Improved DIY Two Part Recipe
- Thread starter Randy Holmes-Farley
- Start date
Hef
Premium Member
Randy, quick question about Alkalinity and Baking Soda.
I've been using your Recipe for close to 2 years now, Dowflake, Baked Baking Soda, and now MgCl.
I read a lot of stuff, and am concerned about the Baking Soda part. Is there anything wrong with the Constant Addition of Baking Soda to a Tank as the only method of keeping up with Alkalinity usage? I find if I stop dosing Kalk I really need a lot of the Baking Soda part of the recipe to keep the Alk at around 9.0 dkh. Seems like around 80ml per day, this wouldnt be a problem, but I recently lost a couple of small SPS frags to RTN and the only change to my tank were the constant additions of the recipe. The Kalk I'm sure keeps my tank more stable, just wondering if all that baking soda could cause a problem. I know it has a large PH addition factor. Maybe if I found a way to dose it contiually thoughout the day.
Any thoughts on that.
Thanks
Hef
I've been using your Recipe for close to 2 years now, Dowflake, Baked Baking Soda, and now MgCl.
I read a lot of stuff, and am concerned about the Baking Soda part. Is there anything wrong with the Constant Addition of Baking Soda to a Tank as the only method of keeping up with Alkalinity usage? I find if I stop dosing Kalk I really need a lot of the Baking Soda part of the recipe to keep the Alk at around 9.0 dkh. Seems like around 80ml per day, this wouldnt be a problem, but I recently lost a couple of small SPS frags to RTN and the only change to my tank were the constant additions of the recipe. The Kalk I'm sure keeps my tank more stable, just wondering if all that baking soda could cause a problem. I know it has a large PH addition factor. Maybe if I found a way to dose it contiually thoughout the day.
Any thoughts on that.
Thanks
Hef
BeanAnimal
Premium Member
I think randy meant to type "to make 1 gallon total volume"
The directions are more detailed in the article (old and new). It is into water to make 1 gallon total. If you made a bit more volume, just use a bit more each time. 
Is there anything wrong with the Constant Addition of Baking Soda to a Tank as the only method of keeping up with Alkalinity usage?
Not when used with this recipe. When used alone, sodium will very slowly rise relative to magnesium. The alkalinty part won't raise pH appreciably if you use it raw.
Not when used with this recipe. When used alone, sodium will very slowly rise relative to magnesium. The alkalinty part won't raise pH appreciably if you use it raw.
So is PH the only concern when using an Alkalinity Additive?
It is the only thing that could limit how much you add at once, if that is what you mean.
It is the only thing that could limit how much you add at once, if that is what you mean.
If someone has a scale, and can tell me how much exactly how much one cup weighs, yes, otherwise, in my upcoming article, I state:
"The recipe above is based on the bulk density of the MAG Flake as supplied by the manufacturer. They also sell a pellet product. It may be OK to use, but probably has a slightly different bulk density (they do not provide it that I can find). Exact values for the magnesium part are less important than the other parts, and when using pellets Iââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢d just follow the directions as stated here for flake unless better information is supplied in the future."
"The recipe above is based on the bulk density of the MAG Flake as supplied by the manufacturer. They also sell a pellet product. It may be OK to use, but probably has a slightly different bulk density (they do not provide it that I can find). Exact values for the magnesium part are less important than the other parts, and when using pellets Iââ"šÂ¬Ã¢"žÂ¢d just follow the directions as stated here for flake unless better information is supplied in the future."
Randy, I have the Dead Sea Works Mag Flake (Lab Grade).
Weighed on my scale, to 4 decimal places.
One Cup = 0.364 pound = 165.107 622 68 gram
Thanks, but its the pellets that I need data for.
Why not add the Mg component either to the calcium or to the alkalinity component?
If you add Epsom salts to the calcium part, calcium sulfate will precipitate. If you add it to the alkalinity part, magnesium hydroxide and/or carbonate will precipitate.
Weighed on my scale, to 4 decimal places.
One Cup = 0.364 pound = 165.107 622 68 gram
Thanks, but its the pellets that I need data for.
Why not add the Mg component either to the calcium or to the alkalinity component?
If you add Epsom salts to the calcium part, calcium sulfate will precipitate. If you add it to the alkalinity part, magnesium hydroxide and/or carbonate will precipitate.
Randy, what if you could get lab grade chemicals, what all would you prefer for your three part solutions? Would you still use a mixture of magnesiums? And, what is the baking sode made of? Calcium carbonate, is that the salt name?
The improved recipe is just fine and leaves all the top 7 ions in seawater in balance (shown in the upcoming article), but gettting other chemicals would allow it to be a true two part, rather than three. Using sodium sulfate and magnesium chloride, for example, would allow that. I have not determined an exact recipe for that, however.
The improved recipe is just fine and leaves all the top 7 ions in seawater in balance (shown in the upcoming article), but gettting other chemicals would allow it to be a true two part, rather than three. Using sodium sulfate and magnesium chloride, for example, would allow that. I have not determined an exact recipe for that, however.
So, if I can get lab grade calcium cloride, sodium carbonate (or is it bicarbonate), magnesium sulfate and magnesium chloide hexahydrate: you would not recommend using the lab grades over the road salt or food grade chemicals?
The seven ions are: calcium, carbonate, magnesium, sulfate, chloride, sodium, and potassium; right?
So, are you saying that using a more pure form of the first list of chemicals may leave the seven ions out of balance; particularly potassium?
The seven ions are: calcium, carbonate, magnesium, sulfate, chloride, sodium, and potassium; right?
So, are you saying that using a more pure form of the first list of chemicals may leave the seven ions out of balance; particularly potassium?
