Dosing Chat Thread 10/22

[ReeferRob]

Okay guys so all the talk about Alk and Calcium. Hows this, I never have to touch my Alk always at 8 doesn't drop or raise even with water change. Calcium falls each day about 30-40 points? What gives?

[speedstar]

Where is your PH? Have you ever used a buffer? What type sand bed? SPS uptake is balanced so you should lose each equally.

What test kit are you using?

[Sir Patrick]

I had the same problem, so I bumped my alk up to 9 from 8 and dosed that way, and every day it would drop back to 8. I got frustrated and stopped dosing after a while. Just stepped up my water changes in an attempt to keep my levels where they should be.

Now that I think back, I think my mag was low, and it made it hard for me to balance the alk/calc. I didnt have a mag tester while dosing, but did have it tested once and found my mag to be low.

Have you tested your mag? Calc/alk will not (or be hard to) stabilize without the right mag level.

[ReeferRob]

Originally Posted by speedstar

Where is your PH? Have you ever used a buffer? What type sand bed? SPS uptake is balanced so you should lose each equally.

What test kit are you using?

pH 8.3, never buffered, 2 inch sand in DT, 4-5 fine sugar in fug. Elos tests

Tested mag once about a week or two ago, don't remember what it was.

[speedstar]

Is the sand bed of a type that the package said buffering help or anything like that? carbonate is whats important but hard to measure thats why the use of alk for reference.

[ReeferRob]

Originally Posted by Sir Patrick

I had the same problem, so I bumped my alk up to 9 from 8 and dosed that way, and every day it would drop back to 8. I got frustrated and stopped dosing after a while. Just stepped up my water changes in an attempt to keep my levels where they should be.

Now that I think back, I think my mag was low, and it made it hard for me to balance the alk/calc. I didnt have a mag tester while dosing, but did have it tested once and found my mag to be low.

Have you tested your mag? Calc/alk will not (or be hard to) stabilize without the right mag level.

Not that I remeber

[speedstar]

RHF has some great article on the relationships, do you have links or want them?

[ReeferRob]

Ya, I have the Holmes Farley articles.............do you know anyone who has them on tape???:p I work to much to read!!!

Seriously though Ive read them, need to do it again. Just thought it was odd that my Alk is so stable but Calcium is consumed. Probably the clams.

Do I really dump all my mag after a galloon of Calcium? Seems odd

[Sir Patrick]

If your mag is low, it will make dosing the 2 part a huge headach.

Not saying its the issue, but worth checking into.

[ReeferRob]

Agreed doing it fo sho tomorrow!