question on 2 part dosing

highfyre · 04/27/2009, 07:53 PM

I have a 56gln tank and a 55 gln sump. No calcium reactor. I just got Kent 2 part solution. It says to add a cap full until the recomended ranges are met. So before dosing my parameters were......

sal- .024
ph- 8.2
ca- 420
alk- 8

After one cap full (2tsp) of each and approx 3 hours later...

sal- .024
ph- 8.2
ca- 480
alk 8.5

So my question is...is this too big of a swing? SHould I hold off on dosing until parameters are lower? Use less of each? Wait two to three days in between? Or do exactly what I did?

The other thing is my water is still pretty cloudy even though it says the cloudiness should clear up right away. Its been four hours?

I also do weekly 10% water changes.

Please offer some advice. I dont want to screw things up since they are already going pretty well.

imcosmokramer · 04/27/2009, 08:27 PM

question. Is this a new tank? Have you tracked your CA demands?

Basically, if you tested today and it was 480 and 8.5. don't dose tomorrow, and test again. Look at the difference. That is your "draw". Meaning that all things being equal (this is a a VERY general statement), you will need to replace that in order to maintain those levels.

My Build Thread

highfyre · 04/28/2009, 07:25 AM

Its a tank thats a year old but I just went through a major system revision placing a larger sump in the basement along with adding some new coral about a week later. I just started tracking my CA so im not real sure?

faze07hd · 04/28/2009, 09:41 AM

i dont think its too big of a swing... I wouldnt add any more of that for a 24 hour period though. You wouldnt want to make the change any bigger.

jnb · 04/28/2009, 09:55 AM

I don't think the swing is too much - what is your target? - those parameters seem good to me already - perhaps next time back a little off the ca part - ocean is 7dkh alk; most bump up from that to allow for low part of swing but 8.5 sounds good

don't need so much CA and this may be causing your cloudiness

I agree you should determine your "draw" - you may not need but a little boost every now and then

show a picture of your tank so we can see what life you have that may use more (or less) than you think

ZoaFan08 · 04/28/2009, 10:36 AM

I have a 120g mixed reef and was thinking about dosing 2 part but once I started testing my params I came to the conclusion I don't have to. I do 20g water changes every Friday with Reef Crystals salt and that seems to be keeping my params in check for the time being.

highfyre · 04/28/2009, 11:38 AM

So here ar a couple pics of my tank. I dont have much right now. I lost most of my lps due to what I believe was bad RODI from LFS. Ive since installed new RODI unit, new octo extreme 200 skimmer, new sump in basement, new powerheads and new return pump. Everything seems to be on the road to recovery. Phosphates and nitrates are at 0.

I tested my water this morning- ph- 8.2, ca- 480, Alk- 8.5

So I might not have much of a "draw". Mybe i just need to keep an eye on the params and dose every so often????

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highfyre · 04/28/2009, 11:39 AM

SHould have mentioned that the light just came on too.

jnb · 04/28/2009, 12:21 PM

doesn't look like it will draw much - test it, without adding any 2 part perhaps in 2 days and see.. if it is down, put in 1/2 caps (maybe just alk) test a couple of hours later (to see the effect of a dosing) - your ca does not need to be 480 - test the next day at the same exact time to determine 1 full day draw.

when one installs a calcium reactor, they fine tune its production just by measuring alk - the CA, in theory automatically follows - 2 part should be the same (but in your case, if it were me, I would just add alk next time).

JME JMO after having dosed 2 part them moved to a calicum reactor recently because I could not easily keep up with 2 part.

04/27/2009, 07:53 PM	#1
highfyre Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Kansas city Posts: 28	question on 2 part dosing I have a 56gln tank and a 55 gln sump. No calcium reactor. I just got Kent 2 part solution. It says to add a cap full until the recomended ranges are met. So before dosing my parameters were...... sal- .024 ph- 8.2 ca- 420 alk- 8 After one cap full (2tsp) of each and approx 3 hours later... sal- .024 ph- 8.2 ca- 480 alk 8.5 So my question is...is this too big of a swing? SHould I hold off on dosing until parameters are lower? Use less of each? Wait two to three days in between? Or do exactly what I did? The other thing is my water is still pretty cloudy even though it says the cloudiness should clear up right away. Its been four hours? I also do weekly 10% water changes. Please offer some advice. I dont want to screw things up since they are already going pretty well.

04/27/2009, 08:27 PM	#2
imcosmokramer Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Cleveland, OH Posts: 1,709	question. Is this a new tank? Have you tracked your CA demands? Basically, if you tested today and it was 480 and 8.5. don't dose tomorrow, and test again. Look at the difference. That is your "draw". Meaning that all things being equal (this is a a VERY general statement), you will need to replace that in order to maintain those levels. My Build Thread __________________ You can agree with me, or you can be wrong. You pick.

04/28/2009, 09:41 AM	#4
faze07hd Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Utica, Ny Posts: 914	i dont think its too big of a swing... I wouldnt add any more of that for a 24 hour period though. You wouldnt want to make the change any bigger. __________________ Harry Current Tank Info: 90 gallon reef tank

04/28/2009, 11:38 AM	#7
highfyre Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Kansas city Posts: 28	So here ar a couple pics of my tank. I dont have much right now. I lost most of my lps due to what I believe was bad RODI from LFS. Ive since installed new RODI unit, new octo extreme 200 skimmer, new sump in basement, new powerheads and new return pump. Everything seems to be on the road to recovery. Phosphates and nitrates are at 0. I tested my water this morning- ph- 8.2, ca- 480, Alk- 8.5 So I might not have much of a "draw". Mybe i just need to keep an eye on the params and dose every so often???? [IMG][/IMG] [IMG][/IMG]

04/28/2009, 07:25 AM	#3
highfyre Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Kansas city Posts: 28	Its a tank thats a year old but I just went through a major system revision placing a larger sump in the basement along with adding some new coral about a week later. I just started tracking my CA so im not real sure?

04/28/2009, 09:55 AM	#5
jnb Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: S.E. Florida Deerfield Beach Posts: 2,581	I don't think the swing is too much - what is your target? - those parameters seem good to me already - perhaps next time back a little off the ca part - ocean is 7dkh alk; most bump up from that to allow for low part of swing but 8.5 sounds good don't need so much CA and this may be causing your cloudiness I agree you should determine your "draw" - you may not need but a little boost every now and then show a picture of your tank so we can see what life you have that may use more (or less) than you think

04/28/2009, 10:36 AM	#6
ZoaFan08 Moved On Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Alta Loma CA Posts: 1,211	I have a 120g mixed reef and was thinking about dosing 2 part but once I started testing my params I came to the conclusion I don't have to. I do 20g water changes every Friday with Reef Crystals salt and that seems to be keeping my params in check for the time being.

04/28/2009, 11:39 AM	#8
highfyre Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Kansas city Posts: 28	SHould have mentioned that the light just came on too.

04/28/2009, 12:21 PM	#9
jnb Premium Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: S.E. Florida Deerfield Beach Posts: 2,581	doesn't look like it will draw much - test it, without adding any 2 part perhaps in 2 days and see.. if it is down, put in 1/2 caps (maybe just alk) test a couple of hours later (to see the effect of a dosing) - your ca does not need to be 480 - test the next day at the same exact time to determine 1 full day draw. when one installs a calcium reactor, they fine tune its production just by measuring alk - the CA, in theory automatically follows - 2 part should be the same (but in your case, if it were me, I would just add alk next time). JME JMO after having dosed 2 part them moved to a calicum reactor recently because I could not easily keep up with 2 part.