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- Today on BRStv Investigates,
are you paying 20 times more than necessary
for your favorite reefing additive?
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Hi guys, I'm Randy with BRStv,
where we take popular reefing theories,
products, and gear and put them to the test
to not just uncover the facts,
but oftentimes evolve the way we approach our reef tanks.
This week, there's plenty of
one-to-four part calcium and alkalinity additives out there,
but so little information on how much they really cost
and if more expensive options really add more value,
or bring more to the table
for the additional hit on our wallets.
To drive this point home,
I'll give you a little sneak-preview.
The annual cost of one-to-four part
dosing additives we'll see in today's video
range from as much as 807 bucks a year,
down to as low as 43 bucks.
So today, let's try to add some clarity
and find the answer to
do different calcium and alkalinity additives
cost the same on a monthly basis?
We obviously know they don't,
but by how much do they differ?
And what do you get for the costs?
So whether you're thinking of adding
your first corals to your tank
or already have corals
and are weighing different options
for sustaining their growth with calcium and alkalinity,
it would be nice to know how significant
any additional cost will be
to allow you to provide proper care
needed to keep them thriving
and create the reef tank of your dreams.
Out of all the options for supplementing
calcium and alkalinity to the tank,
one-to-four part dosing is the most common
and because of this,
we thought it would be interesting
to find out the cost differences
between our eight most popular additive supplements
compared against a standard consumption rate
of one dKh alkalinity
and seven parts per million calcium per day
in 100 gallon tank.
To test this one,
we'll compare our eight most popular additives
with our own BRS Pharma 2-Part,
ESV B-Ionic calcium buffer system,
Triton method core7,
Red Sea Reef Foundation A and B both liquid and powder,
Aquaforest component 1+ 2+ 3+ bundle,
Two Little Fishies C-balance,
Brightwell's Reef Code A and B powder and liquid.
And finally four different options
from Tropic Marin with their own original balling method
Carbocalcium, liquid and powder
and the liquid All-For-Reef.
We'll provide an equal baseline
to compare all of these supplements
both dry and liquid.
And the easiest way to do that
is by determining how many milliliters or grams
it takes for each additive
to maintain a balanced tank consumption rate
of one dKh alkalinity to seven parts per million calcium.
We selected one dKh and seven parts per million
because it's a fairly common consumption range
for a reef tank.
For reference DBL started a reef to reef poll
with over 350 total responses
and around 60% of the votes
reported that their tanks consume zero to one dKh per day.
To determine the cost
we'll use the largest common size
that reefers buy additives in.
For instance the seven pound sizes of BRS 2-Part
or the one liter size of Triton core7.
Although there are other sizes available
these makeup a vast majority of purchased sizes
in general and using our 100 gallon reference,
they also represent the size options
that most would choose for supplementing this type of tank.
Most of the calculations will be done
with some popular reefing calculators out there like Jdiecks
or those found directly on the manufacturers sites.
With the additive options that have
a balanced dosing approach for two or more parts,
the calculation will be based on the one dKh of consumption.
However, for those additives that are not based
on proportionate dosing,
we'll combine the cost of maintaining
one dKh and seven parts per million calcium.
The final cost per month will be determined
using the amount of milliliters or grams it takes
for each additive to maintain
our target daily consumption rate
divided by the current cost for that additive size,
then multiplied by a 30 day month.
Alright, so let's take a look at the data as we scale up
to our most popular calcium and alkalinity additive choice,
starting with Brightwell's Reef Code A and B
in the 2,000 milliliter pre-mixed liquid bottle
and the four kilogram dry powder.
Both the Reef Code A and B are unique
in that unlike other options we'll see today,
the Code A component
not only includes calcium and strontium,
but Brightwell has also added magnesium into the formula,
making it a true two-part solution
capable of providing all three
major alkalinity, calcium and magnesium elements
in just two solutions,
meaning you'd only need two dosing pumps
for a complete dosing approach.
Using our calculations for size, consumption rate and cost,
the pre mix Reef code A and B solutions
have a total monthly cost of $27.11 cents,
Whereas if you were to mix your own solution
using the Reef Code A and B dry powder,
for a similar consumption rate,
the cost falls significantly to 8.25 per month.
So as we'll continue to see throughout today's comparison,
there's definitely a cost savings here
of mixing your own stock solutions
versus buying them pre mixed.
In this particular case, almost a $19 savings.
We've got Two Little Fishies C-balance A and B
in the two gallon option up next.
Which is a pretty straightforward balanced
two part dosing system
with added strontium in part A.
Similar to a handful of other pre mixed liquid additives,
the larger portions for C-balance
are sort of a hybrid between dry and liquid
and that they ship in a concentrated form
and needs to be topped off with RODI water before use.
The purpose for this is likely due to the associated costs
with shipping heavier liquid containers.
So rather than pass that additional cost
onto the end consumer,
it's easier to go the concentrated route.
With that said not including
the very low fraction of RODI water costs,
the use of C-balance on 100 gallon tank
with one dKh and seven parts per million
alkalinity and calcium demand,
Using Two Little Fishies C-balance,
ends up being around $26.88 cents per month.
Up Next are the four different
calcium and alkalinity options from Tropic Marin
the 1,000mL All-For-Reef liquid bottle,
1,000mL Carbocalcium liquid bottle,
the 1,400 gram Carbocalcium dry powder
and the complete Original Balling Set.
Starting first with the Carbocalcium in All-For-Reef
which are both one of the only single additive solutions
currently available that address both calcium and alkalinity
in concentrations that are relatively equal
in comparison to most common two part dosing additives.
Meaning that they're capable
of supplementing consumption demands
much like two part dosing
yet do so using a calcium formate formulation
that provides both calcium and alkalinity
with just one solo additive.
For those of you wondering how Carbocalcium
and All-For-Reef compares to kalkwasser,
which is also a single additive
that can buffer calcium and alkalinity on its own
chemical processes for how each provide
calcium and alkalinity aside,
one of the largest differences between them
is the concentration or potency
in that there's just as much calcium
in 5,000 milliliters of kalkwasser
as there is in just 107 milliliters of Calcium Formate.
Okay, so with that out of the way,
let's look at the monthly cost
for using carbocalcium liquid on our 100 gallon example tank
using the cost of a single thousand mL bottle,
We see that it winds up costing $61.37 cents,
whereas the All-For-Reef which includes the Calcium Formate
for calcium and alkalinity
with the addition of magnesium minor and trace elements
in a single bottle comes in slightly higher at $67.27 cents.
So for most of us looking at these numbers,
there's probably some sticker shock
when looking at the costs,
and I definitely would agree.
I'd also say that although the value
of a single highly concentrated additive
that is also capable of
supplementing minor and trace elements is very appealing,
the pre mixed All-For-Reef or Carbocalcium
wouldn't be my first choice for a system
as large as our 100 gallon example we're using today.
In fact for me All-For-Reef is a perfect option for tanks
like Ryan Softer ULM or even Zacks SPS dominant tank
where there's less demand or smaller water volume
that really starts to drive down this monthly cost.
The next additive for Tropic Marin is the
1,400 gram Carbocalcium dry powder
which is the same formula and concentration
as the liquid pre mixed Carbocalcium when mixed up,
however one 1,400 gram container of dry Carbocalcium
ends up yielding 10 liters or 10 times more solution
than a 1,000mL pre mixed bottle.
That difference really reveals itself
when we look at the cost for dry powder carboncalcium,
which in our example tank and consumption rate
works out to only be $6.32 cents
for a monthly cost for a savings of over 55 bucks.
The last additive from Tropic Marin
that we're looking at today
is the Original Balling Set,
which is a balanced additive approach
to create ionically balanced salt water
to naturally replicate natural seawater
and one of the only options
that use pharmaceutical grade raw materials.
Because it's balanced,
all three components are dosed equally
making it super easy to understand and use
and at a monthly cost of 9.15 On our example tank,
is one of the lowest cost options we see so far,
that has a solution for major, minor and trace elements.
Actually, as we'll see in a little bit,
the part C component of the Original Balling Set
can also be used with other two part options
and on its own part C works out to only be $1.25 per month
based on a balanced dosing method.
Aquaforce component 1+ 2+ 3+ are next.
These three components are also
a three part balanced dosing option
that contains minor and trace elements
mixed in to each component
and are one of the few we calculated today
in that 5,000mL range,
that are ready to dose straight from the container itself.
The Aquaforest bundle is pretty attractive
for those who appreciate the simplicity
of swapping used containers for new ones
with little to no effort
and when used on a 100 gallon tank
with our one-to-seven consumption rate
ends up coming in at just $30.61 cents per month.
Red Sea additives are next
which include the Red Sea Reef Foundation A and B
in the 5,000mL liquid bottles
or one kilogram dry powder.
Both of these additives
provide calcium and alkalinity to the tank.
However, there is also the addition of strontium
to the foundation A calcium component.
Red Sea Reef Foundation A and B
can be used on their own
for supplementing calcium and alkalinity.
However, Red Sea has designed a full method
or multiple recipes
targeted at keeping specific tank types
that include the Foundation C for magnesium,
as well as additional components
like the Red Sea Trace Colors,
Algae Management additives,
as well as Coral Nutrition Supplements.
For today's comparison,
we're looking at the foundation A and B separately
and for the pre mixed 5,000mL bottles
that are ready to dose from the container,
putting them at 24.94 for a month's use.
Along with that
and as we've seen with additives
that have both liquid and dry options,
the Reef Foundation A and B in the powder form
does end up working out to be less
than if it were purchased pre mixed.
In this case,
if you don't mind mixing your own stock solutions,
you'll end up saving around $12.14 cents
as one kilogram Reef Foundation A and B powder,
comes in at a monthly cost of $12.80 cents.
Since it's pretty common to use
the Red Sea Trace Colors with the Reef Foundation
as well as other two part additives.
We also decided to calculate its cost
based on calcium consumption.
So if you were to add the entire
four-part Red Sea Trace Colors
to the Red Sea Reef Foundation A and B,
you'd actually only be adding an additional $4.70 cents,
making the total monthly cost for the pre mixed bottles
$29.64 or just $17.50 per month
with the one kilogram powder jars.
Up Next are the 1,000mL bottles of Triton Method Core7,
which is the only four part dosing approach
we'll look at today
and what I would consider to be
one of the most comprehensive dosing methods overall.
The Triton Method not only addresses
major, minor and trace elements
in balanced dosing proportions,
but as an entire holistic reef keeping method
backed by lab grade ICP testing
and individual minor trace element adjustments
to maintaining water parameters
as close to natural seawater as possible.
This is one that we've been using
on the BRS160 for well over a year now
with some pretty solid results,
and using our example 100 gallon system
with one dKh and seven parts per million consumption rate,
the seven times concentrated Core7
works out to be $30.61 cents,
which is surprisingly low for the smaller 1,000 mL volume,
but likely due to the much higher concentration
than any additive we've seen here today.
Triton just released a 4,000 milliliters set
of all four core7 components,
which ends up being the more economical choice
over the smaller 1,000mL size,
changing that overall monthly cost to just $21.40 cents.
Our second most popular two part additive
is the ESV B-Ionic calcium buffer system
in the eight gallon package.
This is easily one of the oldest two part dosing systems
with a large number of reefers using it over the years
as it shows being one of our most popular.
Much like a couple of additives we've already seen,
the ESV is sort of a hybrid dry and liquid solution
where the larger options ship in concentrated containers
that need to be topped off with RODI water before use
and given the slurry light consistency
of some of the components,
I'd probably consider this one more in the line
with a powder additive rather than a ready to dose liquid.
That said, unlike a dry powder additive,
ESV B-Ionic, isn't just
a calcium and alkalinity component on their own,
but actually includes minor and trace elements
mixed in ionic balances similar to natural seawater
and on our example tank consumption
for alkalinity and calcium
ends up costing $8.61 cents
for a month's worth of use.
Okay, last but not least in today's comparison
is our most popular one-to-four part additive
the BRS Pharma 2-Part in the seven pound resealable bag.
Sourcing quality two part additives
really is where BRS started from
and since then, we've consistently sought ways
to provide more and higher quality material for less
which has evolved into
the Pharma grade 2-Part we have today.
We also even went the additional length
of having certified ICP MS and quality testing done
on not just BRS Pharmachems,
but also other popular bulk aquarium additives
and off the shelf tech great options
where in the end we publish the results
to the reefing community to see for themselves.
So with that here we are again
to see how the BRS Pharma 2-Part additives
compared to other reefing additives out there
from the same calcium and alkalinity
consumption standard we've used so far.
The BRS Pharma 2-part ended up coming in
at the lowest monthly cost overall at just 3.65 per month,
which is a $63 savings from the most expensive option
and a little over 2.50 in savings
from the second lowest cost.
Often reefers look to supplement trace elements
with the BRS Pharma 2-part,
so with the cost of Red Sea Trace Colors
or Tropic Marin Part C already calculated,
if you were to use them
along with our calcium and alkalinity 2-part dosing,
you'd end up adding an additional
4.70 per month for the Red Sea
or 1.25 for Tropic Marin Part C,
leaving you with a total monthly cost
of a 8.35 or 4.90 respectively.
So using our tank with an example
consumption rate of one dKh of alkalinity
and seven parts per million calcium per day
on a 100 gallon tank,
do different two part additives
cost the same to use on a monthly basis?
Okay, so we sort of knew the answer to this one already,
but I'll rate today's question
as a two on the reef fantasy scale,
since we can clearly see significant differences
between each of them,
particularly as it applies to pre mixed additives
compared to those that are dry
with the added step
of mixing them into solutions on your own.
Let's take a look at what this means for you and your tank.
First in comparison of the pre mixed liquid solutions,
where we see seven options
that have an average monthly cost of around 38.35,
with the lowest cost option
being the Red Sea Reef Foundation A and B at 24.94
and the highest cost option
of the Tropic Marin All-For-Reef at 67.27.
That does work out to be a pretty large difference
between the high and the low end.
However, I'm not too surprised
at the additional cost for All-For-Reef
as it does have the added value of being very convenient
and that you get a single solution
that can supplement not just calcium and alkalinity,
but also magnesium, minor trace elements
like iodine, bromine, fluorine, selenium,
molybdenum, and vanadium.
As I mentioned earlier,
if I were looking for a complete dosing additive
where I only needed to be concerned about
one dosing additive to my tank,
specifically on tanks with lower demands
or with smaller water volumes
where the monthly costs would likely be much lower,
the All-For-Reef would be an ideal choice.
As for the dry additives we compared today
there were six options
which had an average monthly cost of $8 and 13 cents.
BRS Pharma 2-part was the lowest cost of the bunch at 3.65.
While at only $9.15 cents more
was the Red Sea Reef Foundation A and B at 12.80
The real standout to me in the dry additive comparison
was the second lowest cost additive overall,
the 1,400 gram Carbocalcium dry powder
at only $6 and 32 cents per month.
Meaning that for less than three bucks more per month,
I can maintain the same 100 gallon tank
at one dKh daily consumption
from a single solution using one dosing pump.
After talking with Lou over at Tropic Marin,
I also found out that
because of the concentration of Carbocalcium
when mixed per their instructions,
you can actually add Tropic Marin Pro Coral K+ and A-
together into the mixed Carbocalcium solution
without them precipitating.
This is as long as you mix it in
an eight-to-one-to-one ratio,
meaning that for eight liters of Carbocalcium solution,
you can add one liter bottle of each K+ and A-
to end up with a complete single solution
where you would only need to supplement magnesium as needed.
Each one liter bottle of pro coral trace elements solution
comes in at an additional $31.42 cents.
So the added cost would likely be a factor here.
But for those reefers looking
for 10 liters of one single additive to dose to the tank,
this would definitely be one I'd consider.
So I'm gonna go ahead and say that
it's mostly agreed that major elements
like calcium and alkalinity
are the most important ones to really focus on
and maintain correctly,
as they have the largest impact on coral calcification
and are most consumed inside the tank.
This is why our primary focus in today's episode
was specifically targeted at the cost
of maintaining these major foundational elements
over the importance of maintaining
other minor and trace elements,
which is still a topic up for debate
on just how important they are to coral health,
growth and metabolic function.
I think we can all agree that these minor and trace elements
outside of calcium and alkalinity
do play a vital role in corals life,
but to what degree?
And more specifically,
which elements in particular perform which function?
Are likely still up for some discussion and further testing.
However, as we've seen today,
several additive brands recognize their importance
and either include some or most
of the minor and trace elements
mixed into the calcium and alkalinity solutions themselves,
or have a separate program for addressing them on their own.
Either way, putting some deliberate thought
into minor and trace elements
is likely best practice overall.
Even if it's as simple as a healthy water change schedule
or as comprehensive as purposely dosing
something like a four part approach
like the Red Sea Trace Colors.
Ryan discusses how these various approaches are done
and ways you could explore
complimenting your two part dosing
with minor and trace elements in your own tank,
in his episode from the BRS WWC hybrid series
on major, minor and trace elements.
So take a look for yourself with the link over there
particularly around the 24 minute mark
and our best videos on all additive topics at the other link
and we'll see you next time on BRStv Investigates.