2 Part Dosing

[d2mini]

So i got my 2 part mixes and dosers from BRS, got it all set up and connected to my RKL. The pumps are set up on multitimers, with each one coming on 12 times a day. The ALK is dripping for about 15 minutes each time and it brought my levels up to around 9. The CAL on the other hand is dripping for about 40 minutes and still won't go above 350.
Should there be this much of a difference in amounts added between the two?
And at this point, the CAL drip is starting to overlap the ALK drip at certain times. Is it bad that they are dosing at the same time sometimes? Or is it not enough quantity to matter?

The tank is a 130g plus 15g or so for the sump.
And i don't have many corals at this point since the tank is only 5 months old.

 

[coolhandgoose]

What is your magnesium at? I think that would affect how much calcium your water can hold.

 

[daugherty]

yes check your mag it will effect your alk and cal.

 

[d2mini]

Doh! I'm a total newb. I forgot all about mag. :roll:

 

[ccCapt]

What brand salt are you using? 350 is really low for any salt mix.

Should there be this much of a difference in amounts added between the two?

They probably won't be exactly the same. I use a little more alk than calcium.

Is it bad that they are dosing at the same time sometimes?

As long as they don't dump in the sump right next to each other it's fine. You just don't want them mixing as they are being dose or it will precipitate because of the locally high concentrations.

 

[d2mini]

What brand salt are you using? 350 is really low for any salt mix.

Brightwell. Right now my tank water is just over 1.025.
But i'm doing the auto water change thing so the calcium could easily be being used up.
Plus, i don't think i've ever had calcium in my tanks with any salt test over 375 after a water change. I've always had to dose to get it higher than 350-375. I never bother testing the fresh mix. I have to mix up another 50g batch though so i can do that maybe tonite and test it.

 

[daugherty]

i bet is is just your salt. oceanic is like 400-450 out of the bucket
and with you auto water change the cal would stay higher because of always getting new water. it is the brightwell salt everything i have read about it says it is shit

 

[d2mini]

i bet is is just your salt. oceanic is like 400-450 out of the bucket
and with you auto water change the cal would stay higher because of always getting new water. it is the brightwell salt everything i have read about it says it is shit

I dunno, i used to use oceanic and NEVER had my tank water test that high without dosing.

My problem here though is that even before i started dosing the Calcium was testing out at 350. So the dosing doesn't seem to be making a diff, so I think it must be the magnesium levels holding it back. The alk went up right away and i even had to back off on the alk dosing time a little bit.

My tanks seemed to like the salt. That's why i stuck with it after the first bucket. The only problems i heard were from people who tried to switch to it full on, and not mix it gradually with their old salt. And it mixes so clean.

 

[daugherty]

mine always tests that high with oceanic maybe you have a bad test kit?
there is a big thread on rc about that salt. or you could ask yote about it he tried it and did not like it. but if you tank looks good with it use it. you cant go wrong if the tank looks good. i would check the mag levels to start with many people never test them until it os so low that the cant keep their alk and cal stable.

 

[ccCapt]

OK, the 350 sort of makes sense with Brightwell salt. You should get around 370 on a fresh mix. Check your mag too. That salt is on the low side for mag too, but not low enough to stop your calcium levels from rising. If your mag was that low, when you add a caclium supplement you would see precipitation because there wouldn't be enough mag to hold the alk and calcium in solution.

Not sure about your alk levels either. Brightwell is pretty high (11 dKH) and you needed to dose to bring it up to 9? I guess I'll throw out the standard...what brand test kits are you using?

I would check a fresh mix and see what you get. You should get around 370 calcium, 11 dKH alk and 1140 mag.
Synthetic Salt Mixes - Reef Central Online Community

 

[d2mini]

Just tested my mag twice (salifert) and both times it read 1750.

My calcium kit is Seachem
and my Alk kit is LaMotte

 

[yote]

Dennis,Get away from that Brightwells salt.
When I first started using it,my tank seemed to really like it too.Then after a couple of months,everything went the other way.Corals started bleaching.Inverts having a hard time and the tank just not doing so good.
MPO,Theres something in there salt that builds up over time and then has adverse effects on the animals in the tank.Plus I never got consistent test results out of the same bucket no matter how much I shook it before making new water.

 

[ccCapt]

Wow. Are you dosing mag? You either have a faulty test kit or you somehow overdosed mag. That is extremely high...even tho you shouldn't see any negative affects from it. That has to be what....1 full syringe plus another 1/2 syringe on the Salifert test?

Is that a fresh mix or tank water results?

 

[d2mini]

It's one full syringe plus a 1.5 sections on the second syringe, so maybe 1/4 or less. I am not dosing.

So i just tested the batch of 1.025 saltwater that i mixed up last night.

Mag - exact same... 1750
Calcium - 325
Alk - 6.5

:shock:

 

[ccCapt]

Wow. Time to switch salts. Those #'s are horrid!

 

[sen5241b]

What is your magnesium at? I think that would affect how much calcium your water can hold.

Wow. Are you dosing mag? You either have a faulty test kit or you somehow overdosed mag. That is extremely high...even tho you shouldn't see any negative affects from it. That has to be what....1 full syringe plus another 1/2 syringe on the Salifert test?

Is that a fresh mix or tank water results?

I've seen my mag that high.

 

[d2mini]

Just got finished doing a 45g water change with Reef Crystals.
Will test tomorrow.

And I got banned from Reef Central after posting in a similar thread over there.
Please PM if you have an account but don't normally post there.

 

[ccCapt]

I have an RC acct. What did you say to get banned? :death:

 

[daugherty]

i have one

what did you say

 

[Bifferwine]

I have an RC account too. But I only post in my local forum in the for sale/trade threads.

I want to know too -- what did you say that got you banned? Let me guess, you questioned the quality of one of the products you are using in your tank, and the manufacturer happens to be a sponsor on RC? I've seen that happen before. Someone is having a problem with a salt/additive/whatever and they say, "This salt sucks!" Next thing you know -- BANNED, because said salt company is a sponsor.