Yes! Yet another dosing poll. For those using Randy Holmes-Farley recipes ...

[Tom R]

I am using the Bulk Reef Supply recipe #2.

The new BRS web site is great it has a reef calculator with their products and recipes.

Tom R

[kien]

I use recipe #1 because as you said, Randy said to do so :-) My pH is typically at 8.3 during the day so he recommends recipe #1 for that. (recipe #2 if you have a pH of 8.4 or higher i think? ).

I don't find baking to be a big deal for me. I bake like 3 or 4 boxes of baking soda at a time, and then do like 5 gallons worth. I store it in one of those spring water bottles that you can get at superstore.

[Delphinus]

Maybe I should have linked to the article, so here: http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/rhf/index.php

In short though, if you bake the baking soda first, I consider that "recipe #1". If you DON'T bake, that's "recipe #2." The only difference is the alkalinity additive and the end concentration being different thus needing to dose more of the #2 than #1 to maintain the same levels.

I didn't think it was a big deal to bake the baking soda but I find as time goes on that it's losing it's charm. I end up with a large mess on my hands to clean up afterwards, and the mixing has to be done ever so carefully, otherwise I risk the baked baking soda instantly binding into one large piece of virtually undissolvable shelf rock.

I notice a lot of comments in passing from reefers (well Ok, fishytime and Snappy are the only two I can think of for sure, but I'm sure I've heard others) who don't bother baking and therefore that means recipe #2 for them.. and I'm curious how many others as well.

I guess I'll put this out there ... I find the pH reasoning to be a little sketchy at best. I'm betting that for the most part, most people who chose recipe #2 for reasons other than pH, don't have any reason to regret their reasoning anyhow. Ie., I bet if we drill down deep enough there isn't a significant difference, you just dose a little more to compensate and that's that. Maybe it's more significant if you still dose kalk but even if you don't dose kalk it's still probably fine.

But that's something I'm hoping to find out by the responses here. I see the results do show a significant trend towards recipe #2 so I think I may indeed consider switching from #1 to #2 and seeing how I like it...


Thanks all, please continue responding with your thoughts and comments and votes

[christyf5]

My tank has never run at the appropriate SW pH of 8.3, its always been about 7.8-7.9 or so. When I first started dosing I couldn't believe the magic number had appeared, whee 8.3! However, my tank wasn't more fantastic than it had been previously. Colors were still there although growth did increase. However, not baking the baking soda didn't slow down the growth when the pH dropped to 7.8-7.9.

I didn't really find baking the soda to be a pain in the arse, it was more the precipitate issue and the fact that its so friggin humid here, I swear the stuff sucks up moisture the instant it comes out of the oven. Then again, it was keeping my pH up so it must have been doing its job, sorta kinda.

[kien]

So are people doing a recipe 1b?

1. Bake and mix 594 grams for 1 gallon
1b. Just mix 594 grams for 1 gallon
2. Just mix 297 grams for 1 gallon

[Delphinus]

Oh thanks a lot Kien. Do I go back and add that as option now ??? Start a new poll because now the results are wrong??? AAAAAIIIIEEEEEEEEEE!!!

(Seriously, if anyone's doing "1b" as per Kien's explanation, please just post that that's what you're doing..)

[christyf5]

I have no idea what I do. I think it might be 1b. I don't use the little box and I don't use the big box. I use one of the 8 pack I get from costco