dose magnesium independently as a result.” Peck, whose
reef is noteworthy for its deep colors, changes a little less
than 10% of his water weekly, although he does do larger
water changes when he cleans his sandbed or siphons his
barebottom coral frag tank.
In addition to regular water changes, Peck does dose
supplements on a weekly basis. “I dose between 500 and
1,000 ml of ESV B-Ionic 2-Part Calcium Buffer System
solution per week,” he says, pointing out that his pri-
mary motivation is “simple necessity.”
“My calcium reactor and my kalkwasser additions do
not keep up with the alkalinity and calcium usage of my
tank,” he explains. It is also his strongly held belief that
B-Ionic 2-Part solution greatly enhances the growth and
color of SPS corals. “I also dose 75 ml of Kent Marine
Tech-I iodine per week.” Again, Peck says his personal
experience is that several corals have become deeper in
color since he began dosing iodine.
While Peck’s reef is, by all measures, healthy, he expresses lingering concerns. “I am concerned,” he admits,
“that I do not have an accurate means of testing the
iodine levels in my tank.” As a result, he sticks to the
manufacturer’s recommended dosage as he continues to
look for an accurate way to test for iodine.
Peck also agrees that there is a big difference between
large and small tanks when it comes to dosing. “When
I had a 60-gallon SPS-dominated reef, I had no calcium
reactor and never added kalkwasser, but I was able to
maintain calcium and alkalinity with about 100 ml of
B-Ionic 2-Part solution per week. Now my system is 10
times that size, but I use 10 times the B-Ionic, plus 4 gal-
lons of kalkwasser a day and 90 drips per minute from a
calcium reactor.”
For the aquarist who is considering beginning or
changing a dosing a regimen, Peck urges going slowly.
“Assuming you have fully educated yourself on the dos-
ing scheme of your choice,” Peck says, “make sure your
test kits are accurate and not expired, and if ever you find
an unusual reading, then take the time to test at least
twice more, and even test the test itself if possible, before
you make any major additions of chemicals to your reef.”
Peck’s other piece of advice is to keep records.
