No SPS but a gallon of two-part in 16 days???

rdmpe · 04/25/2006, 06:02 AM

I just mixed up yet another batch of recipe #1 two-part. The last batch was made on the 9th. I have dosed a gallon of Randy's recipe #1 in just 16 days

The tank is a 180g with approx. 200 lb of LR. It has only had water in it since early December '05.

Here are my last two tests, both done just before the nightly dose of two part:

4/11/06
Alk 9.0/3.2
Ca 415
Mg 1320

4/23/06
Alk 8.8/3.15
Ca 445
Mg 1400 (I added some Magnesium Chloride a few days ago)

So it's just keeping up with the usage pretty much. Ca may be climbing just slightly relative to Alk, but not much. I can't believe how much I'm dosing. And the only SPS I have is a small red lobo. It must be mostlly going into coraline? I do have tons of coraline growth. Is this normal? (I sure am glad I'm not paying $20 to $30 per gallon for this stuff!)

worlds under · 04/25/2006, 09:04 AM

im getting dizzy

PatMayo · 04/25/2006, 09:33 AM

I'm getting dizzy as well. I had to move on down the line.

It sounds like a lot of dosing but if your test kits are correct I would keep going. I dosed quite a bit as well on my 90. I was dosing 120 ml per day of Randy's 2 part number 1 formula. I noticed just yesterday that I had to back off just a bit on the dose. My calcium was getting a little high.

I am now dosing 90 ml per day. I dose 45 in the am of alkalinity and calcium and 45 in the pm of the same.

I noticed that the usage went way up once the coralline starting growing like mad. I think it has now tapered off some because the tank walls and overflow are getting pretty covered. If the pictures you have up changed more slowly I could maybe see the coralline.

Here is a link to my tank. Go to the last few pages and you can see all the coralline in my tank. A ton of it.

So based on my experiences so far, I would go with the flow. Are you testing the water yourself?

Anyway, here is the link.

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...5&pagenumber=1

Good luck with your tank.

Regards,

Pat

rdmpe · 04/25/2006, 10:57 AM

Thanks, I'm testing with salifert kits. Sorry about the dizziness. That's the only full tank shot I had available...

bertoni · 04/25/2006, 11:43 PM

Coralline algae can suck down an amazing amount of calcium and alkalinity. That's a lot of additive, but possibly within reason. Do you see any signs of abiotic precipitation? I get a dose of about 150ml to raise alkalinity 0.5 meq/L, which isn't all that heavy a daily demand, IME.

Randy Holmes-Farley · 04/26/2006, 08:55 AM

Also bear in mind that my recipe is more dilute than many commercial two part systems, and a 180 gallon is pretty large. That dose is not unreasonable (although on the high end), but I'd make sure the pH is not getting too high by the end of the light cycle, increasing abiotic precipitation of calcium carbonate.

04/25/2006, 09:04 AM	#2
worlds under Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Fayetteville, Arkansas Posts: 223	im getting dizzy __________________ believe nothing, no matter where you read it or who has said it, not even if I have said it, unless it agrees with your own reason and your own common sense.........(buddha) [url=http://www.marineplantedtanks.com/forum/][img]http://img215.imageshack.us/img215/1962/1001936aa5.jpg[/img][/url] Current Tank Info: what day is it???

04/25/2006, 09:33 AM	#3
PatMayo Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2005 Location: Seattle Posts: 2,843	I'm getting dizzy as well. I had to move on down the line. It sounds like a lot of dosing but if your test kits are correct I would keep going. I dosed quite a bit as well on my 90. I was dosing 120 ml per day of Randy's 2 part number 1 formula. I noticed just yesterday that I had to back off just a bit on the dose. My calcium was getting a little high. I am now dosing 90 ml per day. I dose 45 in the am of alkalinity and calcium and 45 in the pm of the same. I noticed that the usage went way up once the coralline starting growing like mad. I think it has now tapered off some because the tank walls and overflow are getting pretty covered. If the pictures you have up changed more slowly I could maybe see the coralline. Here is a link to my tank. Go to the last few pages and you can see all the coralline in my tank. A ton of it. So based on my experiences so far, I would go with the flow. Are you testing the water yourself? Anyway, here is the link. http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...5&pagenumber=1 Good luck with your tank. Regards, Pat __________________ 90 AGA Megaflow (Setup 1-24-06) 120 Lbs. Liverock EuroReef RS 100 Skimmer 2 X 150 MH 2 X 96 watt PC Actinic 2 Clarki Clowns (31 months old) 1 Niger Trigger (Owned 6 months) 2 Tunze 6055 PH Current Tank Info: 90 AGA Megaflow To Be Mixed Reef

04/25/2006, 11:43 PM	#5
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	Coralline algae can suck down an amazing amount of calcium and alkalinity. That's a lot of additive, but possibly within reason. Do you see any signs of abiotic precipitation? I get a dose of about 150ml to raise alkalinity 0.5 meq/L, which isn't all that heavy a daily demand, IME. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

04/26/2006, 08:55 AM	#6
Randy Holmes-Farley Reef Chemist Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Arlington, Massachusetts Posts: 86,233	Also bear in mind that my recipe is more dilute than many commercial two part systems, and a 180 gallon is pretty large. That dose is not unreasonable (although on the high end), but I'd make sure the pH is not getting too high by the end of the light cycle, increasing abiotic precipitation of calcium carbonate. __________________ Randy Holmes-Farley Current Tank Info: 120 mixed reef

04/25/2006, 06:02 AM	#1
rdmpe Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Central Florida Posts: 3,737	No SPS but a gallon of two-part in 16 days??? I just mixed up yet another batch of recipe #1 two-part. The last batch was made on the 9th. I have dosed a gallon of Randy's recipe #1 in just 16 days The tank is a 180g with approx. 200 lb of LR. It has only had water in it since early December '05. Here are my last two tests, both done just before the nightly dose of two part: 4/11/06 Alk 9.0/3.2 Ca 415 Mg 1320 4/23/06 Alk 8.8/3.15 Ca 445 Mg 1400 (I added some Magnesium Chloride a few days ago) So it's just keeping up with the usage pretty much. Ca may be climbing just slightly relative to Alk, but not much. I can't believe how much I'm dosing. And the only SPS I have is a small red lobo. It must be mostlly going into coraline? I do have tons of coraline growth. Is this normal? (I sure am glad I'm not paying $20 to $30 per gallon for this stuff!)

04/25/2006, 10:57 AM	#4
rdmpe Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Central Florida Posts: 3,737	Thanks, I'm testing with salifert kits. Sorry about the dizziness. That's the only full tank shot I had available...