2 part dosing issues

[fishnugget]

I have had a major problem maintaining alk and ph in my tank for over a year now. I use BRS 2 part. I use DOS dosing and dose 85ml of cal & alk per day. Cal stays at 440-450, mag 1350-1400. Kalk swings from 9.5-8.0 week to week
Get very little coraline algae.
I have 3 radion 3 pros over my 175 gallon tank. Have 10 smaller fish (wrasses & 1 tang)

Tank coral growth fair. Colors poor. Have 0 Nitrates, 0 Phosphates. Refugium growing incredibly

My vectra pump seizes every 3 months and I have to clean out. I find alot of precipitation. I am dosing in sump after skimmer & before refuge. I use to dose after fuge and it was worse. I use kalk in my auto top off to keep ph & alk higher.

Some of my sps are brown but tips colorful.

A. Is there a better more stable 2 part?
B. Where should I dose to. Sump or tank?

Recently started adding Reef Energy from Red Sea.
Also trying colors program.

Use Friz Salt- Reef

Got formula from BRS with their calcium.

Any help or ideas would be great.

[hegeh]

You may want to invest in a calcium reactor.

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[ClownNut]

dont chase ph, just keeps your alk/ca/mg in check your ph will fall in line, unless you have a co2 problem.
if only some of your sps is brown, you can try a different location.

[fishnugget]

I do have a co2 issue. I just added a brs co2 scrubber

[fishnugget]

I am not chase ph. my alk keeps moving

[tmz]

A few things:

The precipitation and fluctuations in alk levels may be from bumps up in alk related to uneven dosing of kalk via the ato dosing. Consider dosing kalk independently via peristaltic pump from a still reservoir. Using more of it in a more constant dose in lieu of some of the two part dosing will improve the pH too and may lessen the need for a CO2 scrubber.BTW, if you use a scrubber generic soda lime is much cheaper than that repackaged for hobby use.

NO3 and PO4 at zero may indicate a phosphate or nitrogen deficiency. How are you keeping them at zero levels?

Dose the carbonate and/or kalk into a high flow area.,preferably downstream of pumps and heaters.

[fishnugget]

I just have a rapidly growing refugium and use chemi pure blue with gfo & carbon in it.

[fishnugget]

are you saying dose kalk & calcium in doser vs alk(Soda ash) Or would Bi Ionics be better

[bertoni]

You can dose Kalk (full-strength) in the doser, but adding calcium chloride to it would cause precipitation. I would stick with the two-part for now. 85 ml is a small but reasonable dose for a 175 g tank. I'd probably dose into the main tank, but if the dose is spread out enough, dosing into a refugium or a return pump area works for some people. If your return pump is seizing regularly, though, definitely dose into the largest volume of water. I'm assuming that the Vectra is the return.

[tmz]

Kalk is calcium hydroxide. It provides both alk and calcium in balanced proportions. It's a one part dose covering both.

The gfo may be taking PO4 down to far but if the agae in the refugium is growing it's probably ok.