Dosing

[cghunter39]

I run a Red Sea reefer 525 xl

I’m currently dosing
90ml alk (Red Sea brand)
10ml calcium( Red Sea brand)
0ml magnesium( Red Sea brand)

is that’s dosing ratio typical?
My target numbers are
calcium 450 currently at 499
Alkalinity 9.5 currently 7.94
Magnesium 1400 currently at 1438

i can’t seem to get the alk to rise right now no matter how much I dose. Any suggestions on the Alk issue or the dosing ratio issue seems like 90 ml a day is a lot! Thanks in advance

 

[Screwgunner]

Your alkalinity is perfect I keep mine at 7.5 . Look up the red field ratio 1:16:100. (I think) phosphate , nitrate , calcium. The more coral you get the more you will have to dose. The larger they get the more you have to dose. It is a never ending process. I use seachem reef builder mix in my top up water started at 1/8 teaspoon a day I am at 1/2 teaspoon a day now.

 

[cghunter39]

Your alkalinity is perfect I keep mine at 7.5 . Look up the red field ratio 1:16:100. (I think) phosphate , nitrate , calcium. The more coral you get the more you will have to dose. The larger they get the more you have to dose. It is a never ending process. I use seachem reef builder mix in my top up water started at 1/8 teaspoon a day I am at 1/2 teaspoon a day now.

Thank you for the input. The red field ratio is an interesting read for sure.

 

[Uncle99]

I run a Red Sea reefer 525 xl

I’m currently dosing
90ml alk (Red Sea brand)
10ml calcium( Red Sea brand)
0ml magnesium( Red Sea brand)

is that’s dosing ratio typical?
My target numbers are
calcium 450 currently at 499
Alkalinity 9.5 currently 7.94
Magnesium 1400 currently at 1438

i can’t seem to get the alk to rise right now no matter how much I dose. Any suggestions on the Alk issue or the dosing ratio issue seems like 90 ml a day is a lot! Thanks in advance

View attachment 2763090

I agree with you, 90ml seems to much a 525, I’m a well stocked 750 and my daily is 30ml, but I use Seachem Fusion, not Red Sea. In any event, I doubt Seachem is 3x more concentrated.
More or less, many are quite similar.

I have found that ALk and CA have some inverse relationshipI find when CA is high, my Alk tests lower. I’d lower your CA to 420ppm, then retest Alk for a week. If you test without the Hanna, make sure you get a second independent reading.
In early systems, we can use a bit more Alk/Ca as it binds to the rockwork, sand and hard surfaces, however there’s a point where that process levels off.

I think the “Red Ratio” is the Redfield Ratio, discovered in 1934 as the relationship between carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus in the worlds oceans as 106:16:1, respectively (and nothing to do with your issue as I see it).

Interesting but not overly used in reef aquarium.

Check nitrate as higher levels can deplete Alk faster.

 

[Eagle_Steve]

I do not use red sea, as I diy my Alk (easier, cheaper and more alk per liter when dosing), but I do use a lot (as in 200+ ml a day on about 150 gallons total water), so it is possible. I would also suggest just taking some water to an LFS or a fellow reefer with anohter test kit to be sure for your alk and calcium.

On a side note for those interesed.

Red Sea Alk is 0.036 meq/l of alkalinity
Seachem Fusion 2 is 0.176 meq/L of alkalinity

 

[Uncle99]

I do not use red sea, as I diy my Alk (easier, cheaper and more alk per liter when dosing), but I do use a lot (as in 200+ ml a day on about 150 gallons total water), so it is possible. I would also suggest just taking some water to an LFS or a fellow reefer with anohter test kit to be sure for your alk and calcium.

On a side note for those interesed.

Red Sea Alk is 0.036 meq/l of alkalinity
Seachem Fusion 2 is 0.176 meq/L of alkalinity

I’m glad you pointed that out, thats interesting and appears quite diluted in comparison to Seachem which for me is sold at the same price. Seachem is just under 5 times more concentrated than R

So I stand corrected, the posters dose of Red Sea at 90ml per day may in fact be very correct.

My bad.

 

[Eagle_Steve]

I’m glad you pointed that out, thats interesting and appears quite diluted in comparison to Seachem which for me is sold at the same price. Seachem is just under 5 times more concentrated than R

So I stand corrected, the posters dose of Red Sea at 90ml per day may in fact be very correct.

My bad.

No worries. It is amazing at how different some of these things are, in term of "potency". This is why I prefer Randys 2 part recipe, as I know the alk increase and it is quite a bit bit more per liter than a lot fo the off the shelf stuff. It is also a ton cheaper lol.

 

[Uncle99]

No worries. It is amazing at how different some of these things are, in term of "potency". This is why I prefer Randys 2 part recipe, as I know the alk increase and it is quite a bit bit more per liter than a lot fo the off the shelf stuff. It is also a ton cheaper lol.

Thank you. I would have thought that competing products would at least be close to “compete”.
Wrong!
Colorful bottle though!
Cheers.

 

[brucey]

I run a Red Sea reefer 525 xl

I’m currently dosing
90ml alk (Red Sea brand)
10ml calcium( Red Sea brand)
0ml magnesium( Red Sea brand)

is that’s dosing ratio typical?
My target numbers are
calcium 450 currently at 499
Alkalinity 9.5 currently 7.94
Magnesium 1400 currently at 1438

i can’t seem to get the alk to rise right now no matter how much I dose. Any suggestions on the Alk issue or the dosing ratio issue seems like 90 ml a day is a lot! Thanks in advance

View attachment 2763090

Given the cost of the Red Sea stuff I’ve you ever considered switching to a home made DIY mix?

(I dose 65ml Alk, 20ml ca and 16ml mag in my reefer 425 - not SPS Dominated though….)