Best 2-part dosing additive of 2019 : Six categories. Six WINNERS!

Bulk Reef Supply 2 Part Pharma

Most affordable major element additives

We take pride in only using ultra pure, pharmaceutical grade calcium chloride, sodium carbonate and magnesium materials to create the most affordable two part on the market. When tested against competing 2 part additives, BRS Pharma has the highest standards of purity for calcium and alkalinity.

That means no contaminates, no brown mystery chemicals or floating particles. Simply mix the powders with clean RO/DI water for pure elements, at the best price, with no fuss or confusing language. The components are available as a kit or individually and come in convenient pre-measured pouches or larger bulk packages to save even more.

Brightwell Aquatics Reef Code A & B

Best priced two part with trace elements

In addition to calcium, alkalinity and magnesium trace elements are essential for colorful and thriving corals. Just like the major elements, trace elements are consumed as the corals grow and therefore keeping the levels as close to natural seawater as possible is a necessary part of maintaining your tank. Brightwell’s Reef Code makes this easy and incorporates the essential trace elements right into the mix.

The Reef Code comes as a dry powder which requires mixing with RO/DI water before dosing into your reef tank. This also means you get more for your money because you don’t have to pay for the cost of shipping heavy liquid solutions which is great for those of you with a heavy demand yet like to keep things simple because there are only two components. Reef Code is available in a liquid form separately but when purchased in the dry powder form, it is the most affordable two part system that includes trace elements.

The Triton Method

Best all around supplement system available at a reasonable price

The Triton Method is certainly in a class all its own. The Core7 solutions provide the foundation and are a three part approach to supplementing major, minor and trace elements in your tank.

The method calls for regular ICP water testing to examine the performance of the Core7 elements and provides you with specific instructions for maintaining your water as close to natural seawater as possible based on those results. The Core7 additives are one of the only systems that addresses the demand for additional trace and minor elements consumed by refugium inhabitants (macroalgae). They offer a variety of additional additives that can be used along with the Core7 to precisely correct individual elements that fall out of line.

The Triton Method is not just additives but rather a proven and holistic approach to reefkeeping that allows you to create a system specifically tailored to your preferences and your tank's needs.

Tropic Marin All-For-Reef

The easiest option for maintaining water chemistry

It's all in the name with this one, everything you need in a single, easy to dose solution. The chemical foundation is Calcium Formate and when mixed with all of the necessary trace elements you get a single additive that is cable of supplementing everything your corals need.

All major, minor and trace elements are included, no mixing or dissolving powders and calculating your dose is easy. The single solution means only one dosing pump is required reducing your tanks physical and carbon footprint. It works out great reefers who are limited for time and is most convenient when used on smaller tanks or those with minimal coral.

BRS Kalkwasser - Calcium Hydroxide

Most improved, the proof is in the poof!

Classically, kalkwasser powder is messy and sometimes dangerous because the nature of the fine grade powder makes it easy to spill and it can easily be inhaled. In a BRStv Investigates episode we tested for purity and found that depending on the brand, it might even carry contaminates such as aluminium, phosphate and heavy metals.

We decided to step outside the box to search for a better option and found USP grade, ultra pure calcium hydroxide. This new version of the BRS Kalkwasser does not create a floating cloud of fine powder when filling your containers or mixing and quickly dissolves into fresh RO/DI water making it the safest and easiest kalkwasser on the market.

As far as we know, we are the only source of this pure calcium hydroxide, it has no detectable levels of ammonia or phosphate and only 0.4 ppm of heavy metals compared to the 18-22ppm found in most other calcium hydroxide intended for use in aquariums.

ESV B-Ionic Calcium Buffer System

The reefers choice - our most popular liquid 2 part

Based on customer purchases alone, the BRS Pharma is the most purchased major element solution on our website, however, it does not include trace elements and does require some additional steps for mixing and storage.

ESV is a close second place to the BRS Pharma and is the most widely purchased liquid 2 part on our website to include trace elements. In fact, ESV was around long before the BRS two part and really popularized 2 part solutions for easy reef tank supplementation.

The larger sizes are shipped as a concentrate to save on shipping costs while the smaller bottles are premixed and ready for use. It is very affordable, produces results and formulated for dosing at a 1:1 ratio making it easy to use.