How often and how much B-Ionic?

[Fender963]

I just recently bought some B-ionic to help my lovely little corals long. I was adding a liquid calcium some guy at the lfs said to add but that stuff isn't doing jack #@#@#.

 

Anyway, here are my stats:

10 gallon tank

SG 1.025

Temp 80

Calcium - like 320, way too low I know

PH 8.2

Other other stuff in check, Ammonia - 0 etc......

20 lbs lr

15 ls

1 rock of GSP

1 rock of Yellow button polyps

1 huge rock of mushrooms

1 rock of Green button polyps.

32 watt pc

1 hob filter

1 power head

 

My corals are all doing pretty well right now but could be better. Especially my Green Button Polyps. They aren't really green and look pretty much like brown stalks with a tine ugly brown disc on top. And I know they can be prettier because I saw them at the LFS pretty. They have already been in my tank for 4 months and I have tried pretty much every imaginable location in my tank. It just isn't working.

 

Thank you for all your help!!

 

Kyle

[Dave ESPI]

add the recomended doseages, and TEST your water for 2 weeks every other day. Adjust accordingly.

 

Its not that hard.

[cmoreash]

OHH NOOOOOO!!!!!! ??? NOT HO CHI MINH!!!!

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LMAO :woot:

[tinyreef]

you don't have any stonys so i wouldn't get too worked up on the calcium. nsw is only 380 (?).

 

add bionic #1 & #2 at a 2:3 ratio until you reach your desired level. you could probably use the liquid calcium instead of the extra proportion of #2 actually.

 

the gsp's should turn more green with more actinic lighting. (actually i think it's just that you can witness more green under actinic imo) i suspect it's derivative of the greater amount of light from additional actinics as much as the spectrum. ??? whatever.

[DeskJockey]

I add b-Ionic to my 65 every morning and it too took a while before I noticed any differences. I started off as directed 1ml per 4gal (10ml) and I did this for two weeks with tests. And then over the period of 4 weeks I gradually added more untill I reached a good calcium level. In a 10 you probably wont have to add much to get in the 400ppm area, and maybe everyother day dosing would work too.

 

Others notice they keep a good calcium levels with just water changes (in a nano). Has this not worked for you?

[Hinecken]

DO NOT dose a 2:3 ration of B-Ionic. I use it exclusively on all my tanks. The package specifically states to add EQUAL parts of each component, not doing so can cause severe problems for you because one component compliments the other.....think of it in terms of using a two part epoxy, without equal components you could have a sticky mess on your hands......The best advice for you is to follow the manufacturer's recommended dosage of one ml per 4 NET gallons of water of each component for the first two weeks. Be sure to constantly test your parameters during this crucial time. After the two weeks is over you can make adjustments based on the needs of your animals and can safely increase to double the amount IF NEEDED. I found it much easier to purchase a cheap syringe instead of using the small measuring cups that are included with the chemicals. The measuring cups are great for larger dosages, but with the amount needed in a nano, a syringe is much easier to use. BTW, if using B-Ionic be very careful if you happen to dose with anything else. B-Ionic is supposed to add all major and minor trace elements needed, as stated on the label...if you do dose with other things as well, PLEASE BE CAREFUL.

[Dave ESPI]

Hinecken came out of the closet to say...

DO NOT dose a 2:3 ration of B-Ionic.  I use it exclusively on all my tanks.  

 

I agree. Follow initial reccomended dosages THEN make adjustments.

 

The package specifically states to add EQUAL parts of each component, not doing so can cause severe problems for you because one component compliments the other.....The best advice for you is to follow the manufacturer's recommended dosage of one ml per 4 NET gallons of water of each component for the first two weeks.  

 

Be sure to constantly test your parameters during this crucial time.  

 

No ######.. :/

 

After the two weeks is over you can make adjustments based on the needs of your animals and can safely increase to double the amount IF NEEDED.  

 

So how do you adjust for low calcium then if it is a 2 part EQUAL component without increasing alkalinity AND not adding anything else?

 

Open Mouth Insert foot.

[DeskJockey]

oops I didnt even notice tiny suggested that. Yeah thats not a good idea. I read a thread on another forum a long time ago maybe on RC and someone asked if they could change the ratio. Well I believe it was robert stark himself that responded and he did not suggest it. Like hinecken said they compliment eachother. Robert gave a good explanation as to why but couldnt go into it that much (secret potion).

[kimura]

I would go with recommended use. I tried and experimented, reading all the treads and talking to mostly all the LFS I've encountered. I've had my nano up for 7 months now and i've noticed coraline algae growth from just doing water changes. I've got an average of 400-450 on my Ca and a steady 8 dkh without B-ionic. I'm now using the recommened dosage everyday and doing weekly water changes.

 

I'm now seeing coraline algae growth on the PH and some on the glass. I'm not sure if it was just time, but going steady with w/c and recommened dosage, I'm finally seeing some pink!

[kimura]

I'm sorry that was a bit confusing upon reading it again. A bit more clarification:

With w/c no B-ionic I noticed some Coraline

 

w/ B-ionic recommened dose and w/c now noticing more growth all over rocks, PH, snails, crabs, and glass.

[tinyreef]

that's ok everyone doesn't agree with me. :*(

 

 

imo tho you can unbalance the ratio since you were doing that (i.e. dosing w/liquid calcium, turbo calcium, reefchem or any of those) in the beginning but not supporting your alk (hence 2-part additive). your alkalinity will top out at a certain point but calcium can still be utilized tho as carbonate is still being generated thru the normal CO2 interaction in the system.

 

it ain't recommended to unbalance the dosages but it can be done. true, that's a little further along and maybe touchy in a nano. i'll agree (with dave) that you should first settle in tho. also that's why i also gave the other option, increasing #2 dosage can be costly.

 

i always unbalance X) i wouldn't recommend anything if i didn't do it already. btw my 'hot' pink coralline is now overgroing the black dead spots. (another thread in the advanced forum) i guess it was a coralline-species specific pathogen. ???

[flaunt]

FWIW, i took ESPIs advice awhile back and did unbalanced dosing of b-ionic to get my alk and ca where i wanted them. yeah i did whack the alk up waaaay too high one time on accident, but that was easily remedied by several water changes with no ill effects observed. IME, if you dose unequal amounts of each part, do so *slowly* and don't assume that a test performed just after dosing is completely valid (i did and that's how i accidentally overdosed). as far as the method goes, i would try it if it ends up that your ratios are out of whack.

 

hth

[Hinecken]

Dave.....

 

read my post again, I never said not to dose with something else, I simply said BE CAREFUL. If your calcium is off and your alk is spot on, then by all means add some calcium, all I'm saying is to be very catious when doing so in a nano.

[ross76053]

i took ESPIs advice awhile back and did unbalanced dosing of b-ionic to get my alk and ca where i wanted them

Ditto here - used the lame recommended dosage (I know, the company has to protect itself), then after a couple of weeks of no change, I decided to get creative with my 270ppm Ca tank (Alk was good).

 

I few months ago, I began adding 2 ml Part I and 7.5 ml. part II, testing daily. My Ca slowly rose to (and has leveled off at) 450. To this day, I dose the same amount and get consistent readings.