2-part additive recipe is up today

KrazyPlace · Post by **KrazyPlace** » Fri Apr 30, 2004 2:14 am

Hey Josh, I'm all over that Dow flake, but I'm pretty busy with work. I'll have to get it this Saturday. I won't forget!

Those tank parameters sound pretty good now.

KrazyPlace · Post by **KrazyPlace** » Sun May 02, 2004 4:51 pm

Thanks Josh for the CaCl2! I made up all 3 solutions. I added 125 mL (1/2 cup) of the CaCl2 solution per the article, then an hour later 125 mL of the Na2CO3 solution. My alk increase from 2.2 to 2.6 meq/mL and the Ca increased from 370 to 390 ppm.

According to the article, a 0.5 meq/mL increase in alk will increase pH between 0.15 and 0.35 points. I think I got my new additive!

I'll keep adding this daily for a while. I suspect the initial increase will drop as the tank equalizes. Hopefully I can get mine back to optimum (425 ppm Ca and 3.5 meq/mL).

By the way for those who don't know, I have about 100 gallons of total water on my system (65g reef, 29g fish only, 1/2 full 29g sump all conected together through sump).

ShagMan · Post by **ShagMan** » Sun May 02, 2004 6:51 pm

I'm doing 500ml (per part) additions daily now. My alk is back down to ~2.5meg/L and my calc is at about 365ppm. I think the two-part is showing promise, I just need to get my levels up. I did a 10% water change today, that helped the ca levels some.

ShagMan · Post by **ShagMan** » Tue May 04, 2004 7:55 pm

OK, I'm showing progress, but only by dosing TWICE each night to get my levels up. I haven't done another chemical overdose, all the corals are happy as they can be... I'm now at 3.0 meg/L and 410ppm Ca. I'm dosing 500ml of each part, and doing that twice each night... each time I do two doses in a night, it bumps the levels up... 500ml per part is the maintenence level for my tank... 500ml is about two cups.

I need to move to a Ca reactor... the two part is cheap, but the daily testing and additions are getting old.

tbmoore · Post by **tbmoore** » Wed May 05, 2004 10:55 am

If you are not dripping this additive then you are hitting the tank with a slug of chem and as it hits your main tank it is hitting your corals or fish with water which is way off and could shock them..

ShagMan · Post by **ShagMan** » Wed May 05, 2004 10:58 am

That's true to an extent, however, I'm dumping 2 cups of additave into the far end of a sump with 40 gallons of moving water, so I'm not sure it will even be noticed

tbmoore · Post by **tbmoore** » Wed May 05, 2004 11:01 am

When I used to add turbo cal to the sump you would see this white cloud of cal come out the return....that white cloud has to be a different temp and ph...just a thought....the think with a reactor is it drips ...same goes with top off water...makes the tank more stable.

ShagMan · Post by **ShagMan** » Wed May 05, 2004 11:03 am

Oh, don't worry, I'm going with a reactor as soon as I get cash built up when I get back... probably in a month ro so... I'm just doing the two-part until I have the reactor setup. Did you ever find that regulator and needle valve?

The two-part isn't a good solution just because you have to add it daily. I'm leaving on a cruise next week, so my levels will be bottomed out again by the time I get back

sucks.

tbmoore · Post by **tbmoore** » Wed May 05, 2004 11:06 am

I was not going there...just saying you might want to set up a drip for the two part in stead of slugging.

reeferpuffer · Post by **reeferpuffer** » Tue Jul 20, 2004 5:00 pm

josh, you love doing stuff the hard way huh?, just dose with manufactured stuff made for your aquarium, you never know what all in in all that crap

ShagMan · Post by **ShagMan** » Tue Jul 20, 2004 9:19 pm

actually, the home-made two-part works great, however I've stopped dosing it, because putting 500ml x 2 nightly was getting OLD QUICK. I'm saving for a reactor. The homemade solution works just as well as the B-ionic, so you guys need to stop wasting money by pruchasing the store-bought stuff. I have a mostly-full bag of DowFlake if anyone wants any.

KrazyPlace · Post by **KrazyPlace** » Tue Jul 20, 2004 10:00 pm

I agree with Josh... love the homemade 2-part... just made a new batch tonight.... I'll take some more Dow Flake from you man! I'm almost out.