2 Part Dosing solution in Top-Off water

[bleedingthought]

I've heard a debate about this before but it seems like the thread was just left untouched after a while and I can't find it anymore.

Are there any problems with calculating how much of B-Ionic (or another 2 part calcium/alk supplement) the tank will need daily and instead of dosing it every day, dosing the top-off water container with it according to how much water is in there?

Obviously letting the first part mix into the water first and then pour the second part in.

Seems to me like it would be same thing as dosing it directly into the tank. Right?

 

[trido]

I believe that adding enough part-A and then part-B to supplement a 120 gallon SPS tank into 2 or 3 gallons will cause a snow storm effect in the makeup water renedering most of the supplement ineffective.

 

[bleedingthought]

Oh, I should have mentioned that I add no more than 30 mL to my tank daily. I top off about 2 gallons a day. This is a 32 gallon brute that is usually filled at 28 gallons.

So, we're talking about 420mL of each part into 28 gallons of water. I don't think that would be enough to precipitate it.

 

[bleedingthought]

I believe that adding enough part-A and then part-B to supplement a 120 gallon SPS tank into 2 or 3 gallons will cause a snow storm effect in the makeup water renedering most of the supplement ineffective.

P.S. Did you get my pm back?

 

[Anonymous]

Sounds like you're simply diluting the solution, precipitation will probably occur if two are mixed together.

 

[bleedingthought]

Hmm, wouldn't I be just diluting it when I dump it into my tank?

Seems like people that have small, SPS packed tanks and are using a 2 part dosing solution have a hard time. :?

 

[trido]

It was working for me. I just grew tired of having to dose 45ml daily of each part to my tank. I want to look at it and not have to work on it every day.

 

[Anonymous]

Hmm, wouldn't I be just diluting it when I dump it into my tank?

Well what are you talking about, dumping the two part into the top off, then the top off into the tank?

 

[Unarce]

Thiago,

This advice came second hand from Greg Scheimer, and you'll have to keep them separate. Just have two 15 gallon containers instead of one 32 gallon brute :wink:

This is how I'll be setting up my 2-part/topoff as well.

Karl

 

[bleedingthought]

Karl, I thought about that. But what kept me from doing that was the fact that if one of the containers tops off more than the other, I'll be completely thrown off on my levels. :?

 

[bleedingthought]

Hmm, wouldn't I be just diluting it when I dump it into my tank?

Well what are you talking about, dumping the two part into the top off, then the top off into the tank?

Well, dump one of the parts into my 32G brute. Let it mix well. Then dump the other part in. And then top-off the tank as necessary. Hope that makes sense.

 

[Anonymous]

Well, dump one of the parts into my 32G brute. Let it mix well. Then dump the other part in. And then top-off the tank as necessary. Hope that makes sense.

Doesn't matter that you're letting in mix well, if you put both solutions together there is a good chances for precipitation. How much? Well depends how much you dump in. At this point you might as well go the kalkwasser route for top off water.

 

[bleedingthought]

I'm trying to avoid kalk for now.

 

[Unarce]

Karl, I thought about that. But what kept me from doing that was the fact that if one of the containers tops off more than the other, I'll be completely thrown off on my levels. :?

Greg recommended to use the LiterMeter for accurate and even dosing. Pretty darn expensive option, but I wouldn't want to do it with any other device.

 

[GSchiemer]

Simply dose the diluted Parts A and B over the course of a week, separately from each other while dosng the evaporated water simultaneously. In other words, if you know that you'll need 120 ml of Parts A and B over the week, dilute each portion into separate 120 ounces containers of freswater with the total evaporated water required for the week. Dose these though separate independently controlled auto-dosing units through the week; I like the Spectrapure dual doser units. It couldn't be easier or more reliable. The less expensive units tend to be finicky.

Greg