newbie question about alk mag and cal

R

randallftan

Membership Expired
hi, so i was wondering what to buy to test for these elements. i usually take em to my lfs to get em check but as i am getting into the hobby i would like to be able to do it myself and just want to know as well the ideal numbers to look for , for each. thanks
 
right now im using kent marine nano kit part a and b for my 6 gal tank

http://www.amazon.com/Aqueon-Marine-00858-16-Ounce-Bottles/dp/B0009YF4AS

how often do u suggest i dose these? and should i dose it only when i do WC? which i do every other week.
 
How much/often you dose depends on how much is depleted. You need to add ca and alk in whatever amount your animals use. Measure your alk/ca one day and then again a few days later. Divide the difference by the number of days and that will tell you how much you need to dose per day. There's no way to avoid understanding the science and math--no rules of thumb here. Ideally, you'll want to dose each component in equal parts, but in practice alk tends to need more adjustment than ca. You'll want to dose every day unless the amount is so small as to be hard to measure. In that case, dose every few days.

All the above applies to mag too, but mag use is very small compared to alk/ca. You'll likely only need to adjust it every few weeks--and maybe never if your water changes are big enough.

Continue to take measurements and adjust your dosage as necessary. Large deviations are a red flag--so just use common sense.
 
@randallftan wrote:
hi said:
I'm new to the hobby and I chose this brand. Very happy with them so far. I've double checked with a LFS and so far I match up to their readings so if I can do it, just about anyone can. http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+4345+23774&pcatid=23774

I also use this one. http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+4345+23776&pcatid=23776

The initial cost is a little higher, but you buy refills, not new kits each time.

I also use these...
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+4345+16565&pcatid=16565
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+4345+16557&pcatid=16557

Hope this helps.
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Here is a calculator for dosing. The drop down boxes show you that many different products are used. Plug in your numbers, and the calculator will give you a "ballpark" idea of how much you need. I cannot prove that it is 100% accurate, but I think it is a good guide, for sure.

http://reef.diesyst.com/flashcalc/flashcalc.html

Also, if you want to learn how to run the chemistry of a reef tank, search for "Randy Holmes-Farley", plus whatever reef chemistry subject you want to learn about! He has written probably hundreds of articles about these things. Read, read, read!

David
 
I used the Red Sea Pro and believe it or not, there are great prices on Amazon.com (for all test kits, I bought an Elos nitrate on there)
 
@mukymuk wrote:
How much/often you dose depends on how much is depleted. You need to add ca and alk in whatever amount your animals use. Measure your alk/ca one day and then again a few days later. Divide the difference by the number of days and that will tell you how much you need to dose per day. There's no way to avoid understanding the science and math--no rules of thumb here. Ideally said:
+1000 well said.
Click to expand...
 
Can't add much more to what everyone else said but I'll throw in another vote for the Red Sea Pro test kits. I test all the time and being able to buy cheaper refill kits is nice. At my rate of use, I go through about 3 refills a year (2 tanks, testing each 2x a week on average).

If you want to get a Phosphate test kit, I highly recommend the Hanna checker.
 
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