ESV B-Ionic consumption

[Fastmarc]

For those who use B-Ionic, could you state how much your tanks uses and the size of your tanks?
My friend has a 100 gal that uses 40 ml of each, so I'm trying to figure out if this is reasonable.

 

[liquid]

Sounds reasonable to me. The usage will depend on the calcifying rate of the organisms in your friend's tank. I was using about 15 mL of each on my 38 gal so it sounds about right where mine was...

Shane

 

[Anonymous]

I can't remember the volume of the little measuring cup off the top of my head. However...my 150 gallon tank (60 gallon sump, maybe half full) uses 2 and a half (of the little cup) of each component a day.
I do this, and I don't test anything except maybe every other month or so. The params are always where they should be.

Jim

 

[Fastmarc]

His tank seems to consume more calcium than alkalinity.
Any thought on this?
I haven't check his magnesium as yet.

 

[liquid]

Sounds like his calcium and alkalinity are out of balance. What are his levels?

Shane

 

[Fastmarc]

It was 340 ppm cal and 12 dKH alk.
I have sinced balance it out to 420 ppm cal and 9.9 dKH alk.
I'm just puzzled as to how it could have gotten unbalanced since the 2 parts are being dosed equally.

 

[liquid]

Sometimes if alk gets too high, the excess calcium will naturally precipitate out. The alk will remain pegged and any more calcium you add just drops out of solution. I've seen this happen with people that use kalk, 2 part solutions, and calcium reactors and occasionally you just have to rebalance everything with calcium chloride.

Shane

 

[Fastmarc]

The funny thing is that on my tank, the reverse happened. I dose kalk and when I got new test kits and check it last week (the first in a long while), the cal was 470 ppm and the alk was 5.6 dKH.
I took it for granted that by dosing kalk, they would always stay balanced.
Are they sometimes consumed at different rates?

 

[Jolieve]

From my own experiences, that is the case.

You need to dose for your dkh levels in addition for ca. The alkalinity contributes to your tank's ability to absorb the calcium you put into it without it precipitating back out of the water. I'd start dosing some superbuffer or b-ionic or something of the like, to raise your dkh. Dosing for one does not maintain the other.

J.

 

[Fastmarc]

Thanks for the replies.