B-Ionic dosage help

BIGTEXT · 02/06/2010, 12:59 PM

The bottles say to use 1 ml of each bottle per 4 gallons of water. However when I use the calculator at http://home.comcast.net/~jdieck1/chemcalc.html I'm told to use substantially more than that. I'm not quite sure what to do here.

I also don't understand how using the same amount of each bottle works. My calcium is at 320ppm while my Alk is at 3.66 meq/l. If I use the same amount of each bottle wont my Alk end up being to high?

This is a 55 gallon tank that's been up about 3 months, I dont currently have any corals.

Thanks!

qfrisco · 02/06/2010, 01:58 PM

The dosages on the bottles are just starting points, and you can start there, but I'd just follow what the calculator says and use that as a starting point.

However, before doing any of that, you should get your calcium and alkalinity at the proper levels first. Use any of the calcium supplements to raise calcium, and baking soda to raise alkalinity. Just select the specific supplement you decide to use from the pull-down in the calculator so you know what the dosage is. Then, when both are at the desired levels, you can start dosing equal parts of each component of B-Ionic.

Having said all that, do you know what your tank's calcium and alkalinity demands are? If you don't have any corals and your calcium demand is basically just coralline, then it's quite possible that regular water changes will be enough to keep your calcium and alk at the proper levels.

garzaci · 02/06/2010, 02:12 PM

First off, raise your alk to where you want it. I recommend using baking soda. If you run a search for Randys Recipe here on RC it should come up. Then raise your cal. Again Randys Recipe is recommended. Once each is where you want it let your tank go for a week without adding anything but topoff. After that week test your levels and see where you are. Use the calculator to figure out how much Bionic to add to get back where you started. That will be roughly your weekly usage that you can split up in 7 daily doses. For more accuracy do that again for a few more weeks and you can find your weekly or daily averages. Once dialed in is should pretty much stay the same unless you add a coral or take out a coral. From then on occasional testing should be fine.

BIGTEXT · 02/06/2010, 02:21 PM

No I'm not quite sure what the demands are just yet. I was under the impression that you needed to dose before you added your first corals but after doing some reading I see that I can add corals first. Just trying to be patient and do this all the right way.

I will get everything at the target levels and see where I'm at.

Thanks guys

jenjen · 02/06/2010, 02:27 PM

What salt brand are you using, if your calcium is 320 with no corals? Are you sure that number is correct?

BIGTEXT · 02/06/2010, 02:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jenjen

What salt brand are you using, if your calcium is 320 with no corals? Are you sure that number is correct?

I get my water pre-mixed from the LFS. I'll be getting a RO/DI within the next few weeks so I can start making my own water.

That number may be off because it was my first time using a salifert test. I may have messed it up. Ill test again and see what I get.

bertoni · 02/06/2010, 06:19 PM

http://home.comcast.net/~jdieck1/chem_calc3.html

That calculator should help give you some idea of how much to dose.

02/06/2010, 12:59 PM	#1
BIGTEXT Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 59	B-Ionic dosage help The bottles say to use 1 ml of each bottle per 4 gallons of water. However when I use the calculator at http://home.comcast.net/~jdieck1/chemcalc.html I'm told to use substantially more than that. I'm not quite sure what to do here. I also don't understand how using the same amount of each bottle works. My calcium is at 320ppm while my Alk is at 3.66 meq/l. If I use the same amount of each bottle wont my Alk end up being to high? This is a 55 gallon tank that's been up about 3 months, I dont currently have any corals. Thanks!

02/06/2010, 02:12 PM	#3
garzaci Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Richlands, NC Posts: 241	First off, raise your alk to where you want it. I recommend using baking soda. If you run a search for Randys Recipe here on RC it should come up. Then raise your cal. Again Randys Recipe is recommended. Once each is where you want it let your tank go for a week without adding anything but topoff. After that week test your levels and see where you are. Use the calculator to figure out how much Bionic to add to get back where you started. That will be roughly your weekly usage that you can split up in 7 daily doses. For more accuracy do that again for a few more weeks and you can find your weekly or daily averages. Once dialed in is should pretty much stay the same unless you add a coral or take out a coral. From then on occasional testing should be fine. __________________ Carlos No tank at all. Sold everything when I got stationed in Okinawa. Planning for when I return though. Current Tank Info: 20 gal reef tank

02/06/2010, 02:27 PM	#5
jenjen Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Langley BC, Canada Posts: 1,710	What salt brand are you using, if your calcium is 320 with no corals? Are you sure that number is correct? __________________ "Challenges forge the greatness in you" Current Tank Info: 180gal softy reef (Apr '09)

02/06/2010, 06:19 PM	#7
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	http://home.comcast.net/~jdieck1/chem_calc3.html That calculator should help give you some idea of how much to dose. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

02/06/2010, 01:58 PM	#2
qfrisco Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Dallas, TX Area Posts: 1,389	The dosages on the bottles are just starting points, and you can start there, but I'd just follow what the calculator says and use that as a starting point. However, before doing any of that, you should get your calcium and alkalinity at the proper levels first. Use any of the calcium supplements to raise calcium, and baking soda to raise alkalinity. Just select the specific supplement you decide to use from the pull-down in the calculator so you know what the dosage is. Then, when both are at the desired levels, you can start dosing equal parts of each component of B-Ionic. Having said all that, do you know what your tank's calcium and alkalinity demands are? If you don't have any corals and your calcium demand is basically just coralline, then it's quite possible that regular water changes will be enough to keep your calcium and alk at the proper levels.

02/06/2010, 02:21 PM	#4
BIGTEXT Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Posts: 59	No I'm not quite sure what the demands are just yet. I was under the impression that you needed to dose before you added your first corals but after doing some reading I see that I can add corals first. Just trying to be patient and do this all the right way. I will get everything at the target levels and see where I'm at. Thanks guys