Savings - Home Recipie vs. B-Ionic

Kaiser Tang · 05/26/2006, 12:06 PM

Has anyone actually calculated the savings that the Ca/Alk home made stuff saves you over B-Ionic? How do dosing volumes compare?

starseed · 05/26/2006, 12:12 PM

Well...

1 gallon of home made Alk costs $1.50
1 gallon of homemade Mag costs $3.00 (without MAGflake)

I still have to hunt down some dowflake and magflake in San Francisco, but so far, it's much much cheaper.

The alk dosing seem pretty close to B-ionic as far as amount.

gillies · 05/26/2006, 12:20 PM

You will laugh all the way to the bank. I use 60ml per day to keep up my system - 'bout a gallon a month. Like said above: one gallon Alk = 2 boxes of Arm & Hammer baking soda - $1.50 plus I got a 50 pound bag of Dow Flake from a place called Univar for $30. The bag filled one and a half five gallon buckets dry. I use roughly two cups of that per month; it'll last me for years.

mthedude · 05/26/2006, 12:23 PM

you have to dose more of Randy's 2 part but by the time you buy 50lbs of mag flake and dow flake you'll be set for a very long time, B-Ionic lasts me about 6 months for the 2 32oz bottles and that's about 20 bucks a pop. 20 bucks spent on Randy's will last me about 5 years.

Paintbug · 05/26/2006, 12:28 PM

2 32oz bottles of B-ionic last me about 2-3 months. at $20 online, $30 at the LFS its about $10 per month. i mixed up 1 gallon of both parts with Randys recipe for about $5 i mixed it up around Dec. 05 and i still have 1/4+ of each. love that stuff!!

05/26/2006, 12:06 PM	#1
Kaiser Tang Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Dallas, Texas Posts: 1,314	Savings - Home Recipie vs. B-Ionic Has anyone actually calculated the savings that the Ca/Alk home made stuff saves you over B-Ionic? How do dosing volumes compare? __________________ "Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new." Albert Einstein Current Tank Info: Marineland 150 XH Reef w/ 55 AGA Sump, Oceans Motions Super Squirt, Ecotech Marine Vortech, Current Prime 1/3 hp Chiller, 200 lbs. LR, 175 lbs. LS, 800 watts PFO MH and 440 watts IceCap VHO. Softies, LPS, and Clams!

05/26/2006, 12:23 PM	#4
mthedude Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Des Moines, IA Posts: 549	you have to dose more of Randy's 2 part but by the time you buy 50lbs of mag flake and dow flake you'll be set for a very long time, B-Ionic lasts me about 6 months for the 2 32oz bottles and that's about 20 bucks a pop. 20 bucks spent on Randy's will last me about 5 years. __________________ You........Cake or Death? I'll have the cake please.... ....well we're outta cake! Current Tank Info: 55g Reef Tank, scooter blenny, tail spot blenny, cleaner shrimp, button polyps, fuzzy mushrooms, hammer coral, multi color zoos, 10 gal fuge, Octopus NW150

05/26/2006, 12:28 PM	#5
Paintbug Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Stoneville, NC Posts: 6,169	2 32oz bottles of B-ionic last me about 2-3 months. at $20 online, $30 at the LFS its about $10 per month. i mixed up 1 gallon of both parts with Randys recipe for about $5 i mixed it up around Dec. 05 and i still have 1/4+ of each. love that stuff!! __________________ Never ask a girl over to see your crabs!! <-Tony-> Current Tank Info: NONE currently

05/26/2006, 12:12 PM	#2
starseed Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2002 Location: San Francisco Posts: 275	Well... 1 gallon of home made Alk costs $1.50 1 gallon of homemade Mag costs $3.00 (without MAGflake) I still have to hunt down some dowflake and magflake in San Francisco, but so far, it's much much cheaper. The alk dosing seem pretty close to B-ionic as far as amount.

05/26/2006, 12:20 PM	#3
gillies Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 901	You will laugh all the way to the bank. I use 60ml per day to keep up my system - 'bout a gallon a month. Like said above: one gallon Alk = 2 boxes of Arm & Hammer baking soda - $1.50 plus I got a 50 pound bag of Dow Flake from a place called Univar for $30. The bag filled one and a half five gallon buckets dry. I use roughly two cups of that per month; it'll last me for years.