Help for dosing calculator
This article explains how to maintain or raise calcium, alkalinity and magnesium using cheap and available additives.
The article is based on Reef App - Dosing calculator
How is the amount of additive calculated.
This article explains how to maintain or raise calcium, alkalinity and magnesium using cheap and available additives.
The article is based on Reef App - Dosing calculator
How is the amount of additive calculated.
Be sure to carefully measure the parameter you want to adjust before you add any additives to your aquarium.
You can do so by using one of the many high quality testkits for marine aquaria.
If you don't know what to measure, the following would be a good start:
You can use the calculator to help you determine how much additive is needed to reach the target value.
Choose the parameter you want to raise, choose which additive to use and enter the actual value and the target value for this parameter.
Magnesium should be adjusted first, when you reach the desired magnesium level you can start adjusting the others.
First you have to identify the cause for the high parameter levels.
Common causes for high parameter levels:
Before you start calculating how much to need to maintain parameter levels, you need to make sure all your parameters are close to the optimal level.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
Do not perform water change or add any additive to your aquarium while you are following the steps above.
Most aquaria with stony corals needs a calcium additive to maintain a optimal level of calcium.
The most common additive for calcium is calcium chloride (dihydrat).
It can be used in its solid form or you can dissolve it in water for use with a dosing pump.
Hans-Werner balling: 71.6 g / liter RO water (Recommended for aquaria with low Ca consumption)
Higher consentration balling: 400 g / liter RO water (Recommended for aquaria with high Ca consumption)
Most aquaria with stony corals needs an additive to maintain alkalinity at a optimal level.
The most common additive for alkalinity is sodium bicarbonate.
It can be used in its solid form or you can dissolve it in water for use with a dosing pump.
Sodium carbonate can also be use, but it is more consentrated and it has a greater influence on pH.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
Some manufactors sells "Carbonate mix". These might be a mix of sodium bicarbonate and sodium carbonate, so can't use the predefined additives in the calculator.
There are two common units for measuring alkalinity, dKH and mEq/l.
The calculator has a predefined parameter for both, please make sure you choose the one matching your testkit.
Hans-Werner balling: 84 g / liter RO water
Some aquaria might have a need for regular dosage of magnesium additives, but many will be fine with regular water change.
The most common additive for magnesium is magnesium chloride (hexahydrat).
It can be used in its solid form or you can dissolve it in water for use with a dosing pump.
Some manufactors mix magnesium chloride (hexahydrat) and magnesium sulfate (heptahydrate).
Common consentration: 400 g / liter RO water