Red Sea 3-part + NaCl buildup

[Mr31415]

It is my understanding that when dosing two/three part solutions like Red Sea parts A, B, C to maintain alkalinity, calcium and magnesium, the parts A and B will inevitably produce excess of NaCl, raising salinity.

Using tropic marine baller method parts A, B and C alleviates this by having part C be NaCl free salt, keeping the ionic balance.

My question is - when dosing Red Sea parts A,B,C must I also dose tropic marine’s part C to correct for this ionic balance? Or is Red Sea already balanced? Does not seem like that from the contents description on the label… and if I am to dose sodium chloride free salt, how much in relation to the Red Sea parts?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I do not think the Red Sea product is ionically balanced. It costs more to do that, and if used, they would presumably mention it.

Also, most balanced additives are designed for 1:1 dosing, but the Red Sea products are not.

 

[Mr31415]

I do not think the Red Sea product is ionically balanced. It costs more to do that, and if used, they would presumably mention it.

Also, most balanced additives are designed for 1:1 dosing, but the Red Sea products are not.

Thanks Randy. So if I also want to dose tropic marine part C, what would the ratio be to the Red Sea parts? Or is that not possible to determine due to the fact that Red Sea is not balanced as you said?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Thanks Randy. So if I also want to dose tropic marine part C, what would the ratio be to the Red Sea parts? Or is that not possible to determine due to the fact that Red Sea is not balanced as you said?

Why use the Red Sea parts at all if going this route?

 

[Mr31415]

Good point. Mostly because of how concentrated it is, meaning smaller containers as my space is limited.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Good point. Mostly because of how concentrated it is, meaning smaller containers as my space is limited.

Only the calcium part is concentrated, which is odd since one cannot make a 1:1 dosing product that concentrated. Don’t neglect the advantages of 1:1 dosing. Dosing both calcium and alk based on testing both can lead to more variability than dosing both based on alk testing alone.

It may sound better to frequently test both, but calcium moves too slowly and testing is too variable for that to work well.

 

[Mr31415]

Thanks. My alkalinity currently drops way faster than calcium, so I will need to do 1:1 but perform some adjustments from time to time I guess.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Thanks. My alkalinity currently drops way faster than calcium, so I will need to do 1:1 but perform some adjustments from time to time I guess.

How much of each per day?

Normal consumption is a lot faster alk drop than calcium, and 1:1 two parts are designed to account for that.

Only unusual situations have substantially off 1:1 demand, such as using water changes with water that is far off of the tank parameters.

 

[Mr31415]

1.2 dKH per 2 days. During the same time I measured Ca at 435 and again at 435 - though it could have been a small measurement error as the titration transitioning point is sometimes off by one drop.

Tank is new - only 6 weeks up. Live rock, aragonite substrate, almost no coral. CO2 in the house varies between 535 and 700ppm in the house.