DIY Three Part with Balling Part C Recipe

[Nossatron]

Can you explain how you got this number? Doesn’t Aquaforest required 25g per L?

500g Mineral salt in 20L is what you need.

Thanks for putting this together, Miami!

I’ll also note that one can use Aquaforest Mineral Salt in place of Balling Part C. I expect the amount needed is likely the same, but might vary a bit based on moisture levels in the two sodium chloride free salt mixes.

Balling Part C:

Dissolve 182g or eight scoops with enough RO/DI or purified water to make a total volume of one gallon. The Balling Part C recipe for "Recipe 1" is two times more concentrated than Tropic Marin's instructions to match the potency of the Alkalinity and Calcium concentrations.

 

[Nossatron]

As you finish 20L of the 3 part, you’d need to add 1,072mL of the magnesium solution.

Can I add more mag to the solution to adjust this? Or is there a reason to dose 1litre of magnesium solution all at once? This

"Dissolve Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate heptahydrate (¾ cups) and magnesium chloride hexahydrate (7¼ cups) in enough purified fresh water to make one gallon of total volume."

This is the make up for part C no?

 

[Miami Reef]

Ah. You’re right. I missed the doubling step. Yes, in that case it would 1,000g per 20L of the Mineral Salt. My apologies.

This is the make up for part C no?

The Mineral Salt or Balling accounts for magnesium ionic balance, but it doesn’t account for consumption. That’s the purpose of the extra magnesium.

The Magnesium recipe in this thread doesn’t contain extra sulfate like the standard 3 part contains because the mineral salt/balling already supplies it.

Can I add more mag to the solution to adjust this?

Are you asking if you can add the magnesium into the mineral salt solution? You’d have to make a small batch and see if there is precipitation. If not, then you can mix them.

 

[Nossatron]

Ah. You’re right. I missed the doubling step. Yes, in that case it would 1,000g per 20L of the Mineral Salt. My apologies.


The Mineral Salt or Balling accounts for magnesium ionic balance, but it doesn’t account for consumption. That’s the purpose of the extra magnesium.

The Magnesium recipe in this thread doesn’t contain extra sulfate like the standard 3 part contains because the mineral salt/balling already supplies it.



Are you asking if you can add the magnesium into the mineral salt solution? You’d have to make a small batch and see if there is precipitation. If not, then you can mix them.

Solution C:
962g AF Mineral salt
6792g Magnesium Chloride
900g Magnesium Sulfate


So you're saying adding all this is the ionic balance amount? This is where I'm getting confused sorry

 

[Miami Reef]

Solution C:
962g AF Mineral salt
6792g Magnesium Chloride
900g Magnesium Sulfate


So you're saying adding all this is the ionic balance amount? This is where I'm getting confused sorry

To maintain ionic balance, you only need the AF Mineral Salt.

 

[Nossatron]

To maintain ionic balance, you only need the AF Mineral Salt.

Correct... to allow for the additional sodium (from hydroxide) and chloride (from calcium). So then what about the magnesium part?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Correct... to allow for the additional sodium (from hydroxide) and chloride (from calcium). So then what about the magnesium part?

It compensates for magnesium consumption into corals and such.

 

[Miami Reef]

Correct... to allow for the additional sodium (from hydroxide) and chloride (from calcium). So then what about the magnesium part?

For 20 liters, you would need approximately 6,789 grams of Magnesium Chloride and 655 grams of BRS Magnesium Sulfate.

Add 1,073mL of this solution when you finish 20L of the 3 parts.

 

[Miami Reef]

I cleaned up the first post and made it clearer.

1) I removed the sodium bicarbonate recipe because it was confusing since it required 50% less of every part.

2 I added the recipe instructions for Aquaforest Mineral Salt, ensuring it had the same concentration to match the alkalinity and calcium parts.

 

[Nossatron]

It compensates for magnesium consumption into corals and such.

I think my question has been lost here....

For 20 liters, you would need approximately 6,789 grams of Magnesium Chloride and 655 grams of BRS Magnesium Sulfate.

Add 1,073mL of this solution when you finish 20L of the 3 parts.

I cannot purchase items from BRS at my location in New Zealand. It won't let me set up an account. Regardless I have already purchased everything required from the below recipe.

Solution 1:
1496g Sodium Hydroxide
100 ml FM Trace 3 - Potassium, Iodine, Bromine, stabilizers. Based on inorganic compounds

Solution 2:
2643g Calcium Chloride
120ml FM Trace 2 - Iron, Manganese, copper, nickel, zinc, chromium
200ml FM Trace 1 - Potassium, strontium, boron, selenium, rubidium, vanadium, fluorine

Solution 3:
962g AF Mineral salt
6789g Magnesium Chloride
900g Magnesium Sulfate

Then at the end of dosing 20l I tip 1litre of magnesium sulfate/chloride from the standard ratio? Am I reading this right? Something seems not right here.

 

[Miami Reef]

Then at the end of dosing 20l I tip 1litre of magnesium sulfate/chloride from the standard ratio? Am I reading this right? Something seems not right here.

You will add 5.37% of the magnesium solution as the other 3 parts.

1,074mL. So yes, about 1L every time you finish 20L.

 

[Miami Reef]

I cannot purchase items from BRS at my location in New Zealand. It won't let me set up an account. Regardless I have already purchased everything required from the below recipe.

You don’t need BRS chemicals if you can’t source them.

To make a 20-liter batch, you would need approximately 3.96 cups of Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate heptahydrate) and 38.30 cups of magnesium chloride hexahydrate.

 

[Nossatron]

You will add 5.37% of the magnesium solution as the other 3 parts.

1,074mL. So yes, about 1L every time you finish 20L.

Current consumption is 250ml of af alk a day, I plan to make larger batches of the Balling as I run a busy schedule and don't have the time.

Obvioisly youre not aware of the length of time I intend the batches to last so should I be dumping 70ml extra as a single dose weekly? Could I not just dose or adjust the recipe you advised at the start by an extra 5.37%

Sorry if I'm asking silly questions.

 

[Miami Reef]

Could I not just dose or adjust the recipe you advised at the start by an extra 5.37%

Yes. You can do this. That’s perfect.

 

[Nossatron]

Yes. You can do this. That’s perfect.

Was there a purpose to adding the 5.7% magnesium solution in one hit?

Ie 38.3 cups (9192mls) of magnesium chloride + 5.7 % = 40.36 cups (9685.61mls) what was the idea about the one off dose?

So following what I suggested the below it has your seal of approval?

Solution 1:
1496g Sodium Hydroxide

Solution 2:
2643g Calcium Chloride

Solution 3:
969g AF Mineral salt
7¼ cups of Magnesium Chloride (+5.7%)
¾ cups of Magnesium Sulfate (+5.7%)
(Will weigh it when I first dose for future)

 

[Miami Reef]

Solution 1:
1496g Sodium Hydroxide

Correct

Solution 2:
2643g Calcium Chloride

Correct

969g AF Mineral salt

It’s 1,000g per 20L

7¼ cups of Magnesium Chloride (+5.7%)
¾ cups of Magnesium Sulfate (+5.7%)
(Will weigh it when I first dose for future)

Are you going to make 20L or 1 gallon of the magnesium solution?

No matter what solution you create, you will dose 5.37% as much as the other 3 parts.

For example, if you require 250mL of alk a day, you’d dose 8.9mL magnesium per day (if you’d end up using a dosing pump).

You can also add weekly doses. As long as you end up adding 1,074mL after finishing 20L of the other solutions, it doesn’t really matter.

 

[GARRIGA]

Thread reminds me of an old Apple commercial where at a show Microsoft was supposedly showcasing their newest OS but having technical difficulties and participant in the crowd yells out "just get a Mac".

Here's me thinking "I'm just going to get AFR"

 

[Nossatron]

It’s 1,000g per 20L

Apologies youre right. 998.57. I'd better go over the math when it's not 0140

Are you going to make 20L or 1 gallon of the magnesium solution?

20L batches. Sorry that was the Calculation for a single gallon ill have to weigh it in.

No matter what solution you create, you will dose 5.37% as much as the other 3 parts.

For example, if you require 250mL of alk a day, you’d dose 8.9mL magnesium per day (if you’d end up using a dosing pump).

Other 3 parts? So this is best to be a 4 part solution?

Curious as to why you leave out 5.37% from the recipe? Should you not add that to the calculation and remove that whole complication? I'm not sure why it's noted. Very lost on the reason it's left out to be re calculated back in but happy to do it

 

[Miami Reef]

Thread reminds me of an old Apple commercial where at a show Microsoft was supposedly showcasing their newest OS but having technical difficulties and participant in the crowd yells out "just get a Mac".

Here's me thinking "I'm just going to get AFR"

That’s me when you say you don’t do water changes.

3 parts can be more cost effective for large and high demand tanks, never mind the impressive pH boost sodium hydroxide provides.

AFR is great, but this thread is about making a complete 3 part.

 

[Miami Reef]

Curious as to why you leave out 5.37% from the recipe? Should you not add that to the calculation and remove that whole complication? I'm not sure why it's noted. Very lost on the reason it's left out to be re calculated back in but happy to do it

I added it back to the first post. Let me know if it’s better.