Steve Wright's SPS takeover

very interesting Steve..will follow along to see the long term out come..

 

Thanks John
totally agree, there has to be a point where dosing would exceed the tanks capacity to utilise, by continuing to test on a 3 day basis, Im certain I will find that limit before the levels reach levels that may not be healthy

dropped my DKH down to 8 due to carbon dosing and naturally allowed my calcium to drop from 440 to 420 plus at same time ( it was simple to just take doser off line)

Thank you jkat21

Steve

 

Steve how do you accomplish this without having WC's throw things out of whack?

Also, very interesting methodology indeed!! You've been doing this how long now?

If what you say is true, increased growth will obviously yield increased demand.

 

Very interesting Steve! Just to back you up, I have noticed the same exact thing on my tank after I adding a dozing pump a few months ago.
I think the unbound ions theory has very good merit

 

Thanks Nismo
I use Red Sea pro salt, which gives me higher levels from the mix than I currently target in my DT
typically , I get 1470 mag, 480 calcium and 9 DKH
thus a water change at present would give me a slight increase of these ions (targeting 430 Ca, 8dkh and 1440 mag presently)

Thanks Dingo
I have also found that for encouraging Coraline, pick a nominal amount of magnesium, that would not probably show up on a test kit, and dose that a couple of times per week ( I am dosing an amount that according to the math involved would increase my mag level by 5ppm in my full DT
which using a Salifert Mag test kit, you would probably dismiss as user inconsistency if you could even measure the difference between 1440 and 1445)
I believe that dosing the small amount regular, even though your parameters indicate you have no need to, creates exactly the same situation in that, because these additional ions are there, they get utilised

Stev

 

Sounds pretty reasonable Stev... I typically just dump in a non measured inexact amount every week. I get pretty decent coraline growth, but nothing to call home about!
The way I look at it (which could be completely wrong) is that the mag is held in concentration at 3.1 times the amount of Ca present. So if I add extra it will bind out and create a mag based aragonite. Then as the mag ions are taken up the equilibrium shifts and causes the ones bonded into the aragonite to dissociate into the water again. I think that is how Randy sees it... But I'm not positive.

Your way however seems like since it's so minimal, the mag does not bind out of the water and since it's just such a minimal influx it is taken up quicker and easier. You could seriously be onto something big here for getting faster growth out of everything...

Just my two cents tho

 

Im certainly glad I am not on my own, on this theory

do you also notice a intensity in the purple/ pink coloration that coincides with these non required according to test results additions?

I have been actually dosing an amount that would increase 20 gallons by 5ppm - which in my tank would work out at 1.66 ppm overall
hence the Salifert kit would laugh at me, if I expected it to be able to recognise that
Ill continue doing this for a while and see where I get to with it

Steve

 

I feel like I need to bring my old chemistry books to this thread.

 

I wish you would

honest admission from me
I probably understand less than 20% of what Randy Holmes Farley writes
LOL

if any one asks me a chemisty question :"why does this happen etc:"

my 1st instinct is to reply "Its magic"

Steve

 

" it's magic"....LOL!!!

So basically these are minute doses in addition but not separate from your normal Dosing regimen?