Two Part Solution Questions

polysynth

polysynth

Member
I made a gallon of each of the two part per the bulkreefsupply instruction in a clear container for the first time and I noticed that some of the baking soda as well as the calcium chloride settles on the bottom of the container. Is the settling normal?

Also, I feel like I am dosing a lot. I top off with kalk and dosing two part. In addition to the kalk, I am dosing about 40ml per day of the two part solution in a 34 gal and it still seem to not be enough. My alkalinity still measure at only 7dkh. Tank is SPS dominated with several soft ball size colonies. I want my alkalinity to be at about 8...should I increase the dosage?? Thanks!
 
If you want your alk. at 8.0, I would make an initial adjustment using the Reef Calculator to determin how much you need to add of the baking soda. Unless your current dosage was not maintaining your level of 7.0, then you should be able to continue with the same dosing rate.
 
The calculator said i need about 3 grams of baking soda...i already have the two part system set up and i don't want to mix another 3 gram in a separate container...I've been increasing the dosage by 1 ml a day and test daily until i get 8 dkh. the only thing is that right now i am at some 40ml a day and it seems like a bit much. So i am not sure if the settling of the baking soda and calcium in the two part contain has anything to do with it.
 
i dont have anything settled out in my 2 part. 40ml isnt to much. i dose 36ml a day and dont really have any large colonies.

i think it would be easier on you to use the 2 part to just keep things stable and seperately dosing to bring the params up where you want.

just mix a tsp of baking soda and some water in a cup and throw it in.
or spread the dose a little.
 
polysynth,

You can increase the amount you dose per day, but this is not a good representative of what your maintainance dose will be once you reach 8.0 for your alk. Perhaps this is why the amount you are dosing seems high? Once you reach 8.0, you will need to back off on the total amount of alk. you supplement. ;)

You should be using your kalk mix at 2 teaspoons per one gallon of rodi (Kalk is saturated at this amount) before you supplement additional alk.
 
I understand that there will be an over shoot in dkh that's why I am testing regularly and increasing dosage slowly. I am expecting to see a "critically damped response" (image google the term to see what it looks like).

I dose kalk via kalk reactor and I am certain that the kalk is saturated and it's still not enough alk&calc supplement.

Right now I am just wondering if there is suppose to be some settling in my 2 part container or the baking soda and calcium chloride is suppose to be completed dissolved?
 
You may be adding a little more than will dissolve in the given amount of water. I have dosed baking soda dry directly into my sump, which has a very heavy mixing rate. You do not want any undissolved particles landing on your DT occupants. I don't think I would do this with calcium chloride though. If the amount of water you use is not critical, then I would just add a little more water to allow everything to dissolve and increase your dosing rate proportionately.
 
Hi,

I had similar problem with diy two part additions. Although I dose manually two or three times a day. I raised dosage to 60 ml per dose to get alk to 10 dKh. Then both my stream and my pump got stuck and reason was precipitated calcium carbonate. Good amount of vinegar and they are functional again. This is one reason to increasing demand of alk when using, at least manual, 2-part additions.
 
I see. From you guys responses (thanks! =] )...it seems like settling in the two part container is some what normal and only an indication of saturation, which is fine. Similar happens to a kalk solution when you add more than 2 teaspoon per gallon, some of the kalk will settle. And as far as i know, there are no precipitation of the calcium carbonate.

I am just concerned that EVERYTHING is settling in my two part containers and I am only dosing H20 and that's why I can't raise my alk and calc. And I am only dosing the 2 part solution; none of the actual undissolved particles are dosed into the tank.

Regardless, my SPS are looking very healthy with all their polyps way out. pH is stable. So it seems like right now all my alk and calc are being consumed as fast as they're being dosed hence I can't raise the dkh. So if I can provide slightly more dkh and calc than my sps can consume then I know that I am not impeding their growth.

I am going to keep on slowly raising the daily dosage until i can maintain about 7.5-8 dkh then i'll be happy.
 
You can only add so much two-part and get it to disolve in a given amount of rodi water. The two-part is dissolving in the water. After the water becomes saturated the rest will remain on the bottom. Unless your rodi water has a lot of dissolved CO2 in it. Keeping a lid on your rodi container may help this situation. Extra Co2 may cause precipitation.
 
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