Ideal alkalinity level?

[Jettareefer]

I try to target NSW
Alk 7.5-8 and calcium is 390-410 growth is a lot quicker with these levels.

 

[mattgumaer]

Thanks everyone. Very interesting discussion.

Matt

 

[fishguy597]

I like my alk around 7-7.5. Every time I do a wc (oceanic)my alk goes up to 8.5.

I do between 20-40 gals depending on if I skip a week or not. I break it down into 5 gal buckets. How do you know what 1/11000 is ?

 

[Peter Eichler]

I like my alk around 7-7.5. Every time I do a wc (oceanic)my alk goes up to 8.5.

I do between 20-40 gals depending on if I skip a week or not. I break it down into 5 gal buckets. How do you know what 1/11000 is ?

50 gallons = 189271 ml/11000 = 17.20 ml per 50 gallons

 

[fishguy597]

Thanks Peter. So it's basically 2.9 ml per gallon?

 

[basser1]

44 gallons with a full bag of IO. Around 9.0 when mixed and then 7.4 after I add the muratic. It works with my salfert test kits. Sometimes, I add a ML, or two, more.

From a RHF post years ago that I saved:
Yes, you just add the acid. Be very careful with straight muriatic acid. It can easily burn you, especially your eyes.

The "acidity" (that being essentially negative alkalinity) of muriatic acid straight from the bottle is about 11,000 meq/L.

So adding 1/11,000 of the water volume as this acid will drop alkalinity by 1 meq/l (2.8 dKH).


You need to mix and aerate the water before you use it to get the CO2 out and get the PH back up.

I actually used this a few weeks ago when I over-dosed my Alk by accident. It worked like a charm!

BTW, I also shoot for 9 dKh

 

[fishguy597]

Where can you get muriatic acid ?

 

[twon8]

Where can you get muriatic acid ?

Lowes