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Maintaining Calcium and Alkalinity using two part dosing products

Edwardw771

Edwardw771

NJRC Member
So I never really dosed anything in my tanks. but I want to starting getting into to rare SPS corals. I purchased a starter kit of 2 part solution from BulkReefSuppy.

Today is the first day I'm dosing the Calcium
I did a test with a API test kit and it took 17 drops of the 2nd bottle for it turn colors which means the Calcium is a 340. Everyone tells me it needs to be 450.
So I use this sit http://www.2partcalculator.com/
and it tells me for 300 gallons I need

Need: 385.9 grams; 13.6 oz; approx 77.1 tsp

I put in 2.5 ozs just now. I don't want to add to much. The qustion I have is do I just add the 2.5 every day till I get to the 13.6 Oz or do I do it all at once. I'd rather do it slow to I don't shock the system. I'm going to try to log on this thread how this stuff changes my Calcium and Alk.
 
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pgordemer

Officer Emeritus
Officer Emeritus
This is an area I have a lot of experience in. I have been dosing 2 part for a long time.

Keeping in mind that Alkalinity is item you are going to try to keep to a solid number and the calcium will follow. To many times people chase the Calcium number up and down - when it changes very little on a daily basis (DKH is what can swing up and down a lot). Also keep in mind that as you raise Calcium, you reduce alkalinity, and conversely raising alk, lowers calcium. When you get your parameter #'s at a level point the 2 part solution is balanced so it will keep it there (in theory at least)

The basic goal is to use the 2 parts seperately to raise the numbers to a target. Then start dosing 2 part together, testing each day to see how much or little drop you had, the adjusting from there.

For my system, after adjusting all the params up singley, dosing 120 ML at night over a 6 hour period had kept my paramters solid for years. (I use a dosing pump that can feed both parts at the same time to 2 different areas of the tank)

Everyone has an opinion on the exact numbers, but some combinations are more naturally balanced and obtainable than others. You might want to try and start out with 420 Calcium / 9 DKH or 450 Calcium / 10 DKH as targets. More is not necessariliy better.

The chemistry calculator will give you ideas how much as a starting point to get to the levels, but can't help much with what you need to stay there, that depends on your tank.

You can safely raise calcium by 40 PPM per day - So just divide the dose over 3 days and your all set.
 
Phyl

Phyl

Officer Emeritus
Officer Emeritus
You also have to remember to take into consideration the fact that while you're adding it, your system is using it. So in addition to the 40ppm over 3 days you'll also have to be adding back your usage amount (which may or may not be negligable depending on what you've got in there absorbing it).
 
Phyl

Phyl

Officer Emeritus
Officer Emeritus
It means you can go from 340 as high as 380 in one day. So if you have to jump 160 points on the chart then you would want to do it in 4 days instead of 3. If you only had to go up 20 or 40 points you could do it all at once.
 
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pnoyreefer

I am also using the 2 part kit from Bulkreefsupply and using a LMIII to dose it. I agree with Pgordemer u just have to balance it the more calcium you add the alk goes down. Right now on my 180 I am doing 170ml Calcium and 160ml Alk with LMIII on 24/7. I also learned from mistake that once you corals grow out you have to raise your dosing :eek:
 
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pgordemer

Officer Emeritus
Officer Emeritus
To further add...

I usually don't fiddle with the dosing pump settings. I will usually just make a single correction/addition manually. I only change the dosing pump, if for example at the end of the week I am constantly adding ALK or Calcium.
 
sgarron

sgarron

NJRC Member
Dosing 2 part on a 300 gallon system? Wouldn't it be cheaper and less time consuming in the long run to get a Calcium reactor and Kalk reactor?
 
Edwardw771

Edwardw771

NJRC Member
you going to lend me the $ for a calc reactor and kalk reactor? I'm sure evently I'll get them too put I want to try this stuff first. I'm up to about 8K in the tank already. my daughter is going to end up a county college the way I'm going.
 
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