Sea Lab no 28 blocks - kilo

[Mr Cob]

calcium is at 580 tonight and PH is at 8.4

[alton]

If you get a chance Rob can you check Magnesium and ALk? And thanks for testing and posting this.

[Richard]

quote from Sea-Lab:

No. 28 Automatic Replenisher
Manufactured by Sea-Lab
Sea-Lab Formula 28 is a mixture of naturally occurring buffer compounds that maintains natural ocean concentrations of calcium, strontium, and all 15 essential trace elements. Calcium and strontium are well recognized nutrients, but trace elements are not as well understood. They are, however, vitally necessary to marine life in the aquarium. Paradoxically, these same elements so essential to life, are also highly toxic. The trick is to tread the fine line between trace element starvation and trace element toxicity. Formula 28 is the first formula available to hobbyists and professionals that creates and maintains this fine balance. As elements are depleted from solution, Formula 28 delivers exactly equivalent amounts to replace them. Formula 28 stabilizes acid/alkaline balance (pH), and also prevents toxic ammonia buildup.

Instructions for Use:
Since Formula 28 is fully buffered, this is a constant supply of essential trace elements and no possibility of toxic overload, so dosage and application are extremely uncritical. The blocks can be placed in any location where there is a moderate current. When the blocks are mostly dissolved, add a similar number as recommended in the dosage.

I don't know exactly where this description came from but it is different than the advice you'll get if call the manufacturer directly. This is a Hiatt product (www.hdltd.com) and you can contact the owner (Snake) directly and he'll talk your ear off telling you about how to use them. The blocks are calcium chloride plus trace elements. So it won't do anything for your alkalinity and you need to do regular water changes to keep your water from getting out of whack, just as you would with any other unbalanced calcium chloride additive. Also you are supposed to protect them from any current or they will dissolve too fast. Snake always recommended people bury the small ones in the sandbed to protect them from any current. It's a good product if used correctly and a bad product if not used correctly.

[Scutterborn]

So what's the latest on the block? Are you seeing any more changes in coral growth/color and how are the numbers looking?

[Mr Cob]

Yesterday marked the day that the block was fully dissolved.

Tossed it in on 02/06/2012
Fully dissolved on 02/28/2012

Looks like I'm in for 2 blocks a month to keep my calcium levels up.

I'm sorry but I have not tested anything other than calcium and PH.

Since calcium stayed between 550 and 620 I'm going to move them from the intake section of the sump and place in the return section where there is less flow and hopefully I can get calcium to stay around 500, I would like 440. The intake also had low flow since I don't run water through the sump very fast.

So far I'm happy and will continue to use them.

I have noticed stable PH, high calcium, great color on the SPS and faster SPS growth since using the block.

I have nothing negative to post at this point...maybe price but $50 a month to keep calcium up is not that bad.

[Mr Cob]

also note that I do weekly water changes..small but weekly, at least 10 gallons a week and 20 gallons a week when I'm not being lazy...but that is only once a month.

This is on a 380g total system...so I do about 5% water change a week.

[Big_Pun]

hey rob does the package state what other elements it puts back in system specificaly. SPS color thrives with potassium,iodine and iron and strontium. i use the the red sea colors kit for the basic three potassium,iodine,iron.

[Mr Cob]

...

SeaLab Concentrations (ppm)
Aluminum 0.01
Boron 4.6
Calcium 400.0
Chromium 0.00005
Cobalt 0.0005
Copper 0.003
Fluorine 0.3
Iodine 0.06
Iron 0.01
Manganese 0.002
Molybdenum 0.01
Nickel 0.002
Selenium 0.004
Strontium 8.0
Tin 0.002
Vanadium 0.002
Zinc 0.014

more info from the above snippet: http://www.qualitymarine.com/Additiv...her-Kilo-Block

[Mr Cob]

Magnesium Salifert test kit was off the charts today. This test kit goes to 1500ppm. I continued the testing though and added more Mg-3 reagent and based on my calculations I'm at about 1600ppm for MG.

PH is running stable at 8.0-8.2 on this system (85g + about 60g sump water). Much lower than it used to run when it was hooked up with the 220g. I do more frequent water changes now though and have a lot less stock and obviously water plus longer lighting periods.

Will test calcium when I get a chance.

Do not have an alk test kit.