Each time you finish adding a gallon of both parts of Recipe #1, add 610 mL (2 ½ cups) of this stock solution. This solution is added much less frequently than the other two parts. It is fine and appropriate to dose the precipitate along with the remainder of the fluid by shaking it up before dosing. That precipitate is calcium sulfate (calcium as an impurity in the magnesium chloride and sulfate from the Epsom salts). There will likely be a precipitate that forms even if you fully dissolve both ingredients separately. Pick one and follow the same dosing directions regardless of which version you select.ĭissolve Epsom salts (3 cups) and magnesium chloride hexahydrate sold by the Dead Sea Works company (5 cups) in enough purified freshwater to make 1 gallon total volume. The magnesium portion gives us two options, with Part 3A being preferred from an aquarium chemistry standpoint. I have no idea why the rise in calcium for Jan 6 through Jan 20 but after that it started steadily dropping.Īn Improved Do-it-Yourself Two-Part Calcium and Alkalinity Supplement System by Randy Holmes-Farley. This is my spread sheet for keeping track of my test results and I have four months worth of data that I can post if that will help.
Should I start dosing magnesium? What is the best product to use for this? I assume this change in alk and calcium has something to do with the drop in magnesium. 5 times a day for alk and 6 times a day for calcium. I have checked the doser and it is calibrated and doses at the right times.
I Dosed it back up to 9 and now I upped the dosing to 70 ml and upped the dosing for calcium from 30 ml daily to 42 ml daily. I increased the dosing from to 40 ml daily to 50 ml daily last week and again today it tested at 7.8. Now over the last weeks this has changed.
My magnesium has always tested high at 1520 or 1480 since I started the tank. For months this kept them stableĪt 9 Alk and 450 calcium. I have an auto doser that doses BRS soda ash and BRS calcium chloride.