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View Full Version : Dosing brs 2-part. Help!!!!!!!!!!


lluv24
04/17/2013, 02:19 PM
Ok so I have a 220 gal total system. I've been using Kalk in my ato for a couple years, but my cal and kh need more and Kalk can't keep my levels where I want them. Ok so I bought a swc3 dosing pump, when I use the brs calculater it says I need 675ml for cal and 440ml for alk. That seems like a lot !!!!!!!! My cal is currently 420 , alk is 7 , and my mag is 1300. Can someone tell me how much I should start with and how often should the pump dose to my tank?????:mad2::mad2:

scuzy
04/17/2013, 02:42 PM
I think the calculator is only good if you bring the params to the desire level first then t calculates what is needed to maintain it. I have a 240 volume and its around 60-70 ml of alk and 150 ml of cal for ca 450

lluv24
04/17/2013, 03:20 PM
Thanks scuzy that helps me out a lot. I have my dosing setup as calcium 13ml every 3 hrs = 104ml daily and alkalinity 10ml every 4hrs = 60ml daily. This should get me close to what the calculator on brs recommends. What do ya think????

downbeach
04/17/2013, 03:22 PM
What are you trying to get your numbers up to, they're OK now although they could be a little higher. You just have to figure out how much your systems uses in a day, and then determine how much to dose. I would use the two part to raise your numbers to a level you are happy with, and then start to test/record every day for a few days to see how much your system uses. Then do the math to determine how much to dose daily, and configure your doses accordingly. Typically equal doses of each part daily will provide what you need.

woodnaquanut
04/17/2013, 03:56 PM
I'm confused. You need to figure out whether you are raising values or trying to maintain them at the current level.

I ran the calculator for CA and if you want to RAISE CA from 420 to 450ppm, you do need to add 675ml of CAL solution.

If you need to replace 5ppm per day to make up for coral up-take, that would be 112ml per day.

lluv24
04/17/2013, 07:40 PM
Got it thanks. I will test again in a day or two.

bertoni
04/17/2013, 10:41 PM
Usually, measuring the alkalinity level and then dosing at the same time every day for a while will give you a decent trend line. There's enough noise in the calcium kits that measuring calcium isn't as useful. I'd dose both parts in an equal ratio because that's the proportion in which corals use them.

powdertang05
04/17/2013, 11:37 PM
Also bump up your Mg, natural seawater is a min of 1320. lacking Mg will causes you future issues specially if you are only dosing ca and alk and never Mg.

bertoni
04/17/2013, 11:41 PM
The canonical ocean average measurement for magnesium is about 1275 ppm. Levels down to 1100 ppm are fine, in my experience. I ran for years at that level because the old Instant Ocean salt measured about that.

lluv24
04/18/2013, 05:08 PM
Ok so I should dose both cal and alk at the same doses? Also what would be a safe dose of mag if I'm at 1180 and I want 1300. The brs calculator is showing a ton of mag to get it where I want it.

bertoni
04/18/2013, 10:11 PM
I would dose calcium and alkalinity at the same rate for now. I'd target 50 ppm for the first magnesium dose, since the calculator requires a guess as to the actual water volume in the tank. After that, up to 100 ppm per day likely is safe.