2 part vs direct addition

[sfsuphysics]

I've used the 2 part for close to a year now, I love the calcium part no problem but I absolute hate the baking soda part as that stuff gets way to airborne and I end up inhaling a good deal of it (probably not a health issue but man does it make my nose burn!)

I've noticed my alkalinity was a little on the low side (yet calcium was through the roof! Unsure how this happened, my guess is I neglected to shake the bottle o' alkalinity each time or something), so I decided to add baking soda to bring it up slowly. Now what I did is I added a couple teaspoons to a container and poured tank water instead of freshwater into it while mixing, all the while a drip hole allowed it to drip out the bottom at a slow rate. This seemed to be OODLES easier than making up a mix (not to mention my nose couldn't be happier!). I slowly raised my alkalinity to a doable amount (about 7dKh, although I am shooting for higher), and my calcium is in check (400ish rather than almost 600!).

Ok so my question is, is there anything I'm doing wrong here that I'm not seeing immediately (but might down the road), seems that this is an easier method to keeping alkalinity maintained than having a pre-mix ready. I end up dumping the entire bottle into the tank anyways, so I can't imagine any impurities would be settling that I have to worry about. Only issue I can think of, is that if I need to add 3 teaspoons per day I might not get exactly 3 teaspoons, where as with the pre-mix I can have a measured cup and more easily see.

Also could I also do this with the dowflake part? Mix it as I need it?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

In short, your plan gives up the advantages of a balanced two part, it can work, but is more prone to problems as described below.

I'm not sure why you find it easier to add baking soda to seawater than freshwater, but adding it to seawater is a poor practice because calcium carbonate can begin to precipitate almost immediately, and that will not redissolve.

Adding calcium and alkalinity independently is not optimal because, despite attempts to test carefully, folks often end up on a roller coaster of calcium and alkalinity, and in the long run, balanced calcium and alkalinity additives are a much better way to go.

 

[sfsuphysics]

Well I find it easier to add the baking soda simply because I don't have to bake it on a sheet for an hour, then pour it through a funnel into a jug, where lots of it ends up getting airborne and all over the place (seriously, my black kitchen countertops spill the beans that I've made up a new batch of alkalinity mix), where as adding it directly to seawater I simply spoon and put in.

I don't get the precipitation aspect of it though, why is it when you premix it in freshwater it doesn't, but in saltwater it does, before when I'd premix in freshwater, when I added that to the tank I'd see the white cloud of gunk (precipitation), when I add baking soda directly I do notice quite a bit less white cloudiness.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

You can make the two part without baking the baking soda.

I didn't realize you meant direct addition of the solids to the tank itself, I thought it was a separate container. Direct addition to the tank can work, but risks having solids land on delicate organisms before dissolving. In a separate container, the alkalinity gets way too high to be stable, but in a tank it mixes in before much precipitation takes place.

FWIW, if you want to go this route, you cna try Tropic Marin Biocalcium, which is a balanced dry mixture of these ingredients (calcium and alkalinity). It must be added directly to the tank.