2 part solutions

[JustinM]

Can BRS 2 part solutions become bad over time? My calcium is staying stable at 420 and my mag has always been stable at 1300 but for some reason my alk keeps going up.

I checked my alk and waited 3 days and checked again and am losing .8 dKH a day so I use the BRS calculator to get my measurements and no matter what, my alk will keep raising. Before I never had any problems at all and the solution may be 6 months old. I tried letting it go and it dropped to the lower 6's. I want to keep it around 7-8 dKH. Any suggestions would be great, and thanks.

 

[HighlandReefer]

If you keep these supplements properly sealed they should last for a very long time.

I would suggest that you cut back on the amount of alk you add daily to maintain your alk level. The total water volume you fill in for the Chemistry Calculator, may be off since most hobbyists simply guess at this figure. If so, you may want to adjust your calculator total volume to where you get the proper amount of alk calculated that corresponds to what you see in test results. This is provided that you trust your test kit results.

 

[JustinM]

Thanks. I keep it in gallon jugs with a threaded cap, but then I do have 3 boys that like to touch everything so who knows if one opened it up and let it open for a little.

I use salifert, and I know sometimes there could be error in these kits, but for the most part I believed these are pretty reliable kits. I also did back down the amount I am supposed to dose, substantially lower, and it still keeps rising. I guess just trial and error will get me there. Thanks again.

 

[bertoni]

The solutions are very stable. I suppose if enough water evaporated, the concentration might change a bit, but I doubt that's an issue. A boy adding water could have an effect, though.

 

[JustinM]

Ok. I guess I could check the alk of 1 gallon of water to see where it is at. Is it 1.4 dKH for 1 mL added to 1 gallon of water, assuming there is 2660 dKH to 1 gallon of alk mix? Thanks again.