- Location
- Oak Ridge, NJ
When testing these levels should the sample water being collected be from the surface water or in the middle of the tank? Also when dosing the alk, calcium and mag which order should they be dosed in?
Alk, Calcium and Mag
- Thread starter AriMiko43
- Start date
- Location
- Queens
Dont think it matters where you take the sample from. On dosing, theres really no order, but you should avoid dosing alk and cal at the same time, if you must, dose them in different area and with high flow.
Why is that? I been dosing them at the same time for years?
Sent from my DROIDX using Reefs
Sent from my DROIDX using Reefs
- Location
- FREEPORT,LONG ISLAND
testing water does not matter; but dosing i put alk/cal/mag in sump so it mixes well and do at diffrent times
- Location
- Wallingford, CT
You should dose and bring up the magnesium first.
- Location
- Queens
The problem is that alkalinity precipitates calcium. So when you are dosing them both in the same spot at the same time, they fall out of the water as insoluble and don't get in to raise the level.
- Location
- Oak Ridge, NJ
How far apart timewise do you have to dose them Alan? Is 10 mins apart ok?
- Location
- Queens
- Location
- Staten Island
I dose a few hours apart usually calcium and then alk, the mg I dose on a need basis, meaning I test and if it's needed I dose if not then I don't.
Chris Jury
Experienced Reefer
- Location
- Kaneohe, HI
On where to sample: it shouldn't matter much where you sample, except to avoid areas like the outflow of a calcium reactor effluent hose.
On dosing order: it really doesn't matter, unless the magnesium is significantly low--then it should be dosed first. The more important point is not dosing calcium and alkalinity right on top of each other. You want to allow each to mix into the water before you dose the other, otherwise you'll be combining them at very high concentrations (areas of contact/mixing) and may well get CaCO3 precipitating abiotically...which simply wastes what you just dosed. Also, if the alkalinity has a high pH (that in most two-part systems does) you want to be sure to dose it slowly (dripwise) in an area of high flow, allow it to mix in well, and not dose too much at once, otherwise you'll encourage abiotic CaCO3 precipitation, and potentially get a 'snowstorm' of abiotic precipitation if the pH gets pushed too high.
cj
On dosing order: it really doesn't matter, unless the magnesium is significantly low--then it should be dosed first. The more important point is not dosing calcium and alkalinity right on top of each other. You want to allow each to mix into the water before you dose the other, otherwise you'll be combining them at very high concentrations (areas of contact/mixing) and may well get CaCO3 precipitating abiotically...which simply wastes what you just dosed. Also, if the alkalinity has a high pH (that in most two-part systems does) you want to be sure to dose it slowly (dripwise) in an area of high flow, allow it to mix in well, and not dose too much at once, otherwise you'll encourage abiotic CaCO3 precipitation, and potentially get a 'snowstorm' of abiotic precipitation if the pH gets pushed too high.
cj
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