B-Ionic dosing

[bellows]

Just wondering if you buy the concentrate or system and do you do daily doses? Is there a point where it will need only every other day dosing?

[MalHavoc]

I buy the concentrate, and dilute it by half like the instructions say.

You may very well have to dose it every day. It depends on what's in your tank, and what your rate of calcium/alkalinity consumption is. For tanks with a lot of stony corals, you might find yourself adding a mL per gallon of each component every day. For softie tanks, it will probably be much less.

[bellows]

I currently only have a leather, few mushrooms and polyps. The instructions say daily dose (it hasn't arrived yet) should I dose then watch the water parameters before dosing again or do as the instructions say?

[lilbuddy]

IMO best results with bionic is dosing everyday. I got the best coraline growth and coral growth with dosing everyday.

[MalHavoc]

Dose each day until you get levels that are where you want them (400 ppm Ca, ~12 dKH alkalinity) and then just do maintenance work to maintain it. At that point, you might only have to dose once or twice a week. Best way to find out how much to dose is to not add anything for a day or two and measure each day to see how much it drops. Then you'll know how much to add to maintain it.

[bellows]

Thanks for the answers

[YellowDesmo998]

Is there a links that describes what additives are required for a condition? Such as what to add to raise calcium (or when you need to raise calcium) or what to add to raise alk or PH and so on. I’ve just completed my cycle and want to start adding corals, anemones and fish (slowly of cores). I’m unclear as to what additives are for what.

[MalHavoc]

If you're doing regular water changes, calcium and carbonate are all you need to supplement on a regular basis outside of that.

I believe in supplementing to maintain natural sea water parameters, irrespective of what I have in the tank. For me, Kalkwasser and ESV B-Ionic work well. My new tank is going to be much larger, and ESV won't be cost effective. At that point, it'll be time for a reactor.

[YellowDesmo998]

So B-Ionic Calcium Buffer System and Kalkwassar are all I would need to add on a regular basis? Will any brand Kalkwassar work or is ESV recommended? I have heard of using Pickling Lime, is this replacement for Kalkwassar or is it one and the same?

TIA

[MalHavoc]

Kalkwasser is a german word for "lime water". It's just a saturated solution of calcium hydroxide. Pickling lime is pretty much the same thing, and cheaper if you can get it. I use ESV's Kalkwasser and I've not had any problems.

If you start using it, be careful with it. It's got a pH of 12.5 when mixed up, so it has to be added to the tank drop by drop, and the pH needs to be monitored carefully.

[YellowDesmo998]

Thanks for all the information!!