Dosing questions, bulk reef supply products

noobtothereef · 01/24/2010, 12:52 PM

Hi, im currently setting up my 120 gallon tank. Im using 3 drews dosing pumps setup on woods timers for dosing alk,mg and calcium, me question is that i noticed on bulk reef supply they sell lab grade products for doing this, are they any good and have anybody had any problems using these products? My next question is how much of this should i but for say a 6 month supply? The tank is going to be mainly sps. Sorry for all of the questions but this is my first reef tank and need all the help i can get, thank you.

jroovers · 01/24/2010, 01:00 PM

I too am setting up a 120, upgrading from a 55 gallon. I have used the BRS alk, ca, and mg for almost two years with no problems. Pound for pound probably the most economic way to dose these chemicals. You can use their reef calculator to determine roughly how much you will be dosing and try and come up with the most economical amount. The instructions on their website are quite easy to follow. I don't think any of these things expire, so I prefer to get more rather than less, as I'll use it at some point.

noobtothereef · 01/24/2010, 01:02 PM

i tried there calculator but im trying to figure out how much i will use in a 6 month period on average, all they have is the calculator for how much you need to dose to raise parameters of those 3 levels

noobtothereef · 01/24/2010, 01:08 PM

also i was thinking of using 3 glass containers for the alk,mg and calcium mixes that are hooked up to the dosing pumps and have 3 diy magnetic stirrers to keep the solutions mixed, i was going to use plastic containers but running a stirrer on them 24 hours a day might wear through the bottom of the plastic jugs eventually, any thoughts?

jroovers · 01/24/2010, 01:11 PM

There are a lot of factors affecting how much of each you will use... salt type and parameters of that salt, how often changing water, amount of coral in the tank and how much of each they are using, etc. I would start by getting a gallon of each of alk and ca, and possibly a half gallon to gallon of mg.

jroovers · 01/24/2010, 01:13 PM

Not sure about the stirrers, I'm going to be using plastic jugs with the dosers, and give them a shake every once in a while.

lougotzz · 01/24/2010, 01:19 PM

If this is your first reef and your still setting it up, youll be able to get away with the elements in your salt for a while before you have to dose anything. Especially in a tank taht size.

noobtothereef · 01/24/2010, 01:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lougotzz

If this is your first reef and your still setting it up, youll be able to get away with the elements in your salt for a while before you have to dose anything. Especially in a tank taht size.

i havent decided on which salt i am going to use, whats everybody using for salt mix for a reef? I was thinking instant ocean.

for the supplements here is what i will be ordering
1-gallon calcium chloride
1-gallon sodium bicarbonate
1-gallon magnesium sulfite or magnesium chloride not sure which is better for my application, what are the benefits between the to?

lougotzz · 01/24/2010, 02:28 PM

I'm using seachem reef salt, and i'm very happy with it. I used IO, and reef crystals, IO runs low in mag, I forget if its cal or alk it runs low with also. Reef crystals runs higher elements. I forget the actual numbers. Seachem is giving me 1500 mag, 540 cal, and only 7 alk at a SG of 1.025, i'll be increasing it to 1.0264 (just recalibrated my refractometer).I have to bring alk up on my own, but like I said, it's gonna take time for corals to eat up those elements, you're not gonna put one sps frag in the tank and in a week see all of that stuff depleted. Your water changes should help you out for the most part in the begining.

For mag I just mix mag flake and epsom salt, I use that as my mag supplement (5 cups magnesium chloride hexahydrate with 3 cups of epsom salt in a gallon of ro water and shake really well until disolved) i've never had a problem.

HTH.

noobtothereef · 01/24/2010, 02:45 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lougotzz

I'm using seachem reef salt, and i'm very happy with it. I used IO, and reef crystals, IO runs low in mag, I forget if its cal or alk it runs low with also. Reef crystals runs higher elements. I forget the actual numbers. Seachem is giving me 1500 mag, 540 cal, and only 7 alk at a SG of 1.025, i'll be increasing it to 1.0264 (just recalibrated my refractometer).I have to bring alk up on my own, but like I said, it's gonna take time for corals to eat up those elements, you're not gonna put one sps frag in the tank and in a week see all of that stuff depleted. Your water changes should help you out for the most part in the begining.

For mag I just mix mag flake and epsom salt, I use that as my mag supplement (5 cups magnesium chloride hexahydrate with 3 cups of epsom salt in a gallon of ro water and shake really well until disolved) i've never had a problem.

HTH.

i know i wont have to dose right away, im just building my whole system so when i need to dose all i have to do is figure my dosing amount, usage etc and fill and set the dosing pumps and containers.

is your mag flake from bulk reef? whats the reason for adding epsom salt?

lougotzz · 01/24/2010, 03:05 PM

As I understand it the epsom salt keeps the sulfates in check. I got it from limpitsreef on ebay. Ill try and find his ebay store for you.

Edit: Here you go, http://stores.ebay.com/limpits-reef

noobtothereef · 01/24/2010, 03:57 PM

heres a diagram of my auto top off, auto water change and dosing system..... how does it look? Im not sure of the "T" in the rodi output line, if its filling the reservoir in the basement it wont top off the tank, but the rodi setup is 75 gpd and the reservoir tank is only 50 gallons, so it will only run for 16 hours or so, in that time i might have to manually add some top off water but im not filling my rodi resevoir everyday so

01/24/2010, 12:52 PM	#1
noobtothereef Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: council bluffs iowa Posts: 1,530	Dosing questions, bulk reef supply products Hi, im currently setting up my 120 gallon tank. Im using 3 drews dosing pumps setup on woods timers for dosing alk,mg and calcium, me question is that i noticed on bulk reef supply they sell lab grade products for doing this, are they any good and have anybody had any problems using these products? My next question is how much of this should i but for say a 6 month supply? The tank is going to be mainly sps. Sorry for all of the questions but this is my first reef tank and need all the help i can get, thank you.

01/24/2010, 01:00 PM	#2
jroovers Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Canada Posts: 1,555	I too am setting up a 120, upgrading from a 55 gallon. I have used the BRS alk, ca, and mg for almost two years with no problems. Pound for pound probably the most economic way to dose these chemicals. You can use their reef calculator to determine roughly how much you will be dosing and try and come up with the most economical amount. The instructions on their website are quite easy to follow. I don't think any of these things expire, so I prefer to get more rather than less, as I'll use it at some point.

01/24/2010, 01:02 PM	#3
noobtothereef Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: council bluffs iowa Posts: 1,530	i tried there calculator but im trying to figure out how much i will use in a 6 month period on average, all they have is the calculator for how much you need to dose to raise parameters of those 3 levels

01/24/2010, 01:08 PM	#4
noobtothereef Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: council bluffs iowa Posts: 1,530	also i was thinking of using 3 glass containers for the alk,mg and calcium mixes that are hooked up to the dosing pumps and have 3 diy magnetic stirrers to keep the solutions mixed, i was going to use plastic containers but running a stirrer on them 24 hours a day might wear through the bottom of the plastic jugs eventually, any thoughts?

01/24/2010, 01:11 PM	#5
jroovers Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Canada Posts: 1,555	There are a lot of factors affecting how much of each you will use... salt type and parameters of that salt, how often changing water, amount of coral in the tank and how much of each they are using, etc. I would start by getting a gallon of each of alk and ca, and possibly a half gallon to gallon of mg.

01/24/2010, 01:13 PM	#6
jroovers Registered Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Canada Posts: 1,555	Not sure about the stirrers, I'm going to be using plastic jugs with the dosers, and give them a shake every once in a while.

01/24/2010, 01:19 PM	#7
lougotzz Moved On Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: PA Posts: 1,524	If this is your first reef and your still setting it up, youll be able to get away with the elements in your salt for a while before you have to dose anything. Especially in a tank taht size.

01/24/2010, 02:28 PM	#9
lougotzz Moved On Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: PA Posts: 1,524	I'm using seachem reef salt, and i'm very happy with it. I used IO, and reef crystals, IO runs low in mag, I forget if its cal or alk it runs low with also. Reef crystals runs higher elements. I forget the actual numbers. Seachem is giving me 1500 mag, 540 cal, and only 7 alk at a SG of 1.025, i'll be increasing it to 1.0264 (just recalibrated my refractometer).I have to bring alk up on my own, but like I said, it's gonna take time for corals to eat up those elements, you're not gonna put one sps frag in the tank and in a week see all of that stuff depleted. Your water changes should help you out for the most part in the begining. For mag I just mix mag flake and epsom salt, I use that as my mag supplement (5 cups magnesium chloride hexahydrate with 3 cups of epsom salt in a gallon of ro water and shake really well until disolved) i've never had a problem. HTH.

01/24/2010, 03:05 PM	#11
lougotzz Moved On Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: PA Posts: 1,524	As I understand it the epsom salt keeps the sulfates in check. I got it from limpitsreef on ebay. Ill try and find his ebay store for you. Edit: Here you go, http://stores.ebay.com/limpits-reef

01/24/2010, 03:57 PM	#12
noobtothereef Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2010 Location: council bluffs iowa Posts: 1,530	heres a diagram of my auto top off, auto water change and dosing system..... how does it look? Im not sure of the "T" in the rodi output line, if its filling the reservoir in the basement it wont top off the tank, but the rodi setup is 75 gpd and the reservoir tank is only 50 gallons, so it will only run for 16 hours or so, in that time i might have to manually add some top off water but im not filling my rodi resevoir everyday so