Switching dosing to BRS 2 part

mvallee

Non-member
My tank is fairly new and I only just started dosing when I won the Caribsea coral up bundle at last months BRS raffle and have been really pleased with the results. I had planned on starting dosing with BRS 2 part and had already purchased the dry Soda Ash and dry Calcium Carbonate with mixing jugs to start dosing when I won.
The Coralup just ran out and I have mixed the new 2 part to start using tomorrow and am nervous as I have never had corals do as good as these are doing right now. In my old tank I had more coral skeletons than corals and never had any luck with SPS.

My tank is about 90 gallons and I was only dosing 1 capful of Calcium and 2 capfuls of the Alk and it has been maintaining perfect numbers.
Anyone dose 2 part like the BRS 2 part? how much should I start with in a 90 gallon tank, pretty light load with just a handful of corals. I have the salifert test kits and will be monitoring daily once I start. I was thinking 1 ounce to start each morning, is that a good number to start with?
I hope I am not making a mistake by switching.
Here are some of my favorite corals and then a video at the end so you can see how light I am on corals.
By the way all these pics were taken with the google Pixel 2 and the built in digital zoom, For a camera Phone I am quite happy.

My favorites are the ones I got from Greg Hiller at the meeting

Solomon Island Mushroom Look at that Polyp Extension and those short ones on the right is all new growth
IMG_20180422_145346.jpg

This Green Slimer and Monitpora Hispada have some insane growth, on that monti the lighter colored edges is all new in a month
IMG_20180422_145441.jpg

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These two chalices from Greg, Hollywood Stunner and Becs Pink and Green I think are both showing great outer edge growth and check out these closeups, not sure if they are polyps but very fleshy and extended
IMG_20180422_145511.jpg

IMG_20180422_145519.jpg
IMG_20180422_145539.jpg
IMG_20180422_145551.jpg


I wish I knew the name of this one from Greg but i call it my Blueberry Acro. This thing had huge flat cuts in the top that have completely healed over and growing new Polyps
IMG_20180422_145429.jpg




These two I got from Divers Den a Weeping Willow Toadstool and Aussie Duncan, the Weeping willow is tiny but growing and the duncan gets bigger everyday
IMG_20180422_145653.jpg



IMG_20180422_145337.jpg


Here is the quick video of the tank with my fav the Solomon Island Toadstool as the start :)


Wish me luck and appreciate any advice
 
I'm not familiar with Coralup, so I can't convert one product to the other. BRS has a handy calculator you can use along with instructions on how to determine dosage. Just look on the pages for each product.

Here's the link to another calculator that lists several vendors products. http://reef.diesyst.com/chemcalc/chemcalc.html

BRS's mixture is equal to "Randy's Recipe". If you are not looking for 'pharmaceutical grade' soda ash, you can make your own by baking baking soda in the oven at 350'F for an hour. I've been using store brand baking soda for years. The is about a third of the BRS stuff.
 
I'm not familiar with Coralup, so I can't convert one product to the other. BRS has a handy calculator you can use along with instructions on how to determine dosage. Just look on the pages for each product.

Here's the link to another calculator that lists several vendors products. http://reef.diesyst.com/chemcalc/chemcalc.html

BRS's mixture is equal to "Randy's Recipe". If you are not looking for 'pharmaceutical grade' soda ash, you can make your own by baking baking soda in the oven at 350'F for an hour. I've been using store brand baking soda for years. The is about a third of the BRS stuff.

Thanks, I've been watching BRS videos since I posted and seeing as how I have the levels where I want and am just maintaining I got a good recommendation from one of their videos, 40-60ml is the recommended starting dose of each part for maintaining values in a 100gal tank with light demands so I have my starting point.
 
nice looking tank! Corals look great!
TBH...with the amount of corals frags you currently have and 90 gallons of water volume, I couldn't imagine the need for 2 part dosing at this point. With only 3 being SPS and the stunner is a pretty fast grower...even so with regular water changes I would think that would be sufficient to maintain your cal/alk consumption.
Now if you still felt the need to dose or in fact actually needed to you would have to determine your cal and alk consumption in order to use the calculator mention above. Should not dose alk and cal without testing what your actual consumption is. I wouldn't blindly does those 2 components not knowing my tank consumption.
 
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nice looking tank! Corals look great!
TBH...with the amount of corals frags you currently have and 90 gallons of water volume, I couldn't imagine the need for 2 part dosing at this point. With only 3 being SPS and the stunner is a pretty fast grower...even so with regular water changes I would think that would be sufficient to maintain your cal/alk consumption.
Now if you still felt the need to dose or in fact actually needed to you would have to determine your cal and alk consumption in order to use the calculator mention above. Should not dose alk and cal without testing what your actual consumption is. I wouldn't blindly does those 2 components not knowing my tank consumption.

With the coral up 2 part i found 1 capful was enough to maintain my levels so you are right not much consumption if any maybe.
I think I will start with half of the recommended dose i mentioned above and watch my levels daily till I am sure I have stabilized,
I am seeing coraline spreading now too which is nice to see, everything is coming together nicely and just want to keep them moving forward.
I have been maintaining 450 cal, 9.4 to 9.9 depending on time of day for Alk and my mag is testing at 1450 ( i have not dosed anything it's just high). My Phosphate is highish, around .4 with a hannah checker and from what I have been reading with higher Phosphate you want to keep your Alk on the high side. Nitrate is almost undetectable with the Salifert and I am working on the Phosphate, just making adjustments Slowly.

I did add 8 more little SPS frags, smallish 1-2.5" each piece Like digi's and Birdsnests so I'll be keeping an eye on those to.
 
I figure if you test your alk and cal tonight (or if you levels are at where you want them now and are known) and then again tomorrow at the same time without dosing anything you will see how much of the 2 parts your tank consumed and then use the calculator that phg1960 posted above based on your tank volume and the media you will dose with and you should be good to go. Test regularly after to make sure things stay in line and adjust accordingly, if needed (could change for added growth or more coral etc.) Likewise for the Mag...you just will not need to dose that nearly as frequently.
It is is better to know what your tank is using and dose that need as opposed to using that dose on the side of the container( I use BRS also).
If your tank uses more or less than that starting dose you m fayind your jiggering up and down the dose of the 2 part too frequently to keep where you want to be.
 
Over dose of alk can kill acro. You may not need to dose with such light coral load.


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I yet to see any real study nor evidence about the relationship between alk and phosphate. But what I know is that most coral farmers are keeping alk around 8 dkh. That includes some ultra high end vendors.



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