10 Things Lou Ekus Wishes EVERY Reefer Understood About Calcium & Alkalinity!

Lou Ekus from Tropic Marin is back in the BRStv studio! This time, Ryan and Lou are discussing the ever important coral additives of calcium and alkalinity, and what they wish reef tank hobbyists understood about them. From the Balling Method to all in one dosing solutions, we've got the information to take your understanding of dosing to the next level!
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00:00 There’s no silver bullet or method.
03:58 The Balling method is the best if you want complete control.
06:58 The Balling method raises salinity in an ionic balanced way.
12:34 The true Balling method does not supplement trace elements.
20:22 Using the Balling method does not mean you don’t have to do water changes.
23:22 If you use Balling because your system uses more alkalinity than calcium, you should be able to diagnose why.
25:41 All For Reef is the most concentrated and convenient method.
28:52 All For Reef is not calcium acetate solution.
30:10 For larger systems trace elements can be added to Carbo-Calcium so you can manage magnesium in a separate dose.
36:12 Once dissolved, All For Reef and Carbo-Calcium will stay in solution.
37:10 The yellowing of the All For Reef label is common.
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[@RobTeeJr]

Great guest. I've enjoyed the conversations with Mr Ekus. I learn something new with each series.

[@Merknilash]

Ryan does an incredible job of explaining some of these concepts

[@mattb2906]

Great series, super informative

[@D.hodge87]

My e170 has been using all for reef since last June and love it. Using it combined with the trident my levels are rock solid and with the extra dos pump I setup a micro-refrigerator that has the 500ml of Red Sea AB+ that can be dosed automatically. This combo has been amazing and the growth in the past year is more than the 2 years prior combined. I just set up my bigger tank a 200g bowfront corner system, I had planned to use a calc reactor but I’m honestly probably going to stick with all for reef at least for the first couple years.

[@gokuthetypeofningen1688]

@BRStv, can you guys tell me about Sea Lab no 28 Tablets, do they even work?

[@tylerjaax4917]

This conversation needed some visuals.

[@user-yb4ud6hn1o]

Off topic but when is the new 52 weeks of reefing beginning?

[@BRStv]

Augest 18

[@Sammy31Dee]

I'll say this....they could definitely beef up the tutorial stuff on the A/K and part C stuff....I've been using 2 part for ages....but been camping on the TM stuff bc it's so confusing ....BRS should be adding this stuff to their powders or do a full video on implementation

[@jasonpricemusic3841]

Wouldn’t correcting the increase in salinity from 2 part dosing with a lower salinity salt mix water change instead of using just fresh water solve this dilution of trace elements.

[@mitch7623]

BRS team!!! Great vid. Can you do a vid or comment on how to control/buffer your PH while using All For Reef!!!!???

[@drewlong77]

Talked to Lou yesterday & he prefers to find a solution to keep the ph at its natural highest state by keeping out co2, but said you could add/drip soda ash and run a little higher alk, or Lower your all4reef dose and drip kalk. Co2 scrubber is probably best for not having to mess with what you dose.

[@louekus]

As @dewlong77 already stated, I prefer to find the pH issue and deal with that, rather than try to adjust my way out of it by "artificially" boosting pH. But that is just my personal opinion.

[@mitch7623]

@@drewlong77 yeah my PH sits around 8-8.1, so its not terrible, but its not 8.3+ I actually have PH booster on hand but ive never used it. Idk if I should just leave it or try a product + AFR

[@82thegonz]

@@mitch7623 I DOSE kalk at slightly less than evap rate, and use 10ml AFR to make up the few points of ALK that the kalk cant keep up with. Magnesium and Ca always test spot on. Then I use a recirculating Co2 scrubber to assist the PH more, keeping it at 8.3+ This is the only way I've found that keep my PH in check

[@Reefnow]

All for reef made me lazy its so easy until your consumpsion goes up

[@ziggo420]

With the BRS balling method hybrid part C should be 2x alk addition correct?

[@drewlong77]

I thought the same thing, heard many times, part C is 2x daily Alk. Is it that maybe this is just for the brs hybrid balling and Here they were talking original balling?

[@randogoatlasagna1343]

No. Part C should be dosed equal to the lesser of the amount of part A or B you are dosing. They state such in this video.

[@randogoatlasagna1343]

What they did not state, is if you need more part C - Mag- then can be got through dosing the lesser amount of A or B, you ned to raise mag by dosing biomag, not more part C.

[@gokuthetypeofningen1688]

Bet I overdosed trace elements when I put a Sea Lab No 28 tablet in my 10g

[@randogoatlasagna1343]

What are the ratios of Trace A to part B and Trace K to part A (Never A to A)? In other words, you always say you can add it in the correct ratio but never say what that correct ration is!!

[@TattooedDancer91]

5% So 50ml of trace A into 950ml of Balling B :) K to Balling A

[@6jdhd]

Ok so I been doing this for a long time. 2 part dosing is just expensive and causes calcium build-up on pumps. The best way to do it is to Dose kalkwasser to your evaporation rate. (Saturated Kalk) and when you get to the point of kalk just not keeping up. Get a calcium reactor and does kalk with it to maintain PH. It is way cheaper the 2 part and much easier. BRS is just trying to sell the product they sell and won't tell you long term they are not good. And please not BRS kalk is not pure and will cause aluminum build up long term. You need alk that is pure like Reef Blueprints Iso8ca. That's 99.9 % pure kalk no fillers. As for trace elements. You should not be dosing this without knowing what tracing need to be replenish. You can be overdosing trace elements to your system. When doing a IPC alot of people are wondering why some trace elements are higher then others. And as for 2 parts being affordable is bull. If your dosing 200ml a day for Establish thank is not cost affective at all. For tanks just starting out kalk is more cost affective not 2 part.

[@brettwatson4970]

I’m glade someone else saw this marketing video. Without icp tests trace element dosing can only lead to problems

[@enzomontini758]

Great products from TM but which crazy guy in the marketing department names the products ffs 🤦‍♂️ it’s soooo confusing

[@josephposada1830]

Uuuuuuuhhhhhhh I will be a billionaire!!! I will own all saltwater everything 😂😂😂