Using the Two-Part Alkalinity Additive System

[pesto]

One week ago, I switched from using the B-Ionic Alkalinity product to Recipe #1 of the "Two-Part Alkalinity Additive System" described in the link attached below in my 90G. I followed the preparations as described. But, since switching methods my alk readings have dropped from 9dkH to 7dkH and my Ph went from 8.4 to 8.0 in one week. I am dosing 60ML per day ...the same as when I used B-Ionic. Should my reading have gone down? Should I dose more than the B-Ionic amount? Should I consider dosing weekly instead of daily?

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2004/4/chemistry#section-3

 

[JohnK]

A quick run of some numbers on the chemistry calculator and it looks like you need about 50% more of randy's part 1 compared to B ionic. It's just less concentrated so you need to use more.

Try running your numbers and see if you come up with the same thing.
http://reef.diesyst.com/chemcalc/chemcalc.html

 

[pesto]

Thanks for pointing out this tool. I was aware of it but, never checked. Is the "Product Required" a daily or weekly number? What does the "Balanced Calcium" number represent? I ask because my calcium has also dropped from 420 to 340 but, did not think it was interrelated.

 

[jimrawr]

You want to dose at the very least daily, but even better would be to split up the dosage mutliple times a day. What the calculator will give you is how much needs to be dosed to reach a certain level, but after that you need to find your maintenance level (the amount that will keep you stable at the levels you want).

Just to compare, on my 92g corner, I dose 180ml of each ca/alk solution each day. My dosing pump doses every hour of the day, so the amount dosed during each period is 7.5ml of each. That gives me my 180ml per day.

 

[pesto]

180ml of Randy's solution?

 

[jimrawr]

Yeah 180ml of each part and I use recipe 1

 

[JohnK]

Thanks for pointing out this tool. I was aware of it but, never checked. Is the "Product Required" a daily or weekly number? What does the "Balanced Calcium" number represent? I ask because my calcium has also dropped from 420 to 340 but, did not think it was interrelated.

-when you use the calculator, you enter current levels and target levels. If you know your tank's daily consumption already, then you would go by that. If not, then you test for current level and set for desired level and it gives you the correction dose. As you work out your tank's daily consumption, the correction dose will be the daily dose. Make sense?

-the balanced Ca number is the level that would be in normal natural balance with your target alk level. In other words, if you target alk at 8, the calculator would spit out what the correct Ca level would be to go with that. 2 part additives are added in formulated to be added in equal porportions, so if you go with the more dilute DIY additive then you should expect both levels to drop so yes they are interrelated.

The easy way to see the difference in concentration you are running into is to;
1 enter your tank vol, I used 100g
2 enter an alk level, I used 8
3 enter a target level, I used 9
4 select DIY recipe 1 and click enter, then note the number (71.4 ml)
5 then select B Ionic and note that number (44.6)
6 compare the numbers.

2 part recipe #1 should require about 1.5 times as much as would be required with B ionic to make the same adjustment.

 

[Bobbofin]

180ml of Randy's solution?

That seems right. I have a 60 gallon cube with a half dozen SPS and a few LPS and Acans. I too use Bulk Reef Supply type recipe 1. I have to add 80ml of calcium and 100ml of alk (soda ash) daily to keep my numbers up. My calcium is 450ppm and my alk is 7.5dkh. I'm not too concerned with getting alk up near 10dkh where being stable is more important unless you're down near 6dkh then you have other issues.