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Dosing advice
- Thread starter Foxchase
- Start date
The jebao dose works and it will do the job.
I find it easy to dose ESV alk and cal it’s only $40 and it’s already mixed.
What I would do is first decide what range you would like to keep your alk.
I keep my alk around 8
Some like it higher pick a number and try to keep the range close. Anything from 7-12 will work.
Test you tank and see what your alk is.
Do a big water change until you get it to the number you want. I would also pick a salt that is close to my numbers.
When you get to that number Let’s say 8
Test again 24hrs later at the same time and see what your number is? 7.5
Now you know how much your tank is using in alk. At this point you use a alk calculator like BRS and put in your water volume and dose that amount. Test again 24 hrs and see what your numbers are and adjust as needed.
I would do alk first and get that consistent.
Then calcium the same way pick a number and then dose
Magnesium shouldn’t really change and you should be fine with just water changes.
You can dose magnesium separate manually when you need it.
I find it easy to dose ESV alk and cal it’s only $40 and it’s already mixed.
What I would do is first decide what range you would like to keep your alk.
I keep my alk around 8
Some like it higher pick a number and try to keep the range close. Anything from 7-12 will work.
Test you tank and see what your alk is.
Do a big water change until you get it to the number you want. I would also pick a salt that is close to my numbers.
When you get to that number Let’s say 8
Test again 24hrs later at the same time and see what your number is? 7.5
Now you know how much your tank is using in alk. At this point you use a alk calculator like BRS and put in your water volume and dose that amount. Test again 24 hrs and see what your numbers are and adjust as needed.
I would do alk first and get that consistent.
Then calcium the same way pick a number and then dose
Magnesium shouldn’t really change and you should be fine with just water changes.
You can dose magnesium separate manually when you need it.
Attachments
You will want to dose both alk and calc, and in an ideal world, with equal volumes. But reality is that rarely happens because of your salt contribution. Might find this post interesting.
How Much Two Part Do I Need
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How Much Two Part Do I Need
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Great article a lot of good information
I was wondering the same thing. I saw people use baked baking soda to raise alk. I wonder what the difference between that and something like BRS is
Oh my, I wasn’t expecting replies like this. Let me begin by stating that I am degreed in both biology and chemistry (does that matter; I don’t know). I’m also terrible with time, and will guess that I’ve been using the DIY additives since 2007/2008. I’m still using my first bag of Prestone Driveway Heat, that I purchased for less than $20. And that is with giving away a number of gallons of made up solutions to folks who were interested. If I were to guess, using Italian statistics (that’s where I wave my hands around, and come up with numbers that sound reasonable and believable), I’d say I spend about $5/year on dosing my tank….a 90 gallon DT with 50 gallon sump. I think I’m on my third bag for Sam’s Club for Arm and Hammer, which is now a 15 pound bag.
So what is the common alk we use….either sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), or sodium carbonate (soda ash). Now for you bakers, baking soda is like chemical yeast. As you bake that special batch of cookies or cake, the baking soda releases carbon dioxide….a gas...creating little bubbles in those delicious cookies or cakes you are making….just like yeast would do, but biologically. When you simply “bake” baking soda on it’s own, you drive off the carbon dioxide, producing sodium carbonate (soda ash)....the same stuff from BRS, short of the purity of being pharmaceutical grade...and no need for our tanks.
So to the questions posed, Yes, BRS stuff is the same (chemically), with the exception of price, and for some reason wanting to use pharmaceutical grade ingredients….a total waste of money. The Arm and Hammer I use is food grade, (you eat this stuff) and since I’m not injecting this into my body, more than pure enough for our tanks. As far as trace elements, I do a total of 50 gallon water change per month, so I get my “trace” in the water changes. If you’re not into water changes, you could simple add any number of trace products available.
Does it work….phhhht. I can’t give away the frags that grow like weeds, using this DIY mix. Yes it works....just like the big boys....same chemistry.
So what is the common alk we use….either sodium bicarbonate (baking soda), or sodium carbonate (soda ash). Now for you bakers, baking soda is like chemical yeast. As you bake that special batch of cookies or cake, the baking soda releases carbon dioxide….a gas...creating little bubbles in those delicious cookies or cakes you are making….just like yeast would do, but biologically. When you simply “bake” baking soda on it’s own, you drive off the carbon dioxide, producing sodium carbonate (soda ash)....the same stuff from BRS, short of the purity of being pharmaceutical grade...and no need for our tanks.
So to the questions posed, Yes, BRS stuff is the same (chemically), with the exception of price, and for some reason wanting to use pharmaceutical grade ingredients….a total waste of money. The Arm and Hammer I use is food grade, (you eat this stuff) and since I’m not injecting this into my body, more than pure enough for our tanks. As far as trace elements, I do a total of 50 gallon water change per month, so I get my “trace” in the water changes. If you’re not into water changes, you could simple add any number of trace products available.
Does it work….phhhht. I can’t give away the frags that grow like weeds, using this DIY mix. Yes it works....just like the big boys....same chemistry.
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Jamie S
NJRC Member
Wow great information. Thank you so much for sharing
This is a great response for a chemist.
For the rest of us I think if you are just starting it is best to use something that’s already mixed. Keep it simple in the beginning and you can change as needed to make your own.
Me personally I will never make my own cookies. I think homemade cookies taste horrible. I rather pay $2 for a cookie from a bakery that Taste amazing.
The same thing with dosing for me I rather keep it simple and pay a little more for something that’s already done. I don’t even use the BRS stuff because it’s not worth it for me to mix it. I like ESV 2 part it’s not cheap but it’s easy. I put it on the dos and I am done.
There is no right or wrong you just need to be honest with the type of reefer you are.
For the rest of us I think if you are just starting it is best to use something that’s already mixed. Keep it simple in the beginning and you can change as needed to make your own.
Me personally I will never make my own cookies. I think homemade cookies taste horrible. I rather pay $2 for a cookie from a bakery that Taste amazing.
The same thing with dosing for me I rather keep it simple and pay a little more for something that’s already done. I don’t even use the BRS stuff because it’s not worth it for me to mix it. I like ESV 2 part it’s not cheap but it’s easy. I put it on the dos and I am done.
There is no right or wrong you just need to be honest with the type of reefer you are.
I
My question now is, I can't find how to mix it, dose it and how much to not kill everything.
How do you mix the baking soda after mixing it. Do you add RODI or saltwater? How much baking soda for how much water?
Once mixed, how much and how often do I add the mix to raise the alk in the tank to where I want it? How much is too much in 1 day? How many times a day should it be spread out over?
I appreciate all the information. I've been looking at the baked baking soda diy version as I don't see a point in buying the best one for more when I can just run to the store.
My question now is, I can't find how to mix it, dose it and how much to not kill everything.
How do you mix the baking soda after mixing it. Do you add RODI or saltwater? How much baking soda for how much water?
Once mixed, how much and how often do I add the mix to raise the alk in the tank to where I want it? How much is too much in 1 day? How many times a day should it be spread out over?
@amado , I fully appreciate your use of commercial products to dose your tank. I know I’m an oddball when it comes to a number of aspects of my tank, and dosing is definitely one of them. However, you are totally wrong when it comes to cookies. Homemade cookies are the best!!!! This was a very difficult picture to take….I ate the first one I put down….and this is the second one, and as I snapped it, ate this one as well.
This is an oatmeal cookie, and absolutely delicious. If you can’t make good homemade cookies, you either have a bad recipe, or are a terrible cook.
Homemade is the best! Again, your use of ESV isn’t an issue, but homemade cookies are the best!
@Foxchase, please read the above link I posted. The recipe I use is from a well know chemist, Dr. Randy Holmes Farley....and HERE is his origin article on making the DIY solutions. You want to mix the baked baking soda with RO/DI water. The originally 2 1/4 cups of baking soda is mixed to make a gallon of solution.
Please let me know if you have any other questions.
@amado , I fully appreciate your use of commercial products to dose your tank. I know I’m an oddball when it comes to a number of aspects of my tank, and dosing is definitely one of them. However, you are totally wrong when it comes to cookies. Homemade cookies are the best!!!! This was a very difficult picture to take….I ate the first one I put down….and this is the second one, and as I snapped it, ate this one as well.
View attachment 31799
This is an oatmeal cookie, and absolutely delicious. If you can’t make good homemade cookies, you either have a bad recipe, or are a terrible cook.
Again, your use of ESV isn’t an issue, but homemade cookies are the best!
With all due respect that cookie looks horrible. Lol
My point is you need to know who you are.
For me I like to make things as easy as possible.
Dosing a homemade 2 part is taking a lot of risk with very little reward. Trying to find out
How much to dose is not as easy as using the BRS calculator.
LOL, Judeo I had to look up "OG", but you are too kind. I'm just an old guy who's been at it for too long.
The BRS ingredients and dosing calculator were based on Dr. Randy Holmes Farley recipe....the recipe I'm using. So nothing has changed. Believe me it's simply chemistry. ...
And never, ever base a cookies taste on how it looks.
Bet you can't eat just one!!! 
I pray forgiveness for this momentary divergence from the thoroughfare...
Amado, what is this ESV amalgam you speak of? I have consulted the electronic oracle and it show me the brew in but 2 parts, one alk and one cal. Where dost thou find the all-in-one elixir?
Also, be it know I be the same mind of Red Fish, sweets baked in the hovel hearth surpass all others.
Amado, what is this ESV amalgam you speak of? I have consulted the electronic oracle and it show me the brew in but 2 parts, one alk and one cal. Where dost thou find the all-in-one elixir?
Also, be it know I be the same mind of Red Fish, sweets baked in the hovel hearth surpass all others.
The all for reef product is from tropic marine.
Not esv. Esv only makes 2 part and magnesium.
All-For-Reef
Tropic Marin All-For-Reef is a revolutionary approach to dosing, combining calcium, alkalinity, and other trace elements into a single, easy to use solution. It's no longer necessary to maintain two, three, or four solutions, or a complicated reactor. All-For-Reef is a balanced source of calcium...
www.bulkreefsupply.com
Jamie S
NJRC Member
I read in a reef2reef forum of someone stirring this pickling lime into their RODI top off and that's all they used for years. His tank looks great and it seems like such a simple DIY (kinda) kalkwasser.
Amazon.com : Mrs. Wages Pickling Lime (1-Pound Resealable Bag) : Complete Canning Kits : Grocery & Gourmet Food
Amazon.com : Mrs. Wages Pickling Lime (1-Pound Resealable Bag) : Complete Canning Kits : Grocery & Gourmet Food
www.amazon.com