Where do you dose?

[jacob.morgan78]

I'm currently manually dosing 25 mL of alk and calcium in my fairly young tank with minimal coral and coraline growth.

My question concerns the location of where I should be dosing. I currently dose one in the dt in an area of high flow and wait about 30 min. before doing the next. I try pouring slowly but honestly thats getting pretty old. I'd rather just dump it at once into the sump. Is this okay? Should I avoid the skimmer or media reactor with GAC?

I know you think I should just get the dosing pumps but I need to slow down on the spending seeing how this is a new setup with pretty high up front costs. I'm only a teacher

 

[BrianOKC]

I just dump it into the sump if its a small amount. If I'm adjusting a large amount I will break it up into smaller doses.

 

[Acrophiliac]

When I dosed, I would just pour it right into my Tunze powerhead and it would just blow right into the tank and mix in without any issues.

 

[tmz]

High flow area of teh sump works for me.

 

[bertoni]

I always dosed into the display, but my tanks generally didn't have a sump. Large doses probably should go into large volumes of water. In your case, I'd dose into the display.

 

[jacob.morgan78]

Jonathan, thanks for responding, I have about 135 gallons total volume. I know this is kind of a petty (sp.) question but how slowly do I have to pour it in if I'm dosing in the dt?

tmz, thanks too, do you just dump it into your sump all at once or would you if it was just 25mL in 135 gallons of total volume?

You guys are really good at helping people out on here, I really respect that! Thanks again!

 

[Chris Lakies]

On my 15 gal i dose right next to my mp10 so it is the first thing to pick up the calcium/alk "cloud" and mix it.

 

[David Grigor]

25mil is small enough amount that sounds like your being too meticulous with your dosing. As long as still in high flow, pouring it in faster ( and likely all at once ) is fine. Now if your dosing several hundred ML per day that would be a different story.

Just waiting a minute or so after the ALK ( after the cloudy has passed ), you can add your CA. Waiting 30 minutes is excessive. Good idea to wait that long before testing but not needed when your just dosing.

 

[jacob.morgan78]

25mil is small enough amount that sounds like your being too meticulous with your dosing. As long as still in high flow, pouring it in faster ( and likely all at once ) is fine. Now if your dosing several hundred ML per day that would be a different story.

Just waiting a minute or so after the ALK ( after the cloudy has passed ), you can add your CA. Waiting 30 minutes is excessive. Good idea to wait that long before testing but not needed when your just dosing.

thanks!

 

[Urchinhead]

If I remember right the area where you dose will have a rapid localized spike in pH that returns to "normal" as the concentrated solution dissipates into the water column so you need to be careful not to case a "base burn" of any coral or animals in the area you dose.

In general I would dose into the sump were I you. That way that spike is localized to an area of the tank that isn't going to care one way or the other that the pH jumped and then fell rapidly.

By "base burn" I mean a rapid spike that can go up to 12 pH and can "burn" just like an acid would.

 

[Urchinhead]

If I remember right the area where you dose will have a rapid localized spike in pH that returns to "normal" as the concentrated solution dissipates into the water column so you need to be careful not to case a "base burn" of any coral or animals in the area you dose.

In general I would dose into the sump were I you. That way that spike is localized to an area of the tank that isn't going to care one way or the other that the pH jumped and then fell rapidly.

By "base burn" I mean a rapid spike that can go up to 12 pH and can "burn" just like an acid would.

 

[David Grigor]

Of course it would all depend on just how close the corals are in relation to where the high flow area is your dosing. In the extreme, that certainly can be plausable to cause burning to corals but for most people it will have dissipated enough by that time it reaches corals that it's not an issue.

 

[bertoni]

I agree that waiting a minute or so should be fine. I might wait less, actually, depending on the flow.

If I were dosing limewater, which can reach 12.46 or so in pH, I'd be more cautious. In practice, I always dosed limewater slowly with a peristaltic pump.