what are some good 2 part dosers?

bill109

Active Member
hey everyone,
i am going to by another set of the 2 part dosers for alk, and ca.
i have tried b-ionic and also reefcode A and B. the A and B were good, but they left a ton of particles that i could not get to dissolve in the bottle at the bottom.
so wheni went to pour it in, i got a bunch of particles which were then dumped into the tank..

i thought shaking the bottle for about 5 minutes would help. but i guess not.
so what are your recommendations?
thanks again
 

btldreef

Moderator
I am not a fan of B-ionic. I've found mixtures to be very inconsistent from one bottle to another and my levels never stayed constant.
I happen to really like Brightwell's Reef Code A and B. You MUST shake the solution before each use and shake well. This goes for many brands.
 

stanlalee

Active Member
Originally Posted by evanjah
http:///forum/post/3256823
two little fishes c- balance
too watered down, your paying for a whole lot of purified water (compare to others) though it will work just as well all the same, you'll just be using, buying and paying for alot more than with other popular 2 parts.
http://home.comcast.net/~jdieck1/chemcalc.html
all the major brands will get the job done. DIY/randy farley-holmes recipes, BRS, TB aquatics ect are based on calcium chloride and baking soda while some of the more formal brands claim to add other minor and major seawater elements. there is no way to verify their competency other than using reputable brands nor are they required as thousands maintain all types of reefs with calcium chloride, baking soda and sometimes a magnesium supplement depending on salt mix used. any brand shown in the calculator link above will be fine as will several others that arent listed. here cost, product concentation and reputation should be considered. For example there is no way to verify how good or bad B-ionic actually is but it doesn't take much of a google search to sumise its one of the most popular and trusted off the shelf two parts and has been for years. same goes for bulk reef supply as far as the bulk mix yourself suppliers. as seen already your always going to have those that love what the next guy doesn't care for.
I use seachem reef complete and reef carbonate. not a 2 part (cant dose in equal parts but the main ingredients are the same just not the concentrations). Not as economical as the bulk suppliers but way cheaper than all the 2 parts as the calcium chloride concentration is 2-4 times higher than those in most 2 parts (you'll go thru 4 bottles of C balance calcium part by the time I'm done with one bottle of reef complete). I find this a happy medium between not being ripped off by 2 part prices (for the sake of dosing in equal parts) and not having to mix bulk supplies myself. doesn't hurt reef complete also takes care of strontium and magnesium (although I still have to add additional magnesium). cost me about $9 and no labor a month to maintain ca and alk presently using these.
 

daftboy

Member
Has anyone here used the Brightwell's Nano A & B parts ? I wanted to use it but have not really seen any info on it.
 

stanlalee

Active Member
Originally Posted by Daftboy
http:///forum/post/3257727
Has anyone here used the Brightwell's Nano A & B parts ? I wanted to use it but have not really seen any info on it.
unless the nano concentration is the same as the regular code a and b there is no reason to use nano. nano's use the same elements in the same ratio's as any other reef. usually with the nano 2 parts all they do is either make the bottles smaller (which is fine if priced accordingly) or lower the concentration (which is grounds for passing on it). since shelf life isn't an issue I dont see the point of nano two parts. If you need one to begin with your need is only going to increase over time.
 
T

thomas712

Guest
Greetings my ole tank mate
Limewater is easy enough and low cost, but since you brought it up what about Calcium reactors? For many that could be a pretty penny for a decent one. Then again if you factor purchase of the two part additves over time it's kinda like renting instead of buying a home.
Would you have any suitable suggestions?
Ca reactor vs. dripping Kalkwasser?
Say hello to the Queen Shark for me
Thomas
 

fender

Active Member
I always used Prestone Driveway Heat and baking soda used according to the holmes-farley recipe. Worked well but now I pretty much stick with kalkwasser. Less troublesome overall... until you can't keep up with demand anymore.
 
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