Dosing dilemma

[Jarrett]

I have had my 75 gallon sps tank going close to 2 years now. i have always hand dosed every morning into my over flow. I started feeding the coral the past 2 months and the growth has increased two fold along with the calcium and alk uptake. i use to do 20 ml of each i am up to 50ml of alk and 60ml of calcium now. i do not have money for a doser and i am just looking for everyones opinions, at what point would you say its to much to dose of alkalinity all at once. for right now 50 ml seems ok but i don't want to push my luck. what do you guys think? at what number would it be to much all at once.

 

[Dk638]

Hey jarrett, for 80$ I hooked up float switches to my apex and use kalk in my ato, cal and alk are rock solid 450, 9.8.

 

[Jarrett]

dont have an apex lol just a RKL which already has all the plugs used up. and kalk is no where near enough to keep up with the coral demand in my tank.

 

[Dk638]

Sorry thought you had the apex, isn't the rkl expandable?
Also I think you'd be surprised at what the kalk would do, I have a ton of sps in there, if anything you'd be able to cut back on two part. By the way what are you feeding your corals?

 

[Jarrett]

ive already tried the kalk didn't put a dent in it, just left an ugly film in my sump so i stopped. and i feed oyster feast and i dose aqua vitro 2 days a week.

 

[KathyC]

If you are getting uncomfortable (and it is said dosing technically is better done over the course of the day in small increments..), why not just dose half morning and half at night until you can afford a doser?

 

[Nottick]

Lookup marine color dosing pump. Just like the BM but 160 shipped. Great product. I have no complaints 2 months running.

 

[Jarrett]

I am gonna start doing that way tmw Kathy but how would I test to get an accurate reading? Usually I always test At 6:00 but if I dose once in the morning once at night the only way to get a true reading is gonna be late late at night?

 

[Jarrett]

And thanks nottick ill check that link out

 

[Nottick]

Which aquavitro product(s) are you dosing. (Slightly off topic sorry)

 

[Jarrett]

Coral fuel I believe it's called

 

[Nottick]

Cool thanks. Btw here's the link

http://www.reefshops.com/en-2-3.html?sl=EN

 

[Jarrett]

Awesome thanks man I got a question? U can dial these pumps in to an exact amount of ml? Also Doesent alkalinity have to be first dosed then calcium? For example Do u set alk to dose all day and calcium all night or something?

 

[Nottick]

Ok so here's how I have mine setup


X ml 10 times between 06:00-12:00

This means it will dose x amount and break it up into 10 parts between 06:00-12:00

I dose cal in the morning and alk at night... I did that so when alk doses it sorta helps my ph come up a little.

Only thing is you can't dose till midnight 00:00 on this doses. Have to go to 23:59

Ya know what I learned the hard way that it messes up but big deal we now know about it and the product is half the price lol

 

[Sandyp1]

If you are getting uncomfortable (and it is said dosing technically is better done over the course of the day in small increments..), why not just dose half morning and half at night until you can afford a doser?

I agree with Kathy. It's the simplest , cheapest way. It's also better as you won't be spiking your levels if you dose it all at once. I don't think it's a bad thing increasing the amounts if the corals are absorbing it and your parameters are right. If you do it twice a day , you won't be going through spikes in your levels.
I have a Bubble Magus on a mixed reef and it doses three times a day.

 

[Nottick]

You setup separate (or same if you want) "working times is what they call it) and that's when the doses works

If you do purchase unit ican help you set it up no sweat.

 

[Jarrett]

Ok thanks man I'm gonna try breaking up the dosing and see how that works for me if not that's a great deal much cheaper then anything I looked at. Appreciate it.