Two part usage vs. all in one

[kamil5000]

Hi,

I am currently dosing (automatically) two part for my 75g which dosen't contain too many corals, but does contain three 2-4 inch clams.

I am finding that my tank is consuming a lot of two parts. I.e. the two 500ml bottles last less than a week and at that rate my Ca. is 430 and Alk 7.8 dkh. This seems like quite a lot of two parts too me.

FYI, I am using Two Little Fishies C-Balance - 1gal Concentrate for my two part.

Since I do not have the space for a calcium reactor i am thinking of switching to Salifert All-In-One as a means of reducing costs of two part.

My question is two part (sorry about the pun):

1) Isn't 500ml each of two part per 6 days excessive requirment for my size tank? If so What could be taking up the calcium carbonate wso fast?

2) Is there way to equate my tanks requirment (500ml/week of two parts) to what would be need in terms of ml from Salifert All-In-One so as to maintain the same levels of Alk & Ca?

Tks for yr help.
Kamil

[smcdonn]

WOW. 500ml each. I dose a 2 part made by ESV. I don't have many corals but I do have a 75 gallon tank and I dose about 15ml of each every day. My calcium is over 400 and I'm not really sure what my KH is. 500ml a day is outrageous. I wouldnt think a couple of clams could soak that much stuff. WARNING THOUGH, I am a newbie so take all this with a grain of salt.

Sean

[Boomer]

That is about 10 ppm / day, which is not uncommon in a reef tank but may be above your needs. Is the water ever cloudy or do you see in white deposits ? Maybe you got a diluted bottle. Try adding some to some new salt mix, using this calculator and see if it brings it up to what it should.

http://jdieck1.home.comcast.net/chemcalc.html

Have you checked Mg++ levels ?

This will help you and shows tables with similar daily Ca++ drops that you have.

When Do Calcium and Alkalinity Demand Not Exactly Balance?
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-12/rhf/index.php

[besl]

I'm not familiar with C-Balance, but it is suppose to be similar to B-Ionic by ESV which is what I use and based on that 500 ml over 6 days would be outrageously high and exceed the recommended dosage by ESV. I dose 30 ml each part every day for my 125 gallon mixed reef which is heavily stock with (small) SPS. I would question your test kit - take a water sample to a reputable lfs and have him test for Ca and Alk - or buy a new test kit (use titration test and not color match for higher accuracy).

[bobt2]

using b-onic on my 75 mixed w 1 small sps, 3 lps and a bunch of softeys and 150 lbs of rock, i use 35 ml a day of each to maintain 400 ppm ca and 8 dk alk.

[Boomer]

I dose 30 ml each part every day

That depends on which ESV you use. One is twice as concentrated as TLS and one is half as concentrated as TLF. On your tank the concentrated form, say for 175 gal and 4 ppm loss / day is 30 ml x 7 = 210 ml / wk, about what you have.. The other ESV is 125 ml / day = 875 ml / wk. C-Balance at 4 ppm / day 50 ml = 350 ml/week.

With his load something is fishy, TLF bottle ? Both bottles would have to be bad/diluted.


question your test kit


Ca++ Test kit ? If that was the case the alk test kit would also have to be way off, as he has used up both parts of the two-part.

I think allot of it is just leaving solution, A-Biotically.

[kamil5000]

Thanks all for your replys. to clarify a few points:

The test kits I am using are sailfert and seem to be very accurate. I test religously a couple of times a week.

Boomer, there is never any cloudiness in the tank, and apart from the clams, all i have (sps) 1 vase coral and 1 pipe coral. A few LPS (not many) and the rocks are not fully covered with coraline yet.

The C-balance comes in concentrate form and I add RO water to re-constitute it. This is the second batch of C-balance that I am using so i don't think its a problem with the c-balance (eventhough in the calcium part - there is always some flaking at the bottem of the bottle).

I haven't tested for Mg since a while - because i always get results withiint the acceptable range. and I do add two capfuls of Kent Mg every week.

Even if Mg levels were low wouldn't that only effect Ca, surely alkalinity would be much higher then what it is now.

Thanks for your continued input.

Does that help?

[Boomer]

Nope :lol:

It still may be leaving solution. I figured the kit and the TLF would be fine. Both can not be bad at both ends. I also do not think or did not think it was a Mg problem, just covering all grounds :)

If the animals are not using it and I can not really see that, then it is leaving abiotically. I could only suggest that things may be out of wack and it thus "appears" you have high demands and you really don't, again meaning abiotic. I would try a couple of 25 % water changes. Water changes almost always fix such problems :D

[kamil5000]

i'll try the water change.

Here is a possibilty that just occured to me; The doser drips both parts into the sump at the same time, so could the fact that the drops arriving into the same(ish) area into the sump be causing the two parts to disolve each other?

[Boomer]

No, they would not dissolve, they would/may precipitate out of solution, if anything, usually showing or leaving a white chalk. But this could get blown out into the tank where you may not see it.

[kamil5000]

There is quite a bit of white chalk on the return pump in the sump as well as the two smaller pumps feeding the phosphate and carbon reactors.

[Boomer]

Yes :D fixed problem I think

[kamil5000]

i will try and divert the the tubes to different parts of the sump, and we'll see what happens.

Tks for your help.

[bobt2]

just a thought, on the b-onic it says to add them one at a time

[kamil5000]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7643579#post7643579 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by bobt2
just a thought, on the b-onic it says to add them one at a time

True, but the thing is, with electronic dosers, both parts can only drip into the sump at the same time. I did not think that a few drops of each into the same area of the sump would cause percipitation.

Anyway, I moved them (tubes) to opposite ends of the sump so today my readings should show a huge jump in dkh & Ca based on dosage of 35ml/day each. Otherwise its something else.

[kamil5000]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=7643789#post7643789 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by kamil5000
35ml/day each.

I mean 70ml/day. (I wish it was only 35/ml day)