Help with 2 part dosing
Printed From: Utah Reefs
Category: Specialized Discussion
Forum Name: Reef Chemistry
Forum Description: A place to discuss reef chemistry.
URL: http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=47786
Printed Date: July 01 2026 at 12:47pm
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Topic: Help with 2 part dosing
Posted By: kellerexpress
Subject: Help with 2 part dosing
Date Posted: March 26 2011 at 12:41am
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Just wanting some opinions on my 2 part dosing because it seems it is getting kind of excessive. As most of you know I recently upgraded my system to a 57g with a 20g sump. The tank is sps dominated. Im am dosing BRS 2 part, and am up to about 110-120 ml a day of each to keep my levels up and it seems like a bit much. Does this sound like too much? I am using Red Sea Coral Pro salt and my levels are as follows:
Calcium-400-420--tested with Salifert and API test kits
Alk is 8dkh--tested with Hanna tester
Mag is usually between 1200-1300--tested with red sea test kit.
I am going to start dosing kalk soon, hoping that it will decrease the amount of 2 part I am using because I am really burning through it for such a small tank. Just wanted some opinions in case there is something I am missing. Thanks!
Here is a pic of the tank so you can get an idea:
 ------------- IM 30L Kessil A160we x2 |
Replies:
Posted By: MadReefer
Date Posted: March 26 2011 at 12:51am
| It looks good! Kalk should help. Calcium reactor would make life easier for a tank like yours, although I don't have experience with one. I was using the same amount of BRS alk and cal for my 180 that had about 30% SPS. My numbers stayed the same as yours. |
Posted By: bur01014
Date Posted: March 26 2011 at 4:08am
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From the size of your tank and the looks of it...(coral stock)...I don't think you should be using up that much....although, those are not small frags by any means, however this in my opinion is not a heavily stocked SPS dominant tank (yet)...the tank size, dosing that much also bothers me ...I would guess anywhere from 60-90 ml a day for that current setup....perhaps I am wrong, but I would double check your mag/or try raising it a little, to see if that keeps things more stable....I also am not too familiar with BRS two-part, did you mix it up properly? Perhaps it is more diluted than it should be? Or perhaps it doesn't require any work to make up your two part.....keep us updated, someone else may chime in some better advice.... |
Posted By: bur01014
Date Posted: March 26 2011 at 4:10am
| oops- biggest questions of all....when are you dosing your two part, by what method, how many times a day, and how much time are you giving between CA & ALK doses? |
Posted By: kellerexpress
Date Posted: March 26 2011 at 4:53am
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Thanks for the reply...to answer your questions:
The two part comes pre measured to be mixed up with a gallon of RODI water. So I mix up the alk and calc parts in 1 gallon jugs, also from BRS. One thing I have noticed was that when I switched from b-ionic to BRS that I had to use about double the product to keep levels up, so I think their 2 part is a little diluted to begin with...
I usually dose my Alk in the morning, in my sump, and the Calc in the afternoon after I wake up.(I work graveyards) Sometimes I have dosed the calc in the morning also, like 1/2 hr apart. Sounds like I really need to double check my Mag levels and make sure thats not part of the problem. Ill do that when I get home this morning.
------------- IM 30L Kessil A160we x2 |
Posted By: tcfab
Date Posted: March 26 2011 at 9:08am
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That sounds like a lot to me as well. I have a 40 gallon frag tank with quite a bit of sps frags and 4 large colonies about the size of a softball and I was doing 30ml of each when using Bionic. I switched to Brightwell 2 part and hate it, I had to up my dosing quite a bit with it as well. I just built a kalk reactor to replace the two part. I think you would benefit from a calcium reactor they are very nice and are cheaper in the long run. ------------- Need custom acrylic work? give me a call, www.Elite-Aquatics.net (801)645-6386 |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: March 26 2011 at 11:26am
I believe bur01014 hit it on the head. If you have not been adding Mg, I would just add a lot of Mg and you will see your Alk and Ca dosing needs decrease. SPS and Coralline Algae use up a lot of Mg along with Alk and Ca. Don't worry about adding Mg without testing. Reef aquariums need a lot of it and the level can be a lot higher than normal seawater without any bad effects. In fact, extra high Mg is what kills the bad Bryopsis algae so go ahead and dump in 2 cups of Epsom Salt Mg solution.
 I'm not saying not to test, but that you don't need to wait to test.  I love the look of that tank.  Are you signed up for the Reef Tour?------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
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Posted By: ptronsp
Date Posted: March 26 2011 at 1:43pm
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I know nothing about this subject but had to chime in about how beautiful I think this tank is. Very nice setup. Pam |
Posted By: kellerexpress
Date Posted: March 26 2011 at 3:37pm
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Thanks for the input and compliments. Mark I'm not sure my tank is reef tour worthy yet, maybe next year. I have been adding mag, it's part of the brs system. I added some extra a few days ago. I re-tested this morning and my levels are plenty high, in the 1400-1500 range. ------------- IM 30L Kessil A160we x2 |
Posted By: dc
Date Posted: March 26 2011 at 9:31pm
| which drops faster? cal. or alk.? also i would space the dosing of the 2 at least an hour aprart. kalk is a good choice but can be easy to over do. also it mainly just raises alk keeps cal the same. |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: March 27 2011 at 5:43pm
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I have added more than 2 liters per week of both Alk and Ca in my coral farming years ago which involved just over 100 gals. Each reef aquarium eats minerals at different rates. Some tanks need Ca more than Alk, but most eat Alk faster than Ca. Spacing the additions of Alk and Ca can be made within a minute of each other. One component must simply disperse before the other is added. When the additions of Alk and Ca become too much trouble a hobbyist may choose to install a Calcium Reactor. ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member
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Posted By: laynframe
Date Posted: March 27 2011 at 6:10pm
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I ran my 125 for about a year with 2 part, and I hated it!! My smaller cube is on one of tcfabs calcium reactors and once dialed in it maintains my alk and cal and i have hardly no ph swing too. I just got tired of dosing and ordering the two part. I even had two dosing pumps on timers to dose my tank. I love your tank by the way. I think your tank would really benefit from a calcium reactor, specially when those sps bad boys get big lol ------------- The time we enjoy wasting isn't wasted time!!!! |