2part B-ionic newbie....

[meekz]

Hello, I just bought some B-ionic Ca buffer system and this will be the first time I've dosed anything. I've just started stocking my tank with mostly softies, but a friend gave me 3 small sps. I checked my alk/ca today and they are...Ca-360ppm/Kh-107.4(tested 30 minutes ago with api). I used the reef chemistry calculator and it told me i need to add 19.3 ml of Alk supplement and 75 ml of Ca supplement. I know I need to do this over a period of time. Any tips on how to get started as im still sort of confused about all of this. Thanks

[lakshwadeep]

How big is the tank? What test kit brands are you using? How big are the SPS frags? What is your salt mix? You may be able to get away with just doing frequent water changes with a "reef" (has higher concentrations of things like calcium and magnesium) salt mix.

 

Read this guide to supplementation:

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2007-04/rhf/index.php

 

The calcium part can be added relatively quickly, but the alkalinity part should be added slowly and ideally when the tank pH is lowest (usually in the morning just before the lights turn on).

[meekz]

Its a 24 gallon ap with about 20-24 lbs of live rock and 20lbs of live sand. Test kit is API(going to lfs to get water checked by them tomorrow). I have 2 monti caps and 1 branching monti all are about an inch to an inch and a half. Im using red sea coral pro. Tomorrow is my WC day and ive had it mixing all day, so ill change ill change it a couple of hours before the lights come on and add alk shortly after that. Should I wait a day to dose ca, maybe after I check all levels after dosing alk? Ive checked the levels after a WC and ca goes to about 400 and alk stays at 7. I'd like somewhere around the 9/420 area?

[meekz]

Anyone else have any tips for me?

[reeftankguy]

You may be able to get away with just doing frequent water changes with a "reef" (has higher concentrations of things like calcium and magnesium) salt mix.

 

^^^^ This ^^^^

 

I use D-D H2Ocean Magnesium Pro Salt and Change out 4 gallons a week religiously and never have to dose due to low Calc and Alk... I do have B-Ionic just in case and have used it when I have been out of town and missed my WC by a couple of days...

 

I have 2 Maximas and they seem happy!

[davidncbrown]

I've just started stocking my tank with mostly softies, but a friend gave me 3 small sps.

 

How long has your tank been up and running? What kind of SPS? Just checking to be sure that your tank is mature enough to start stocking SPS; they need steady system with minimal fluctuations in water chemistry. If all is good, I second frequent water changes. Not only will it keep your nutrient levels down, but it should suffice to keep your calcium/alk up where it belongs. When/if you start getting more stony corals and your coralline starts taking off then you might need to dose B-ionic. In that case I used to measure out how much I needed and add it over the course of the day... Say pour 1/3 in at morning, 1/3 at lunch, and 1/3 before I went to bed.

[meekz]

tank has been up since december 28th. 1 monti cap and 1 green cactus pavona and 1 branching monti. He gave me his most hardy ones. I would not be opposed to getting rid of them if I have to. From what I've read there not to hard to take care. I am running a current nova extreme pro and have more than enough flow(k1,nano and a Mj1200 in a 24g ap). Ive checked my ca/kh during the week. And it seems to drop from 400/7dkh to 360/6 by the end of the week. Should i shoot for 420/9dkh? I just dont like the fact that it drops so low durring the week. Im still new and I get worried and stressed out very quick.

[Rem]

I dose B-Ionic 2-part, the calculations in your first post the mL dosage seems like a lot. Remember that the water volume in the 24 gallon AP is a lot less (mfr calculates the gallons by dimensions, filled to the rim, and without the false wall and compartments). I would say total water volume is somewhere around 20 gallons for a empty AP plus the rocks and sand, you're probably looking around 15-16 gallons of actual water volume.

 

Redo the reef calcs and its safer to underdose than overdose. Dose slowly in multiple parts as suggested above until you hit your range of 420/9dkh. Then you'll want to calculate how much your tank consumes over a period of days, which you already did, divide by the days and thats how much you'll be dosing daily.

[meekz]

Thanks everyone.

 

Rem - Good thing you told me that. I figured there was about 20 gallons of water with the rock and sand in there. I have about 20-22lbs of rock and 20lbs of sand. Now that I think about it, 15-16 seems right.

 

So lets say the reef calculator wants me to dose 20ml for calcium and 15ml for alk. Should I start with dosing both of them a few hours apart? Lets say 1ml each a day? more or less?

[meekz]

I did 4 ml each today. this week i will continue to add 4 ml until i get to the right levels. just making sure im correct. Also, the calculator says i need to add 42.5 ml for cal and 16.4 ml for alk. once i add 16.4 ml of alk should i stop and just dose ca for a few day? Im only planning on dosing 4 ml of each a day as that is what the bottle tells me to do...