WTB BRS dosing mixs need soon!

[Ninjabeaver]

And you use BRS or this baking soda stuff?

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

BRS right now... May switch

[icepikbiker]

I've been using unbaked baking soda for a while now and it's been working great. I mix up 3 Table spoons to my 5gal ATO, my system uses about 1/2 gal/day in top off. Its been holding around 12 dkh.

Putting it in my top off water made it easy for me, only because I don't have any good way to properly dose. Hardest part was figuring out how much evap I have per day then figuring out how much Alk my system uses per day. Then using a reef calculator figure out how much Baking Soda to use, really only good for a starting point. After starting its test, adjust, test, adjust......... until you get a stable level. 

The problem with using ATO for dosing is that evap differs throw out the year, depending on humidity and ambient temp of the house. So as your system has less evap the higher the concentration would need to be.

[Mandinga]

I've been using unbaked baking soda for a while now and it's been working great. I mix up 3 Table spoons to my 5gal ATO, my system uses about 1/2 gal/day in top off. Its been holding around 12 dkh.

Putting it in my top off water made it easy for me, only because I don't have any good way to properly dose. Hardest part was figuring out how much evap I have per day then figuring out how much Alk my system uses per day. Then using a reef calculator figure out how much Baking Soda to use, really only good for a starting point. After starting its test, adjust, test, adjust......... until you get a stable level.

The problem with using ATO for dosing is that evap differs throw out the year, depending on humidity and ambient temp of the house. So as your system has less evap the higher the concentration would need to be.

I'd caution you on this method...ATO systems do sometimes use Kalk, but trying to balance all consumption with your daily evaporation is like walking a tightrope. And at 12dKh you are on the severe upper end of the acceptable Alk range.

 

Since you have to dose calcium also, you may as well dose both separate from the Ato system., or switch to kalkwasser which will do both Alk and Ca through your ATO.

 

Also, water high in alkalinity will corrode and clog pumps and tubes at incredibly high rates.

Edited January 1, 2015 by Mandinga

[Arsonmfg]

I'd caution you on this method...ATO systems do sometimes use Kalk, but trying to balance all consumption with your daily evaporation is like walking a tightrope. And at 12dKh you are on the severe upper end of the acceptable Alk range.

 

Since you have to dose calcium also, you may as well dose both separate from the Ato system., or switch to kalkwasser which will do both Alk and Ca through your ATO.

 

Also, water high in alkalinity will corrode and clog pumps and tubes at incredibly high rates.

 

I have to agree with Mandinga... You're on the edge of a guaranteed disaster at some point. How often do you monitor your PH? Using baking soda that isn't baked will drop your PH, sometimes quite significantly. 

[icepikbiker]

Starting out I was testing every other day,I was testing; temp, sali, mag, cal, alk, ph, phosphate, nitrate, nitrite, ammonia. I have now gone to testing every Friday.

 

For some reason the only thing my system really uses up quickly is ALK, all other tested "elements" seem to regulate well with just water changes. After starting my system up over a year ago I bought a Red Sea foundation kit, tests and the liquids. With in a 6 month period I probably went through the first small bottle of alk and 2 of the large bottles, and I finally finished off the small bottle of mag about a month ago, I still have well over 1/2 of the small bottle of Calcium left. 

 

Starting my system out I was using KENT salt and most of my base "elements" were high, except the ALK, I have recently changed to Instant Ocean Sea Salt, and my levels have came down and maintained at a more "normal" level.

[Higher Thinking]

Alkalinity will always be the nutrient that is consumed fastest. Then calcium, then magnesium.

[icepikbiker]

With the KENT salt my calc was never below 500, Mag slowly came down as expected, and I could never get my ALK stable. I was putting 5 table spoons of baking soda into my 5 gallon top off bucket. Now with the Instant Ocean salt I have came down to using 3 table spoons of baking soda in 5 gallons of top off, my calc is more stable at about 450 and Mag still just slowly comes down like it should.

 

Sorry I forgot about the PH question. Through complicated months of adjusting a needle valve and changing a timers on/off periods I have got my top off pretty stable. My top off timer is coming on 5 times in 24 hrs, I worked out some of the timings to times that I would be normally checking on the tank anyways, one of the on times is about a half hour before my alarm goes of for work in the morning and one of the other on times is around the time I get home from work but before I feed the tank. The other day time on is about mid point between my work day. The two night on times are just before my lights turn off and just before they turn back on, only need two at night because of less evaporation. 

 

So by "dosing" more during the day and little at night my Ph is usually 8.2 early morning (shortly after lights come on) and 8.4 late evening (just before the lights go out). I like to alternate my testing times each week (morning one week and evening the next) so I can watch my Ph swing. 

 

Also I am using the API Ph test so they my be off a little. 

[Arsonmfg]

With the KENT salt my calc was never below 500, Mag slowly came down as expected, and I could never get my ALK stable. I was putting 5 table spoons of baking soda into my 5 gallon top off bucket. Now with the Instant Ocean salt I have came down to using 3 table spoons of baking soda in 5 gallons of top off, my calc is more stable at about 450 and Mag still just slowly comes down like it should.

 

Sorry I forgot about the PH question. Through complicated months of adjusting a needle valve and changing a timers on/off periods I have got my top off pretty stable. My top off timer is coming on 5 times in 24 hrs, I worked out some of the timings to times that I would be normally checking on the tank anyways, one of the on times is about a half hour before my alarm goes of for work in the morning and one of the other on times is around the time I get home from work but before I feed the tank. The other day time on is about mid point between my work day. The two night on times are just before my lights turn off and just before they turn back on, only need two at night because of less evaporation. 

 

So by "dosing" more during the day and little at night my Ph is usually 8.2 early morning (shortly after lights come on) and 8.4 late evening (just before the lights go out). I like to alternate my testing times each week (morning one week and evening the next) so I can watch my Ph swing. 

 

Also I am using the API Ph test so they my be off a little. 

 

So it sounds like you've come up with a solution that works for you and I won't be the guy that says "my way is the only way" but I do think you've created a recipe for disaster at some point.

[icepikbiker]

I would agree, this way has worked for me so far, and I wouldn't recommend anyone to try it this way unless you are aware of and will to deal with what could happen. I'm sure at some point some day something bad could happen. This is by far not the only way nor the smartest way to do it, but if your in a pinch or just a real cheap person (AKA myself lol) then I have proven this could work for a SHORT term fix. Unfortunately what started out as a short term fix has lasted much longer then I hoped. 

 

I do have plans to get a doser or even go automated. But so far more critical things have came first, like; water movement, had to replace return pump, bigger nicer tank, new skimmer capable of handling my new tank and JBJ ATO (should be here Thursday). Dosing pumps are just so expensive for a nice one.

[Higher Thinking]

I would agree, this way has worked for me so far, and I wouldn't recommend anyone to try it this way unless you are aware of and will to deal with what could happen. I'm sure at some point some day something bad could happen. This is by far not the only way nor the smartest way to do it, but if your in a pinch or just a real cheap person (AKA myself lol) then I have proven this could work for a SHORT term fix. Unfortunately what started out as a short term fix has lasted much longer then I hoped.

 

I do have plans to get a doser or even go automated. But so far more critical things have came first, like; water movement, had to replace return pump, bigger nicer tank, new skimmer capable of handling my new tank and JBJ ATO (should be here Thursday). Dosing pumps are just so expensive for a nice one.

The Marine Magic and Jaebo pumps are pretty cheap. I've been running the MM for a while now. I'm convinced that at least some of these issues of pumps draining an entire bottle of nutrients is based on setting the doser timer as the time of day, rather than amount of time dosing. It's pretty easy because it's not immediately clear which setting is for the time of day and which is for time of dosing. Definitely worth my investment.

[Arsonmfg]

When I was running two part one of my safety measures was using small bottles that needed to be filled every couple days, that way if there ever was a system malfunction and it unloaded a whole bottle into the tank it wouldn't do too much damage. Worst case would be a large alk spike but hopefully not enough to nuke the whole tank...

 

Just food for thought.

[icepikbiker]

The Marine Magic and Jaebo pumps are pretty cheap. I've been running the MM for a while now. I'm convinced that at least some of these issues of pumps draining an entire bottle of nutrients is based on setting the doser timer as the time of day, rather than amount of time dosing. It's pretty easy because it's not immediately clear which setting is for the time of day and which is for time of dosing. Definitely worth my investment.

I was looking into the Jebao Doser after last post, saw them on amazon for $100 for a four head dosing pump, maybe I'll pick one up with tax return. Got my JBJ ATO today, so I wont be dosing with the top off anymore. I got to think about how I was doing it and since it wasn't automatic it was more like a dose deluded enough to also replenish my evap. 

The reason I say it that way is because I was more focused on the ALK being dosed evenly through out the day. Basically I found out how much ALK my tank used in one day and how much evap I had in one day then combined them together, then split the dose up over the course of the day. 

Anyways so now that I have an actual ATO I am much more afraid of it over dosing so I will no longer be topping off and dosing together. I will be using a separate one gallon jug with a Aqualifter (I know bad idea, but its how I roll) for ALK and a five gallon bucket for ATO, but I will still be using unbaked baking soda for now but looking into BRS 2 part. 

[Higher Thinking]

I was looking into the Jebao Doser after last post, saw them on amazon for $100 for a four head dosing pump, maybe I'll pick one up with tax return. Got my JBJ ATO today, so I wont be dosing with the top off anymore. I got to think about how I was doing it and since it wasn't automatic it was more like a dose deluded enough to also replenish my evap.

The reason I say it that way is because I was more focused on the ALK being dosed evenly through out the day. Basically I found out how much ALK my tank used in one day and how much evap I had in one day then combined them together, then split the dose up over the course of the day.

Anyways so now that I have an actual ATO I am much more afraid of it over dosing so I will no longer be topping off and dosing together. I will be using a separate one gallon jug with a Aqualifter (I know bad idea, but its how I roll) for ALK and a five gallon bucket for ATO, but I will still be using unbaked baking soda for now but looking into BRS 2 part.

Sounds good. Why not just bake the baking soda? Super simple and ensures that you don't need to order any.

[Arsonmfg]

Sounds good. Why not just bake the baking soda? Super simple and ensures that you don't need to order any.

 

Exactly... You can make the exact same thing BRS sells you for about $2.00 per gallon.

[icepikbiker]

Just haven't got up the urge to try it, haven't even really looked into the steps to do it.