Water changes, dosing, and top off

[Wazzel]

Ok, my tank is growing like weeds. I am having a hard time keeping up with dosing. I use seachem reef calcium (9 teaspoons) and reef builder (8 tea spoons) on a vertex libria using 5 liters of water per week as of this week. Every week I increas by a teaspoon every week just to keep up. I have also gone from 5 to 10 gal water changes. I am reluctant to increase 2 tea spoons at a time. Also concerned I am getting to the saturation point of my dosing. If I have adding more is not going to help. I have considered spikeing my water change and/or my top off to try to make it up. I am not interested in changing systems to a cal reactor or kalk.

 

[Wazzel]

Oh. Ca ranges between 400 and 420, alk 7.8 and 8.3.

 

[Fish4life28]

Have you considered dosing kalk at night? I was able to reduce my 2 part dosing a little doing this. And it keeps ph more stable at night

 

[Fish4life28]

If your system is consuming what you are dosing how can it reach saturation point? If your parameters kept climbing it would become super saturated no? I am relatively a noob please correct me if I'm wrong

 

[Wazzel]

If your system is consuming what you are dosing how can it reach saturation point? If your parameters kept climbing it would become super saturated no? I am relatively a noob please correct me if I'm wrong

In the doseing containers. The water can only hold so much 2 part.

 

[Wazzel]

Have you considered dosing kalk at night? I was able to reduce my 2 part dosing a little doing this. And it keeps ph more stable at night

No I have not. I have a spare channel on my doser so I could, but...... The 10 liters I dose now is almost my evaporation rate per week. I would have to reduce the other two to not put to much fresh water in per week then I am back to being concerend about over saturation of the doseing water.

 

[Fish4life28]

What about switching which product you dose? Bionic is an option. I and people I know swear by it. Then your top off and additions would be separate

 

[Fish4life28]

Just dawned on me kind of out of left field option. Maybe add a fan to your sump to increase evap? Adding your 2 part at a faster rate if that makes sense

 

[Bpb]

I would suggest looking into running a kalkwasser reactor hooked to your ato. Cease dosing 2 part and test every couple days. Reintroduce 2 part dosing as needed. Fully saturated kalk should really reduce your 2 part need significantly. Possibly even exceed it

 

[rovster]

Get bigger containers

Seriously though, adding kalk via timed doser would be best but a little in the ato water would be my second choice. Nothing else to do really. CaRx would be great but I don't think it would be necessary in your sized tank.

 

[Wazzel]

I really do not want to get more gear or change directions if I can help it. Well guess I will just have to work it out.

 

[Reefvet]

I have a spare channel on my doser so I could...

You have everything you need. Buy some Mrs. Wages pickling lime and run the extra pump so it's dripping KW from lights out to lights on. You'll be amazed at how stable your tank becomes and how little KW it takes to bump Alk and CA.

If your corals are growing that well it's a nice problem to have. :spin1:

 

[Wazzel]

You have everything you need. Buy some Mrs. Wages pickling lime and run the extra pump so it's dripping KW from lights out to lights on. You'll be amazed at how stable your tank becomes and how little KW it takes to bump Alk and CA.

If your corals are growing that well it's a nice problem to have. :spin1:

Adding kalk on the third channel may be the answer. The container I use is only $6 from US plastics. I have some Mrs Wages already. It is what I use on aptaisa.

 

[tdb320reef]

When my tank was at its peak, I dosed CARX full stream, Kalk via ATO, and 2 Part over 500 ML a day. To date CARX is my Favorite. I recommend a CARX unit.

 

[Pife]

How many minutes of each do you dose per day?

 

[Wazzel]

How many minutes of each do you dose per day?

I have no clue off the top of my head. I got it set up to do 5 liters in 7 days.

 

[FishN00b83]

kalk in the ATO is the way!

 

[CHSUB]

what is your mag. level?

 

[Wazzel]

what is your mag. level?

Do not know, never tested for that. I take it for granted that the two part does what it claims and has enough to match the uptake of ca and alk. Probably should check it once and a while. I am going to my LFS tomorrow so I will get them to check, just to see if I need to start monitoring it.

 

[JB NY]

I think Kalk is the way to go too. I think once you start to use it you will be surprised at how much it helps out. To me that is the easiest route to take if you want to change as little as possible with the way you currently dose.