Brs 2 part equal dosing?

[Shawnman]

Just switched from red sea products to BRS 2 part. Currently i am dosing 10 ml alkalinity to maintain 9.0 dkh. Does this mean that I would also dose 10 ml calcium? My starting levels are 9.0 dkh and 450ppm.
Or would i measure calcium and use the calculator to figure out the appropriate amount of calcium. Confused on dosing equal parts of both if they are being consumed at different rates. Tried looking for this answer but didn't really come up with a concrete answer. Thanks

 

[Jekyl]

@Randy Holmes-Farley

 

[gbroadbridge]

Just switched from red sea products to BRS 2 part. Currently i am dosing 10 ml alkalinity to maintain 9.0 dkh. Does this mean that I would also dose 10 ml calcium? My starting levels are 9.0 dkh and 450ppm.
Or would i measure calcium and use the calculator to figure out the appropriate amount of calcium. Confused on dosing equal parts of both if they are being consumed at different rates. Tried looking for this answer but didn't really come up with a concrete answer. Thanks

You dose equal amount of both.

The strength of the mixed solutions is calculated so the the correct amount of calcium is dosed based upon the consumption of Alkalinity.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Just switched from red sea products to BRS 2 part. Currently i am dosing 10 ml alkalinity to maintain 9.0 dkh. Does this mean that I would also dose 10 ml calcium? My starting levels are 9.0 dkh and 450ppm.
Or would i measure calcium and use the calculator to figure out the appropriate amount of calcium. Confused on dosing equal parts of both if they are being consumed at different rates. Tried looking for this answer but didn't really come up with a concrete answer. Thanks

Start with equal parts based in alk, and slowly (not daily) adjust the calcium dose as required based on testing.

 

[Shawnman]

Start with equal parts based in alk, and slowly (not daily) adjust the calcium dose as required based on testing.

Awesome. Thanks Randy.

 

[wisnia99]

Start with equal parts based in alk, and slowly (not daily) adjust the calcium dose as required based on testing.

Hi Randy, when it comes to the magnesium would you also start with 1/10 of the amount? Im talking about the magnesium form BRS as well.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Hi Randy, when it comes to the magnesium would you also start with 1/10 of the amount? Im talking about the magnesium form BRS as well.

BRS uses one of my recipes. The full recipe adds an appropriate amount of magnesium based on the calcium (or alk) dose. That dose is equivalent to 610 mL of the part 3 for each gallon of calcium, or 16% of the calcium dose in mL.

If one is using Balling Part C instead of my third part, which is a good plan, one likely needs some additional magnesium as well, but not as much as above. About 1/3 as much.

An Improved Do-it-Yourself Two-Part Calcium and Alkalinity Supplement System by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com

 

[Shawnman]

Start with equal parts based in alk, and slowly (not daily) adjust the calcium dose as required based on testing.

Making the switch to brs 2 part is going well. Things are also going smoothly after the precipitation event /alk dump from 2 weeks ago. I believe my salt mix is the culprit to my declining mag levels.
2 questions. Which hobby grade mag test kit would you recommend. I was using Aqua Forest and almost depleted. I do need to keep an eye on my mag levels until I trust it again.
2nd question, is there anything else I need to add to my water as far as trace elements or anything else after experiencing the precip event?
Attached are results from recent testing. Previously i was dosing the red sea trace elements a, d, c, d based on calcium usage.

 

[gbroadbridge]

Making the switch to brs 2 part is going well. Things are also going smoothly after the precipitation event /alk dump from 2 weeks ago. I believe my salt mix is the culprit to my declining mag levels.
2 questions. Which hobby grade mag test kit would you recommend. I was using Aqua Forest and almost depleted. I do need to keep an eye on my mag levels until I trust it again.
2nd question, is there anything else I need to add to my water as far as trace elements or anything else after experiencing the precip event?
Attached are results from recent testing. Previously i was dosing the red sea trace elements a, d, c, d based on calcium usage.

In terms of price and simplicity you really can't beat the Salifert Mg test, however if you are doing regular water changes and supplementing Mg to the Ca dose I'd skip buying a Mg test and probably do a Triton ICP once every 6-9 months so you at least get a reasonably accurate result.

You could just rely on water changes for trace elements

There are lots of Trace element mixes - for 3 part dosing I've used AF Components strong.
I've also just used All for reef as a supplement to 2 part dosing at a rate of about 5% of the 2 part dose which worked fine. i.e. 200ml 2 part + 10 ml AFR. That looked okay on an ICP for me.

As they say, every tank is different so what works for me may not work for you.

 

[Shawnman]

Thanks for the info. That is helpful. Appreciate it.

 

[gbroadbridge]

Thanks for the info. That is helpful. Appreciate it.

Just to clarify, I don't mean mixing AFR into the dosing container.
I mean dosing AFR in addition to 2 part with a separate dosing head.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

My suggestion is to not test magnesium at all, and dose it based on calcium additions using the RMM method:

My two part method, which BRS uses, fits this description if you follow its directions, which do not include magnesium measurement.

Just say NO to magnesium testing: RMM is born

OK, this thread has been many years in the making, and I'm posting it here since folks in the chem forum are probably already tired of all the threads relating to problematic magnesium testing. I'm going to propose a method, let's call it the Randy Magnesium Method, or RMM for short. All good...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Dom]

I began using BRS 2-part a short while ago.

I started at 10 ml of each daily, tested and made adjustments weekly. It took a few weeks to get things dialed in.

 

[GlassMunky]

BRS uses one of my recipes. The full recipe adds an appropriate amount of magnesium based on the calcium (or alk) dose. That dose is equivalent to 610 mL of the part 3 for each gallon of calcium, or 16% of the calcium dose in mL.

If one is using Balling Part C instead of my third part, which is a good plan, one likely needs some additional magnesium as well, but not as much as above. About 1/3 as much.

An Improved Do-it-Yourself Two-Part Calcium and Alkalinity Supplement System by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com

Looking into doing this method but when I search online now for dowflake all I can find anywhere is the dowflake Xtra 83-87%

Is this ok to substitute for the original 77% stuff ? I’d assume you’d need to adjust the rate it gets mixed at originally to make the solution?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Looking into doing this method but when I search online now for dowflake all I can find anywhere is the dowflake Xtra 83-87%

Is this ok to substitute for the original 77% stuff ? I’d assume you’d need to adjust the rate it gets mixed at originally to make the solution?

BRS is a fine source of calcium chloride (they sell it for use in my recipe, which they show as their two part) as is most any food grade calcium chloride.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

FWIW, I've not seen any impurity tests on Dowflake types in a very long time.

 

[GlassMunky]

FWIW, I've not seen any impurity tests on Dowflake types in a very long time.

Got ya.

I was just looking around to try and compare bulk costs of each calcium product figuring out how much it would cost per gallon of solution made and the dowflake looked like the most affordable by far for the dry material
($27 for 44lbs of the stuff) compared to BRS or ESV.

But if purity is that much a concern ill just keep with the reef people

 

[Shawnman]

My suggestion is to not test magnesium at all, and dose it based on calcium additions using the RMM method:

My two part method, which BRS uses, fits this description if you follow its directions, which do not include magnesium measurement.

Just say NO to magnesium testing: RMM is born

OK, this thread has been many years in the making, and I'm posting it here since folks in the chem forum are probably already tired of all the threads relating to problematic magnesium testing. I'm going to propose a method, let's call it the Randy Magnesium Method, or RMM for short. All good...

www.reef2reef.com

I'm on board with this but the thing is that when I tested my Tropic Marin Classic salt mix i have made up, mag tested at 1000 instead of the 1200-1300 as stated. I was practicing the RMM method and I believe the salt mix being low and not testing for it is an issue i need to resolve before I can confidently put this into action. Would you suggest that I dose mag to my 33 gallon brut to get that in line? I have verified by another source that my mag test is accurate to what the lfs tested.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I'm on board with this but the thing is that when I tested my Tropic Marin Classic salt mix i have made up, mag tested at 1000 instead of the 1200-1300 as stated. I was practicing the RMM method and I believe the salt mix being low and not testing for it is an issue i need to resolve before I can confidently put this into action. Would you suggest that I dose mag to my 33 gallon brut to get that in line? I have verified by another source that my mag test is accurate to what the lfs tested.

IMO, it is more likely to test was off than the salt mix was hundreds of ppm low in magnesium.

What was the salinity when you made it? Measured how?

How large of a batch did you make at once?

 

[Shawnman]

IMO, it is more likely to test was off than the salt mix was hundreds of ppm low in magnesium.

What was the salinity when you made it? Measured how?

How large of a batch did you make at once?

I tested my tank water and had the lfs test it and the results confirmed all my testing was consistent with theirs. I didn't have them test my mix water. The salinity was 35ppt which I checked with a calibrated refractometer. My tank measures this and my made up water. Lfs also confirmed this with the tank water i brought in. I mix approximately 30 gallons using rodi di water and tropic marin classic.
My testing consistently shows my mag level dropping then I dose an appropriate amount to bring it up to 1350-1400 which it does. It will stay there for awhile before dropping again. My magnesium is going somewhere. Attached are testing results