Low Alk

[Schplitter]

I'm reading about 6 to 7 dkh in my tank. I just did a 20 gallon waer change (20%) with coralife salt. I was hoping to take it up a notch but nothing happened. My Ca is at 460. I know that I could add baking soda to fix this but I have no idea how or how much.

I read all of Randy's stuff and I did not find the answers there...

Can anyone help?

BK

 

[DARKSILENTTYPE]

Whats your water volume ?

I keep mine at 7 myself so don't freak out yours isn't that bad

John

 

[jbarone]

This calculator:
http://home.comcast.net/~jdieck1/chemcalc.html

and this article:

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/rhf/index.php

Should have everything you need to raise your ALK.
The PH of your tank would determine which recipe you would use. (baked or unbaked baking soda). It's very easy. Go slow until you get the hang of it.

HTH

Jamie

 

[trottman]

6 is a little low, 7-9 is good

 

[Schplitter]

100 gallons of actual water. 100 gal tank and 55 gal sump.

I have to go buy some kind of PH test kit.

The calculator is telling me 5 tsp of baking soda. One per day or should I drip this?

Thank you,

BK

 

[jbarone]

I think you may be better off making up a gallon batch per the recipe of choice and dosing with the calculator.

For example:
100 gallons with a alk of 6dkh would require 214ml of Randy's recipe 1 to get to 9dhk. That recipe is for low PH. I would drip that.

Jamie

 

[fazgood]

My alk test kit went bad really fast. Mix some new salt water and test it to see if it might just be a test kit error. If nothing is suffering take your time and make slow changes.

Faz

 

[Schplitter]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11795443#post11795443 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jbarone
I think you may be better off making up a gallon batch per the recipe of choice and dosing with the calculator.

For example:
100 gallons with a alk of 6dkh would require 214ml of Randy's recipe 1 to get to 9dhk. That recipe is for low PH. I would drip that.

Jamie

I have no idea where my PH is. I will have to find out and then go from there.

I hate dosing stuff. Last time i tried dosing kalkwasser I dumped 7 gallons of it into my system. Did not make too much of a difference but the skimmer went crazy.

Thanks for the help,

BK

 

[Schplitter]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11795495#post11795495 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by fazgood
My alk test kit went bad really fast. Mix some new salt water and test it to see if it might just be a test kit error. If nothing is suffering take your time and make slow changes.

Faz

Slow and steady!!

MAN I ALMOST KILLED THAT BUG ON YOUR AVATAR. HAHA

 

[zt444a]

Have your readings been swinging? Alk and Ca?

 

[Reeferhead]

You should really consider investing in a pH meter. They make the job of monitoring pH a lot easier. If your trying to keep stony corals you definately want to keep an accurate eye on pH, SG, Alk, Ca, and Mg regularly. I test these five weekly.

I agree 6 DKH is low, I try to shoot for 8. However, there is a bad batch of Salifert Alkalinty kits out there that register low, so watch out. I can't find the thread right now but if your using Salifert do a search , the batch number has been posted.

 

[JxMetal]

want to know how I dose? I never had a problem since I began my new dosing style.

 

[sirreal63]

To keep your calcium and alk in balance you would need to be about 11 to 12 dkh. With that high of calcium it will be hard to get your alk in balance. I would try and keep it at 10 until the calcium comes down to 420 then shoot for alk of 9 and calcium of 400 to 420.

 

[Reefer Wannabe]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11795779#post11795779 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by JxMetal
want to know how I dose? I never had a problem since I began my new dosing style.

do tell...

 

[Schplitter]

I stoped dosing. All I do now is water changes with coralife. I like the Ca nice and high but the darn dkh is just way low.

 

[Schplitter]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11795555#post11795555 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by zt444a
Have your readings been swinging? Alk and Ca?

Ca went up a little and Alk down from 8 to 6

 

[JxMetal]

well, here's the secret.

I make my 2 part solution like normal. I test my calcium, alkalinity, and magnesium monthly. At that point, all my levels are going to be a little low obviously. At this point I take my alkalinity jug and pour a bunch in. (after numerous times over the past year, I've learned to know just about how much I randomly need to pour in of the alkalinity and the calcium supplement.) When magnesium is low, I just pour undissolved epsom salts into my overflow and they dissolve over a small period of time. If my levels are a little high, it's not a big problem because in the next 30 days or so the levels will be slowly falling.

I believe this method has given my tank a very strong immune system as they never know when the levels will change in the tank.

Oh i do this to raise my salinity up to .002 ppm also.


There you have it! Jeff's little tip of the day.

Today's motto - "Don't get too picky or you'll end up being picked on"

In other words, "Being picky at your tank parameters will only end up stressing you out and you'll go nuts."

 

[zt444a]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=11796086#post11796086 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Schplitter
Ca went up a little and Alk down from 8 to 6

I would test your Mg.... When it is low it seems to cause swings in your Ca/Alk daily....

 

[Schplitter]

Mg 1320

 

[Schplitter]

I think it's the coralife salt that's low in dkh and since my only suplementation to the tank is a water change the water ends up having a low alk reading...