B-Ionic users opinions please.....

[ryebread]

Hey Everyone,
I just picked up a couple of 32oz bottles of B-Ionic and I thought I would give it a try..........it seems to get some great reviews and I was wondering if anyone has any complaints about it or if you have noticed any differences now that you are using it.
Thanks.

 

[lurch694u]

I just bought the two bottle pack last week and I am starting to see a inprovement in my corraline growth. I ordered a calcium test kit to test the calcium so I don't know if it has raised it any.
Let us know how your progress is coming.

 

[thomas712]

One little not often worried drawback that I have found in the past is the crystals that can form in the alkalinity bottle depending on how it was stored,shipped, possably in winter, then thawed, perhaps. What I am trying to say here is that if you are not getting the results you want it could be because of this precipitation in the bottle and you will need to follow the directions per heating by placing the bottle in a bag and submersing in warm-hot water. I have found these crystals in a bottle of mine once.
Other than that it works very well, I have found times that my system will not take equal doses, calcium starts to slip down despite magnesium being 1200 or more and alk at normal levels and it still windes up taking 20-30 mils more than alk for several days to bump it back up.
Thomas

 

[lizardworks]

Would this product be a good option then to raise calcium slowly, which could then be maintained with kalk once the desired level is reached?

 

[newbe reefer]

Hey Rye, I've been using B-Ionic since I set up the tank 5 months ago. I really feel like it keeps my Cal and Alk stable and my Corroline growth is growing like crazy!!!! I've been very happy with it.

NewBe

 

[lizardworks]

Thanks Kip.

 

[hookedonreefs]

I don't dose my B-ionic daily. Only when my calcium gets low. Is this wrong??? I was worried I would add too much calc. and cause a precipitation. Should I start dosing daily?

 

[newbe reefer]

I have been dosing daily for over 5 months. My Cal and Alk stay stable. You may have an adjustment time to figure out how much to add to your tank, follow the guide lines on the bottle at first, but you will want to test often untill you find the right dosage for you. I marked on the little cups with permanant marker, to make them easier to fill. I dose equall amounts of each.

NewBe

 

[brooklyn johnny]

Hey Rye I have used B-ionic from the start on my tank, along with dripping kalk now. The company, ESV, is located in Brooklyn NY and has a helpline listed on their website with two brothers at the other end that are very helpful. Great product. I like it especially for my nano because I'm able to adjust the doses easily according to my readings with a syringe, which is much more precise than powdered products.
I dose full strength kalk (1/2 gallon a night) and am now up to 8 mls of B-ionic daily as calcification in my tank is nuts (new pics in the nano forum!). Many people have to add MORE of part two, and I've spoken with the brothers about this. Apparently it's a result of your makeup water offering some buffering capacity, essentially starting already with some of part 1 really, thus necessitating more of part 2 (the calcium part). What I do instead is use some Liquid Calcium from Kent (2 mls a day) which is basically part 2 from B-ionic. I do this simply so that I run out of liquid in both B-ionic bottles simultaneously.
Daily dosing is ideal. Dose for a few days or a week and keep track of your readings. My dosage is constantly changing in my nano. Adjust your dosages accordingly.
Good luck Rye...
Johnny

 

[brooklyn johnny]

Actually Rye have you thought about dripping kalk? As stated the only reason I still use B-ionic is because the kalk can't keep up...

 

[brooklyn johnny]

I kind of agree here with tangs... B-ionic is a great product with many benefits, but can get expensive. I use it on my nano because it is a liquid and much easier to be precise on than dealing with a powder and measuring spoons (like Turbo calcium and baking soda).
Now that you have the B-ionic use it, but in the future I would switch to kalk. I have always noticed that there were differences in tanks that dripped kalk or had Nilsen reactors, particularly in the amount of coralline growth. Maybe it's due to it's precipitation of phosphates... who really knows, but there's quite a difference that goes beyond just the calc and alk readings.
B-ionic is good for beginning "supplementers" I guess you could say. You learn quickly the cause and effect between dosing and your readings. More so than just mixing kalk and dripping. It's not as easy, but be cheaper and offer a few added benefits IMO.
Anyway Rye do you have many things using calcium in the tank anyway? What were you using before B-ionic and what were your readings?

 

[oo bubbagump oo]

Originally posted by hookedonreefs
I don't dose my B-ionic daily. Only when my calcium gets low. Is this wrong??? I was worried I would add too much calc. and cause a precipitation. Should I start dosing daily?
If you dosed everyday, the calcium probably wouldn't got low.