B-Ionic C-Balance . Should I dose equally? Do they need additional Magnesium?

[Sirirot]

For 2 parts additives, such as B-Ionic, C-Balance, should I dose equally no matter how much Alk or Calcium i can measure?

I've read from some website that livestock will use Alk and Calcium only in balance. No matter how much you measure Alk or Cal, you have to keep adding them both equally and the water will adjust itself until it is balance. If you keep adding them separate dose, one could precipitate over time and coral can still only use at the balance.
Is this true?


Do I still need additional Magnesium additive if I use B-Ionic or C-Balance? Someone said Magnesium is included in those B-Ionic or C-Balance already. Once settle, there is no need to add. Is this true?

 

[DaveK]

You should douse only what you need to bring the reading up to the level you want. So test the alkalinity and calcium and then adjust your dosing.

Magnesium is critical to maintaining the balance between calcium and magnesium. However, once it's set you usually don't need to do much with it. Magnesium gets depleted at a much slower rate compared to the other. Test your magnesium and adjust it as needed.

Note, some brands of salt have very low magnesium readings when mixed. You may need to adjust any new SW used durring water changes.

 

[Sirirot]

This is the article that I was talking about.

https://joejaworski.wordpress.com/2014/05/19/the-right-way-to-use-2-part-additives/

 

[DaveK]

I can't really call the article you refer to as wrong, but I consider it incomplete.

Yes, in theory livestock should consume calcium and alkalinity at the same rate, however in a tank this may not be the case, especially when you first start dosing.

So IMHO, it's ok to douse different amounts provided you test both parameters, and readjust the dose of both as they come in to balance.

I can not over emphasize how critical it is to make sure the magnesium is correct before you even start.

Here is a couple of more in depth articles on the subject (offsite) -
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-04/rhf/feature/index.php
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2002/11/chemistry

Pay special attention to the second article, if you need to adjust the calcium and alkalinity levels. You may use different additives initially to get things in balance.