2 part dosing, soda ash & sodium bicarbonate

[NewJack]

I dose Brs 2 part. which consisted of alk=soda ash. Calcium=calcium chloride
with these components I am dosing 70ml per day of each.
I just switched the alkalinity portion to Sodium bicarbonate and discovered the strengths of soda ash. & sodium bicarbonate are not the same. The tank now uses 140ml. of the alk. solution daily. My question is, do I now up my calcium dosing to 140ml to match the amount of alkalinity solution I'm now dosing?
I am still using the same calcium chloride as before which I was only dosing 70ml.

[scuzy]

No each is independent I assume.

[NewJack]

hi Scuzy,
I was always told to Dose alk.& calcium in equal amounts once your tank parameters are set where you like them.
so are you saying I should keep my calcium dosing set at 70ml?
Even though i'm dosing 140 ml of alk.

[scuzy]

Yeah I don't think your alk and calcium consumption is the same right? Reason for two part is you can dose either differently.

[TangingOut]

There are two different recipe for 2 part. What you're experiencing is exactly what's expected. You're using a different recipe for each part. The recipe that uses baking soda requires twice the dosing amount as oppose to the recipe with soda ash.

[Bpb]

The advice to dose calcium and alkalinity in equal parts refers to dosing them in a balanced ppm, not equal fluid oz no matter what. As mentioned different strength solutions will call for different fluid dosages.

6.4-7.1 ppm calcium per dKH is roughly the balanced consumption when a coral creates CaCO3 from its available elements in the water.

Most 2 part "systems" will instruct you to mix (or come with premixed liquids) at a strength to where if you dose identical fluid amounts, you are supplementing at that ratio. Pick one solution from one system, and another solution from a different system and you then have different strength solutions and cannot dose them in equal parts without eventually unbalancing your calcium and alkalinity.

That is the spirit behind the "dose equal parts" instructions you hear floating around. What that REALLY means is "dose equal fluid amounts if and only if your solutions are mixed to add a balanced amount of 6.4-7.1 ppm calcium per dKH"


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[NewJack]

Thanks everyone. That makes sense. I always knew there were a few recipes out there for dosing, but never really did my research on what exactly the differences were and the strengths of the solutions.

[hkgar]

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/rhf/

[tmz]

For clarity; Alk is a not a thing; it is a measure of many things that neutralize acidity, i.e H+ protons. Carbonate( soda ash) is CO3 ;bicarbonate is HCO3. The later has already used one unit of alk since it includes one H+. The CO3 has 2 units to use vs only one left for the HCO3. Thus the CO3 is twice as strong as alkalinity than the HCO3 .

I just switched the alkalinity portion to Sodium bicarbonate and discovered the strengths of soda ash. & sodium bicarbonate are not the same. The tank now uses 140ml. of the alk. solution daily. My question is, do I now up my calcium dosing to 140ml to match the amount of alkalinity solution I'm now dosing?
I am still using the same calcium chloride as before which I was only dosing 70ml.


No,the balanced amount of calcium chloride should not change since the actual alk dose has not changed.

[NewJack]

thank you Tom for the clarification. I appreciate it.

[tmz]

You are welcome.

BTW, you can use food grade sodium bicarbonate, Arm and Hammer which may be less costly. It can also be baked for one hour at 400F to make it into soda ash/ carbonate