Question about dosing CA and Alk

[maveri9720]

I need to dose some calcium in my system. Yest I checked my CA and it was 310 and my DKH was 8. The DKH is fine, but when I dose some CA, it will drop the DKH, so I will need to dose alittle of that to bring it back up.

I plan on using Kent Marine Liquid CA and just using baked baking soda for the DKH.

Can I just mix up what I need for the entire tank and pour it into my 18g auto top-off container? I use about 2g's a day and refill the container once a week. So I'm thinking this would kinda be like dosing, b/c the ATO only adds a couple cups every few hours or so.

Also, can I add both CA and Alk to the ATO container at the same time, or do I have to wait a day in between, or just a few hours or what?

Does this sound feasible?

I will be getting a CA reactor once my tax refund comes back, so I won't be doing this long.

Thanks.

 

[george]

I think that will result in a chemical reaction. Most 2-part dosing systems are calcium in one part and alk in the other. You need to dose them separately and I would think at least 30 min apart.

It does produce a nice cloudy mixture though.

 

[xyzpdq0121]

Yes you can not mix Alk and Calc at the same time in a solution... You want to see it "snow" in atlanta, do that!! You can add the baking soda to the top off and then do the Calc at night.. (Better to dose with Calc about lights off time anyways!) Now about using baking soda to raise Alk.. Baking soda does not have much "buffering" power.. It raises PH great but does not hold it there long. I would utilize a "buffer" made to stabilize Alk instead of just raise it...

 

[darren24]

You need to check your Magnesium. I could not get my calcium in line because of low Magnesium. If your mag is too low you will be fighting an uphill battle.

 

[cameron]

Darren24 wrote: You need to check your Magnesium. I could not get my calcium in line because of low Magnesium. If your mag is too low you will be fighting an uphill battle.

And this is why two part setups are really three part setups.

Just a note, most people who dose in two part using dosing pumps end up having them go off at the same time so they just dose each part in a different section of the sump.