seachem suppliments

[daplatapus]

Hmmm. Can you not pre-mix it in a gallon jug of RO/DI and dose it with dosers? That's what I'd be looking at doing because of the volume and my tendency to forget

[Enigma]

I don't know if that can be done or not. I'm unaware of anything that could deteriorate or change if it was put into solution, but I don't know for sure.

[Myka]

I really like the SeaChem Reef Advantage Calcium and Reef Builder (or Reef Buffer), however they are quite pricey compared to other options. The trouble dissolving the alkalinity powder is typical since it really just doesn't dissolve easily. Some brands are a sniff better than others, but all in all it will take some mixing. I use a MaxiJet 1200 to mix for about an hour when I make up new solution.

I also really like the Fauna Marin "balling salts". I switched from FM to BRS in the last year, and when I'm done using up my BRS chems I'm going to switch back to the FM as I found I had better results. I can't say for sure it was the chems causing the difference in my corals, but I can say my tank looked better while using the FM balling salts than it does using BRS chems.

You do not want to use epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) as primary magnesium supplement as your tank will get too high in sulfate. Magnesium should be supplied primarily by magnesium chloride with magnesium sulfate making up to 1 in 8-10 parts.

Also, you should be pre-mixing in RO, not tank water since mixing in tank water would cause precipitation with the calcium in the cup of water. That precipitation under normal circumstances is chemically bound which essentially ties up a portion of that newly added alkalinity supplement (and the calcium it stole) as useless. If you add alkalinity supplements too fast to the water you will see a white cloudiness or even flaking which is the precipitation I'm referring to.

[rayjay]

I'm a cheapskate so I use Randy Holmes-Farley's DIY formulae.
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/rhf/index.php

[Enigma]

Myka . . . I tried mixing with just RO last night, and I got the same flakes. I was hoping you were right about what was going on and that it was precipitation. I think I'm just not getting it mixed properly.

How much of this stuff can be mixed up into the top up water at once? Could one do a week's worth with no illeffects or degradation?

[Myka]

Shelley, it takes a lot of mixing to mix up alkalinity supplements. There wouldn't be much calcium in a cup of tank water, so the extra flakes would not be particularly noticeable in with the alkalinity supplement. I mix up 2 gallons of alkalinity solution at a time for my dosers. I store that in a sealed container and use that to add to the actual dosing vessel once a week. The 2 gallons lasts a few months I think.

[daplatapus]

Originally Posted by rayjay

I'm a cheapskate so I use Randy Holmes-Farley's DIY formulae.
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/rhf/index.php

How do you like it? Good growth with your corals? Where are you getting your ingredients? I've found much of these DIY formula's need access to the states for some of it.

[rayjay]

Right now, I'm trying to sell off my corals but they are too big and I want reasonable money for them. If the formula didn't work they wouldn't get that big I would guess.
I buy the baking soda at the grocery store and the calcium and mag chloride I get from a chemical company here in London. The epsom I get at Walmart.
I buy mostly 25 kilo bags as I make my own salt water as well that I mix half and half with I.O.
I think a lot of people buy from Bulk Reef.