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How to Switch 2-Part Brands in 3 Easy Steps
Last updated on November 17th, 2023
Changing 2-Part Dosing Brands
When dosing 2 part, there are a number of things to consider. Availability, cost, number of chemicals, strength and a variety of other factors can play a role in this decision. After using a product for a while, it is possible you have to switch to a new brand. Common causes are not realizing you ran out and using what is available at the local fish store, changing to something cheaper, or even a product being discontinued. Whatever your reason for switching 2 part may be, this article will show you how to use Reef Stable to do so almost seamlessly.
Step 1. Determine Daily Alkalinity Usage
Using the Reef Stable Reef Calculator, select the dosing calculator and for the parameter, select "Alkalinity" as that is the most important dosing parameter for corals. Next, enter the volume of water in your tank. Don't worry if this isn't exact, but try to estimate as close as you can.
At this point, select the product you currently dose in your aquarium and leave "Current Alkalinity Level" at 0. If you know the daily alkalinity consumption of your reef aquarium, enter it in the "Desired Alkalinity Level" box, if not (because who really remembers this?!?!) it's not hard to find out. Simply change the "Desired Alkalinity Level" value until the "Amount to Dose" equals the amount you are currently dosing each day. The number in the "Desired Alkalinity Level" is your current daily consumption.
Step 2. Determine Equivalent Dose of the 2-Part Product
This is the easiest part. Now all you need to do is change the product to the new product. The value under "Amount to Dose" is the amount of the new product to dose daily to match your previous product. At this point, you should dose equal parts of Alkalinity anf Calcium supplements. If you wish to check what an equivalent amount of calcium or magnesium would be, just follow the same steps.
Step 3. Test and Adjust
Due to some minor differences in the chemical's actual values, as well as changes in your aquarium's needs after switching 2 part brands, this value may not be exact, though it should be fairly close. To adjust for this, you can track your alkalinity and calcium usage over time and adjust how much more of each chemical you need.
Using Reef Stable Tracking and Analysis to Determine Usage
Using the Reef Stable Parameter Log you are able to track and determine the usage of each parameter as they increase. This way you can stay on top of the extra demand of your reef aquarium as your corals continue to grow.
Finally, Premium Members are able to look at the "Analysis" tab in order to avoid doing the math themselves. This can help prevent errors or even if math is just not your thing.
Recommended 2-Part Products
In no particular order, here is a list of available dosing products you can consider for your reef aquarium.
- Seachem Reef Fusion Two Part System
- E.S.V. B-Ionic 2-Part Calcium Buffer
- ATI Essentials Pro Two-Part Supplement Concentrate
- Two Little Fishies C-Balance
- Kent Marine Tech-CB Package
- Bulk Reef Supply - 2-PART PHARMA CALCIUM & ALKALINITY TOTAL PACKAGE
Conclusion
If this article was helpful to you, please share it and help someone else that is looking to switch 2-part products!
About the Author
John Krenzer
John is a Software Engineer with a passion for saltwater aquariums, as well as the founder and president of Reef Stable. He started in the aquarium hobby as a child with a 20 gallon freshwater aquarium. His interest in aquarium life grew and in 2008, John set up his first saltwater aquarium.
Today, John maintains an over 300 gallon reef tank system, consisting of a 120g reef and a 210g reef. These large tanks are contained within the same system, sharing a sump as a means to reduce total maintenance and increase total water volume.
John writes articles for the blog as a means to learn about more reef aquarium topics. These articles act as a reference for the readers as well as himself. John updates these articles frequently to provide additional information or make corrections as new information becomes available.
If you would like to request an article, tank tour article, or to collaborate, let me know via the Contact Me Page!
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