What I have learned from using my trident.

[amado]

So in my last tank I only tested ALk once a week. I dose equal amount of two part.
Alk and calcium in equal amounts.

This is what I was told to do. What ever you dose in alk dose the same in calcium.

Now with my trident testing 4 x a day
I get to see my numbers for alk cal and mag

I have noticed that I only really dose alk.
My tank doesn’t really consume a lot of calcium.

I don’t need to dose magnesium at all.

Instead of 1:1 alk and cal it’s more
4:1

 

[Raptor777]

I dose 2 part as well and my tank consumes more alk than calcium and I never have to dose magnesium.

 

[amado]

I have seen a lot of people recommend dosing equal amounts. But now that we can see the numbers in real time we noticed that it should be only dose as needed

 

[Foxchase]

Everywhere that I've read has said that people dose more alk than calc. I would imagine it's more applicable to dose both equally if you has something like a sps heavy tank. Even then I'm not sure. It's interesting though

 

[diana a]

I never dose Mg. I dose BRS 2 part also. My tank consumes more Kh (65 mls) than Ca (50 mls). I test every 3 days

 

[Mrx7899x]

Before I went to a calcium reactor I dosed equal parts of 2 part. Before I switch I was dosing 187 mls of ESV and it kept my levels where they needed to be. It depends on you tanks demand.

 

[amado]

Before I went to a calcium reactor I dosed equal parts of 2 part. Before I switch I was dosing 187 mls of ESV and it kept my levels where they needed to be. It depends on you tanks demand.

Wow 187 ml is a lot. What size tank are dosing. That’s very high demand.
If I was dosing 187 I think I would also go to a calcium reactor.
Right now I am dosing about 35-40 mill a day of esv alk. My tank is new and mostly frags. Calcium is set to 10 mill

 

[DEL]

I used to just squeeze a bottle of mag every once in a while, just for the hell of it. never really had negative effects. i was dosing alk and cal automatically with my doser same time every day 5 minutes apart. sps grew like crazy!

 

[amado]

I used to just squeeze a bottle of mag every once in a while, just for the hell of it. never really had negative effects. i was dosing alk and cal automatically with my doser same time every day 5 minutes apart. sps grew like crazy!

Did you dose the same amount of alk and cal ?

How often did you test ?

 

[DEL]

Did you dose the same amount of alk and cal ?

How often did you test ?

yeap. for example, if I was dosing 10mls a day, I would dose 1ml every hour for alk, then 1hr and 5mins for cal. honestly? I didn't test. I was once taught by Mr Feng from Red sand, that if things are growing and showing good colors no need to test. don't chase numbers. I'm sure we look at our tanks daily, so you can notice right away when something looks off.

 

[iTzJu]

yeap. for example, if I was dosing 10mls a day, I would dose 1ml every hour for alk, then 1hr and 5mins for cal. honestly? I didn't test. I was once taught by Mr Feng from Red sand, that if things are growing and showing good colors no need to test. don't chase numbers. I'm sure we look at our tanks daily, so you can notice right away when something looks off.

I would like to add that Feng is a mad man lol but he had/has some of the best tanks I've ever seen.

 

[brokereefer]

Speaking of Feng from Red Sand, what happened to him? I used to go to that store and he was always very friendly, even giving me free water. Then I didn't have a tank for awhile until the last couple years. When I came back, I noticed that he was gone (maybe for awhile already). I always wondered what happened to him and the store.

 

[Goodair]

Ended up getting soda ash to suppliment the kalk, calcium is always high, but my alk definitely drops faster, not sure what is consuming it.

 

[Foxchase]

I personally just started dosing and I only need alk. I'm using Dr. Randy's recipe of baked baking soda. In some of his forums, he goes in depth about how alk gets consumed more than calc and how mag comes into play. Super interesting

 

[Mrx7899x]

Wow 187 ml is a lot. What size tank are dosing. That’s very high demand.
If I was dosing 187 I think I would also go to a calcium reactor.
Right now I am dosing about 35-40 mill a day of esv alk. My tank is new and mostly frags. Calcium is set to 10 mill

It's a 225 gallon mix reef but mostly sps. I have some large colonies.

 

[DEL]

Speaking of Feng from Red Sand, what happened to him? I used to go to that store and he was always very friendly, even giving me free water. Then I didn't have a tank for awhile until the last couple years. When I came back, I noticed that he was gone (maybe for awhile already). I always wondered what happened to him and the store.

he is still around. we had an njrc meeting at his store about a year ago. just call him and he will pop up like a genie hahahaha

 

[eholceker]

The calcium measurement on the trident is stupidly inaccurate.

 

[DangerDave]

It’s manageable. I find that I’m using more alk when gfo or phosguard (which is always these days). I don’t know why this happens.

Plus salt water I’m using for daily changes (10 gallons a day of RSCP) which is high in alk calc and mag. Add that to the gallon a day of Kalk. To make up for it i dialed the calcium reactor back a bit and I dose a little alk (it varies, but about 75-100ml a day, but trident manages it) to keep it even.

 

[amado]

It’s manageable. I find that I’m using more alk when gfo or phosguard (which is always these days). I don’t know why this happens.

Plus salt water I’m using for daily changes (10 gallons a day of RSCP) which is high in alk calc and mag. Add that to the gallon a day of Kalk. To make up for it i dialed the calcium reactor back a bit and I dose a little alk (it varies, but about 75-100ml a day, but trident manages it) to keep it even.

I the calcium reactor in your system carries the weight and you are just supplementing with the alk dosing. I am monitoring my ph
In the summer it was at 8.4 now that it’s getting cold and the basement windows are closed I am around 8 ph so if it drops anymore I will also start dosing kalk to help the 2part

 

[DangerDave]

Yes that is exactly what I’m doing. The kalk is for ph and the alk is for the imbalance.