Dosing Help...

[Vincero]

Hey everyone.

I'm five or so months into this awesome hobby and everything is going great with my 15 gallon mixed reef.

I've got a range of softies, a frogspawn, and a small orange birdsnest showing great polyp extension.

One thing I'm not sure about is whether I'm dosing alkalinity and calcium in the best manner. I test and them dose accordingly, which typically sees me needing to boost the alk, but NOT the calcium.

Well, I've been doing some reading and it's suggested that these things should be dosed in even amounts?

I'm using Dupla Marin KH + liquid to take care of the alk and Dupla Marin's liquid calcium to take care of the CA on the rare occasions it (apparently?) needs a boost after testing.

Are the products I'm using the same as what people refer to when they talk about 'two part' dosing? If so, should I begin administering them in equal parts?!

Thanks!

[LA_Mixed_Reef]

really in a small tank like this unless you are over the top with SPS normal water changes (weekly) will do all you need as far as CA ALK AND MAG

[Vincero]

Originally Posted by LA_Mixed_Reef

really in a small tank like this unless you are over the top with SPS normal water changes (weekly) will do all you need as far as CA ALK AND MAG

Thanks - I am noticing drops in alk levels between my weekly water changes though.

To stay at 9dkh throughout the week, it seems I need to add about 10-20 mls of the Dupla KH+ solution.

The salt I use is mixed to 8 dkh, so I started by adding 10mls of KH+ to raise the salt mix up to 9 dkh. But I know my alk definitely drops throughout the the week, so I add more as I test.

I'm happy to keep doing this, '1 part' dosing (ha), but a lot of what I read seems to suggest that adding equal amounts of calcium is good practice too??

[Seattle_Reef]

A lot of people use Kalkwasser. I haven't yet, but I'm considering it.

[LedZep fan2]

Here is a great read regarding alkalinity and calcium: Alk and Calcium


Personally in my nano I dose both alkalinity and calcium equally via ESV B-Ionic 2 part. I test both after a water change to determine where it is at and then go from there until the following week (I do water changes weekly). I do not worry about mag since that is replenished during my water changes.