billybeau1]

Sure you can. Might as well use it up. Just use the calculator Boomer listed and make sure to read the warnings.

 

[Boomer]

Sure you can as Billy stated. Here is an example

100 gal net water vol.

390 ppm Ca++ and what to raise to 415ppm

4.7 tsps; 23.75 grms; 0.8 oz

The balanced Alk should be 2.7 meq / l. It show it right there on the calculator

Your Alk is at 1.9 meq/ l and needs to go to 2.7meq / l

4.2 tsps; 25.5 grms; 0.9 oz

You are just going to have guess what is in .2 tsps and . 7 tsps

 

[jdieck]

Just a note although the balanced value provided by the calculator is a reference any values within the recomended is OK.
Say Calcium between 400 and 440 ppm Alkalinity between 2.5 and 4 meq/lt and Magnesium between 1250 and 1350 ppm is acceptable, it does not have to be that balanced reference.