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View Full Version : whats your CA/KH dosing and testing schedule?


lobsterboy
10-09-2009, 06:00 AM
Hey everyone

I was thinking about this the other day, and was wondering what other reefers are putting into their tanks and how often testing is done.

so it would be cool if everyone added what they are dosing and when you testing.

thanks.

Here is mine:

CA done every morning 7.1 tsp seachem reef builder
KH done every night 6.1 tsp seachem advantage calcium

testing is done everyday, before dosing.

marie
10-09-2009, 06:13 AM
I use a calcium reactor and test, ummmmm....yes, I test....ummm, yup


Seriously, before my old reactor packed it in, I was testing every 2 or 3 months. When the reactor packed it in the first day I tested alk and cal 4 times throughout the day trying to figure out how much 2 part I needed to add. Thankfully I have a new reactor and sometime within the next week I can put the test kits in the back of the cupboard again

Delphinus
10-09-2009, 07:33 AM
I dose RHF's recipe for 2-part using a ghetto automated process. I run 2 timers for one minute every 6 hours but offset 3 hours. Ie., one runs at 12am, 6am, 12pm, 6pm; the other at 3am, 9am, 3pm, 9pm. These in turn run 4 aqualifter pumps (2 for each timer; these feed 2 separate tanks) that drip into the sump, and I use irrigation dripvalves to control the drip rate. So I'm not too sure what the daily doses are but I just sort of adjust the driprate up or down depending on whether the parameter needs a bump or some slack. One tank is bigger than the other so it has a slightly faster driprate. With this routine I seem to go through about 1gallon of each additive in a month.

I test big 3 numbers weekly, or more often, as needed, if I'm doing an adjustment.

Myka
10-09-2009, 01:32 PM
I'm bad...I dose once per week (15 mL Turbo Calcium, 35 mL Reef Buffer 8.3, 45 mL littlesilvermax's Mg mix), and test the big three once a month or so, although I try to check alkalinity once per week, since I have troubles keeping it steady.

As of late I have started dosing twice per week instead of weekly.

Ephraim
10-09-2009, 01:32 PM
i dose 50mL of Ca an KH 3 times daily, using randy's recipe. BRS calcium chloride is used and Arm and Hammer baking soda for KH(not baked). Mag is dosed everytime i go through a gallon of two part and mix up a new batch.

I test alk weekly, test mag when i do a h20 change, and never test ca. As long as i mix the 2 part properly and ensure the same volume of liquid is dosed in batches, calcium should remain at a constant. Alk is easier to test and cheaper so when i test for alk i can plug the result into a spreadsheet to get an assumed calcium.

Dosing is done with 2 aquamedic pumps on a timer.

Canadian
10-09-2009, 02:04 PM
I dose B-Ionic parts A and B with a Profilux Standalone doser. Each component is dosed every 4 hours with a 2 hour offset between parts A and B to ensure they don't mix in the sump and form a precipitate.

I test maybe once a month.

banditpowdercoat
10-09-2009, 04:00 PM
umm, once a month??? LOL. I never seem to have time to measure and all that stuff. I don;t have much in my tank yet either. But thats changeing, I better get a handle on this dosing...

Lance
10-09-2009, 05:24 PM
I test every 2 weeks, just before a water change. I use RHF recipe: 80ml Ca, 60ml Alk, 50ml Mg per day via dosing pump.

BlueAbyss
10-09-2009, 07:57 PM
I test before every water change (Ca, Mg, alk). I dose the water change to 440 ppm Ca, and 1320 ppm Mg, using IO salt (which tends to mix up with relatively high alk, mine is generally 11). I dose Tailored Aquatics products (Calcium Plus, Reef Magnesium) for Ca and Mg, and use a tiny bit of Arm and Hammer baking soda (to keep alk up) in between water changes. Since I do a water change every week (though I have occasionally gone 2) and I know how much my tank uses in a day, I directly dose the tank once daily for Ca and Mg (I dose a lot less Mg, unless I forget completely :redface: I just remembered I didn't dose yesterday). The baking soda I use once a week, in between water changes. Seems to work for me so far, but I don't have any SPS, just coralline and an open brain. I may have to try something different when I get some SPS in there.

lobsterboy
10-09-2009, 08:20 PM
looks like alot of reefers are using, the RHF method for keepin parms in line.

untamed
10-09-2009, 08:48 PM
This question has provided some interesting replies! Good one.

I run a Kalk reactor during night hours only, and run a Ca reactor continuously. Both are controlled with pH meters and peristaltic pumps linked to the controller. These supply all my Ca/KH requirements.

I test Alk once per week (unless I'm having some problems). Maybe test Ca monthly, but I generally assume it is linked to Alk. I might test Mg only every 3 months. I've never had to dose Mg, which I cannot explain.

lobsterboy
10-09-2009, 08:50 PM
I might test Mg only every 3 months. I've never had to dose Mg, which I cannot explain.

yeah this applies to me as well, i use reefers best salt, so maybe thats why..?

untamed
10-09-2009, 09:07 PM
yeah this applies to me as well, i use reefers best salt, so maybe thats why..?

Doesn't explain it for me...I've used a variety of salts. Weekly 10% water changes, possibly?

lobsterboy
10-09-2009, 09:09 PM
I guess there is enough mg in the seachem advantage calcium that my reef needs.
and i do a 10% wc, every two weeks.

BlueAbyss
10-10-2009, 01:36 AM
Doesn't explain it for me...I've used a variety of salts. Weekly 10% water changes, possibly?

Since you run a Ca Reactor, chances are that the media you use has a good proportion of Mg to Ca... if you're using crushed coral skeleton as your media, that should have the perfect balance of everything that stony corals need, right? (My thinking might be off here, but that's what I always thought...)