Table of Contents
I) Word of the Week
Two part dosing is the process of replenishing calcium carbonate that is used by corals and other inverts in building their skeletons and their shells, by adding separately, and in equal amounts, calcium chloride and sodium carbonate (or sodium bicarbonate).
It was invented to make your life easier by offering two separate solutions that could be dosed in equal amounts, thus adding calcium and alkalinity back into the water to help your corals thrive and grow.
Corals use the calcium from calcium chloride and the carbon from sodium carbonate to make calcium carbonate.
In a lightly stocked tank, a weekly water change will usually suffice in replenishing the calcium chloride and sodium carbonate. But as your collection of corals grow, they will consume more calcium and more alkalinity, probably outpacing the replenishment from the weekly water change, thus the need for two part dosing.
The reality is if you are only doing two part dosing and not doing water change very often, your corals aren’t thriving and growing as much as they could be.
Why is that? Because corals need more than just calcium and alkalinity to grow. They need other things such as magnesium, minor and trace elements.
Here are the items I used to set up my two-part dosing system.
II) Joke of the Week
Two fish are in a tank. One says to the other…
…
…
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“Do you know how to drive this thing?”
III) Mail Time
IV) Dear That Reef Show
This week’s question came from Two-Partless in Tacoma. How do I set up a two-part dosing system, and what products do you recommend?
The picture directly above is the system I set up, so that’s what I’ll be showing you how to do!
The first step is to get your gear: Here’s a list of everything I used.
- Brightwell Aquatics Reef Code A & B
- Hanna Calcium & Alkalinity Checker
- Kamoer X1 Micro Dosing Pump
- Simplicity Dosing Reservoir
- 1/4″ Push Connect Bulkhead
- AquaMaxx Magnetic Probe Holder
Then watch the video below and follow along!
V) Giveaway
*New 2017 Model Features* The CSXC-1 has been upgraded to include a new touch-button LED display. You can now switch from Celsius and Fahrenheit. Accuracy has also be improved to 0.1 degree.
Powerheads, pumps, UV sterilizers and high-intensity lighting all add undesirable heat into the aquarium. The CSXC-1 chiller is perfect for nano tanks, hydroponics setups, and aquariums up to 30 gallons (depending on heat input). The same thermoelectric technology used in this device is used by NASA to generate electricity and maintain equipment temperature in space!
The optional Chill Solutions CSXC-1 Chiller Installation Kit is also available separately.
Chill Solutions CSXC-1 Features:
- Powerful – Recommended for tanks up to 30 gallons
- Smart – Intelligent fan speed control eliminates unnecessary noise
- Thermoelectric Technology – Directly converts electrical power into cooling power
- Quiet – No pumps or mechanical compressors
- Reliable – Only one moving part!
- Easy Install – No drilling necessary
- Fully Proportional Temperature Control – Control circuit uses high-efficiency PWM (pulse width modulation) technology to maintain your set temperature
- Environmentally Friendly – No refrigerants or ozone depleting chemicals
- Quality Construction – Fasteners are 18-8 stainless steel and the unit is made in the USA
- Accepts 1/2″ vinyl tubing
Average Temperature Reduction
- 10 gallons: 10+°F
- 20 gallons: 5-8°F
- 30 gallons: 2-4°F
*The values shown above are just guidelines. Actual values depend on individual tank specifications, insulation, equipment used, environmental conditions, etc.
VI) Tank of the Week
This week’s feature from 305_reefer.
Check out Mario on Youtube at 305 Reefer.
Here are some of the specs of his tank.
- 75 gallon long
- HOB overflow
- Jerry-rigged sump converted from a wet/dry setup
- 2X 175W ViparSpectra LED Lights
- Icecap Gyre 2K
- Jebao wavemaker
- Lifeguard Pro 4,000 return pump
