Low alk, how to adjust?

G

Grenade Glass

Reefer
Hello, I started noting some tissue receding on a fungia, and all of my branching euphyllia hasnt been opening up much. So I decided to check my water params.

My current water params:

Salinity=1.023
Ca=400
DKH=5.4
Meq/L=1.94
PH=8.0
Nitrite=0
Nitrate=10-15
Ammonia=0


I have a 120 gal system (90 display, 30 sump) which has been setup since August 2010. I do a 40 Gal water change about every 2 weeks, but it seems that I will need to start dosing ALK and CAL. I just ordered the B-Ionic 2 part (64oz). My question is how should I go about adjusting? I assume start with the ALK since that is the lowest reading. I have no prior experience dosing 2 part solution, so please excuse my total lack of knowledge!
 
firstly: make sure S.G. is actually 1.023. If it's TRULY is 1.023 (use a refracto!) you need to raise it up to 1.025-1.026
(this will raise alkalinity somewhat)

you can very easily make your own alkalinity supplement by using baking soda. Follow Randy's recipe or the recipe on the BRS website.
Baking sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) in the oven @ 300F for one hour will turn it into sodium carbonate which is essentially the same thing as B-ionic alk part but a heckuva lot cheaper. (A box of baking soda costs about a buck!)

use this online calculator to figure out dosage

FWIW I haven't puchased B-ionic for many many years now.
 
this will likely help: http://reef.diesyst.com/chemcalc/chem_calc3.html

I wouldn't wait for the order to come; go get a small box of Arm & Hammer baking soda and start getting your alk in order. Straight baking soda will temporarily lower ph a wee bit, but not enough to worry about ime.

Your NO3 is high enough I would be curious about PO4 level, and also start searching where in the system detritus is being banked.
 
Grabbing a Magnesium can help make sure everything is reading correctly too....from what I recall. It's been 6 months now since I've had a tank :rolleyes:
 
Thanks for the Quick response! I mixed up water and bumped the tank to 1.024, and will go to 1.025 in a few days. I check salinity with a Hydrometer and a refractometer.

I went to Wegmans and bought arm & hammer baking soda. Its currently in the oven at 300*. Should I mix the 2.5 cups into a gallon of RODI or should I just leave it as a powder and mix to need?
 
mr.maroonsalty said:
this will likely help: http://reef.diesyst.com/chemcalc/chem_calc3.html

I wouldn't wait for the order to come; go get a small box of Arm & Hammer baking soda and start getting your alk in order. Straight baking soda will temporarily lower ph a wee bit, but not enough to worry about ime.

Your NO3 is high enough I would be curious about PO4 level, and also start searching where in the system detritus is being banked.
Click to expand...



Thanks for info! I have a shallow sand bed and cant think of anything but the live rock that could be trapping detritus. Sump has a section for macro and has about 15-20 lbs of rock in it. I do clean out the sump about once every 6 weeks.
 
I dose baking soda straight from the box; you can do the same with soda ash. Use the calculator to get an amount that doesn't bump alk more than about 1 dKh at a time. I measure the powder into a feeding cup and swirl in tank water. Following RHF #1 will get you to the same place, but with a little more precision than 1/4tsp, 1/2tsp, heaping 1/2tsp... I would dose in the AM and if the tank looked to take the adjustment well again in the PM. The tank will continue using (bi)carbonates so you will need to test every day until you make the correction. from there you'll need to keep a fairly close eye on it until you can dial in your regular dosage.
 
I added 4 tsp of the sodium carbonate anhydrous mixed into a large glass over a period of 30 minutes. Each time I poured some in there was a small while cloud (in the sump). ~20 mins after the last of the mixture went in I tested ALK and PH

DKH:7.0
Meq/L: 2.51
PH:8.2
 
very good

very good

just remember to go slow when dosing alk supplement.

Always dose slowly into an area of water movement.
Bumping alk will also raise pH and quick rises in pH should be avoided.

Avoid extremely high dKH.

IME certain things start looking less than stellar at dKH 11.0 and upwards.
 
Another thing to consider: Bulk reef supply is a good source for cheap(er) alk and calc supplements. Their two part solution makes about 7 gallons of each and costs around $40.00, alot cheaper then the B-ionic route. - Mark
 
I'm a big fan of the BRS ca and Mg supplements. I bake a box of arm n hammer at 400 for an hour and mix with a gallon of RODI for my Kh supplement.

A couple of questions:
-Did you raise your salinity to 1.026?
-What kit are you measuring your Kh with?

It doesn't hurt to have a LFS double check your parameters every once in a while.
 
salinity is now at 1.025 (brought it up another 0.001 this am)

I test with a salifert kit. one thing that ive been thinking about- the instructions say

"step 3: Put the plastic tip firmly on the 1 ml syringe. And draw into the syringe the KH reagent (ensure that the end of the plastic tip is constantly submersed in the KH reagent) till the lower end of the black part of the piston is exactly at the 1.00 ml mark. There will be some air present just below the piston. This is the air which was present between the end of the plastic tip and the piston. This will not influence the test result."

I have been working the air out of the syringe and filling the entire thing with the reagent before dripping into test vial. This could be skewing my results, right? If the syringe and tip are empty of fluid and I draw up the reagent I get a different amount of air space in the syringe each time. you would think for accuracy sake the instructions would have you work out the air so there isnt this error... what does everyone else do?
 
the space between 0 on the syringe (the bottom of the plunger)and the tip will never be pressed out regardless. Doctors tap out the air for obvious concerns, nevertheless, the amount drawn between the plunger and the tip can never be used.
 
Nick, I thought I would mention that the Alk is probably the main reason for your coral unhappiness. Phosphate could be involved and maybe even the Nitrate to some extent. Once you get Alk up to 9.0dKH or so, I would also bring your Calcium up to 440ish. I would suck up a bunch of crap and do a couple 20% water changes over the next two weeks. Then maybe test for phosphate at the LFS.

I have the phosphate remover but haven't set up a "phosban reactor" yet.

My two (three) part:
Alk: Baked Baking soda
Ca: Calcium Chloride (Peladow or Prestone Driveway Heat)
Mg: Mag Hexahydrate (need to find a local source)
 
I added 1 1/3 tsp of sodium carbonate anhydrous tonight. 45 minutes later ALK was at 7.7 DKH. I'm going to do another water change tomorrow and do my final bump to 1.026 SG. After that I'll post up full water params. thanks again for all the help!
 
I havent done the water change yet, but I woke up to this :) :

IMG_0574.jpg

IMG_0604.jpg


The fungia is recovering well!


this is a terrible unfocused picture of dirty glass, but gives you an idea on how bad it looked:
IMG_0545.jpg
 
Looks like alk and/ or sg was at issue. Good work.
I'd still be sure to check the PO4
 
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