raising ALK

KAiNE

KAiNE

Premium Member
Hi randy,

ok.... 180gal water volume (very good estimate). I drip Kalk, 24/7 for about 3 gallons a day. This doesn't come close to maintaining so i supplement with your homemade 2 part (recipe #1). I started out only dosing about 60ml each, every evening but soon that turned into 120ml each so i started dosing in the morning as well. I am to the point that i am dosing about 280ml each spread out at different points throughout the day which is a pain since I have to work - :(
My PH is between 8.15 and 8.3. (pinpoint probe cleaned, calibrated and verified) I target 3.5meq/l.

question - how much can i raise ALK in one dose? I thought it was .7 meq/l but couldn't find that to verify. Is it actually limited by the PH increase? I am scared to add more than 60ml at a time so i have been setting up 2 IV lines and dripping larger amounts over a few hours but this too is a pain. I guess my option is to either get another dosing pump for the 2-part (use one for Kalk now) or get a CA reator.

BTW - I use 60ml syringes to dose with... slowly adding 60ml in about 120sec.

Your thoughts?

thanks!
 
question - how much can i raise ALK in one dose?

All that you need to in one day. If the pH rises too much, use recipe 2. There is no limit to how much you can add if it is needed.

In 180 gallons, a reasonable dose for a very high demand aquarium might be on the order of 1-2 ml per gallon (180-360 mL each per day), so there is no danger for you yet. :)
 
Thanks!!

Question, can i mix the 2 ALK reciepes together? Say.... 1 cup washing and 1.25 cups backing soda? Would this negate PH effects?

Thanks!
 
That is fine to do, but use the more dilute recipe to make sure it dissolves. You are using baking soda that is baked, right, not washing soda itself?
 
Yea... baked.

I use a plastic paint mixer, I add half a gallon to a 2 gallon bucket. Stick the mixer in there and pour in the soda while mixing. Then add to my "ALK" container toping off to a gallon.
I get no mixing issues doing this.
 
Youcan certainly mix the recipes together in any ratio that you think is optimal for your tank, but remember to get the calcium part to an equal concentration. :)
 
Thanks!

Last night i mixed up a new batch of ALK. I baked 2.25 cups of baking soda, when finnished i poured it back into the same measuring container. I got more than 2.25 cups..... did i measure incorrectly at the start or does it get "fluffy" after baking?

As far as getting the calcium to match... wouldnt 2.25 cups total of the 2 "soda's" match CA#1 or does baking change it in some way?

Thanks
 
I don't know what happens to the bulkiness of it, but the weight certainly goes down. :)

Recipe 2 is half as concentrated as Recipe 1. If you start with the Recipe 2 and bake only part of it, that is fine. But if you use part of the alkalinity concentration in Recipe 1 and part of the concentration from Recipe 2, that is where there is a problem matching the calcium correctly.
 
Sorry to jump in, but if I could ask, What happens if I use baking soda, without " baking" it first ???

I've been using this for quite sometime, and it works well.
Am I doing something wrong, by not cooking it first ??
 
I hope you folks don't mind if I chime in here,being this is a Alk. post?
Randy is your home made brew just as strong as ESV? I'm on ESV and have to use the bottles up first.Then will be doing my own brew also.But saw where you said,that 1 to 2 Mil per gallon high demand SPS system.I'm really wondering if my ESV dosage is on the low side?Being there seems to be slow growth,and corals are partial in coloring all the way up.It's almost like they are in a stuggle to get color.I have a table acro,half of it got color.My Mag is 1350.Yet the older colonies are having no problem at all.It just seems certain ones,are having a really hard time.There is color there,but needs something here.Have new bulbs in there also.
Just thought you might chime in here,do give an idea what might be causing this look.And lack of growth?I do drip the Kalk to maintain PH levels.But with 8.3,it seems I would have an explosion of growth and color.So what's might be lacking here?I always thought was lack of color,is related to a low ALK?
Thanks
Curt
 
what type of bulbs are you using(spectrum)I have found since I added more light and have been dosing Randys alk and calcium formula on a regular basis my corals are growing fast more so than a year ago.I am very impressed I never had such good growth that fast.I am very happy.I used to dose the cal and alk sparataticly so my alk levels were never the same.I also found just dosing kalk didn't raise alk past the 7.6 DKH level.Calcium stayed at 400 but I wanted it a little higher than that.Without dosing calcium it would go down slowly.
 
The lighting isn't the problem here.2 400 Aqua Connects 14,000.2 250 watt double end 10,000 ushio,and 4 URI actinics.All been replaced within the last 4 months.
This is ESV directions for dosage
1 mi per 4 gallons tank water per day.
Also states
Depending on the degree of calcification occuring in the aquarium,dosage "maybe" increased over our reccommend dosage.
So if it states that it can be increased.How far do you push it.I have maybe a total of 150 gallons and that a guess?Using only a 1/4 of both.Being ESV dosage is to" start with" 1 mi,per 4 gallons.Where Randy states 1 to 2 per gallon,on home brew.So how far can you really go with ESV?Till I get to make my own brew?
Curt
 
Also not sure if this comes into play,as for the sand bed.Just have a small amount of sand across the front of the tank.So bascially almost Bare Bottom.
 
Randy is your home made brew just as strong as ESV?

No. Recipe #1 is 68% as strong as normal B-ionic, and Recipe #2 is 34% as strong. So it takes more of mine. :)

I always thought was lack of color,is related to a low ALK?

I don't believe that is typically true. Lighting is a big factor in color, and many wild corals just do not readily maintain their original bright colors. elevated nutrients can also brown up some corals as zoox populations in the corals rise.

I'm really wondering if my ESV dosage is on the low side?

What is your alkalinity and calcium?
 
Randy
I just did a test this morning.
Salt 1.026
Cal 450
DKH 9.6
Mag 1450
I know the Mag is on the high side.I used to use the Tropic Narin Reo reef salt.
But now ny last water change last week,Went back to IO 50 % AND 50 % Oceanic.Reason why was IO at times to be really on the high side.
 
Aside from the magnesium,those values look good to me. If you are getting 9.6 dKH out of the dose of B-ionic that you are using, I wouldn't change it. :)
 
Randy
I would think the reason for the high mag levels.Because Pro Reef salt is in the system still.It would always test out at 1350.Now with the chemistry changing with these other 2 salts,the tank awesome is going threw adjustment period.Once all the Pro Reef is out.Would then get a better reading on the mag levels.
I know you are a firm believer with IO.I used to use it many years ago.But wanted to try some of these newer salts they have today.When you you do test your IO,if you don't mine what readings do you get.Cal,Mag, DKH.
But as always thanks for your imput,us folks here always like to hear what you have to say.To keep us ALL on coarse......
Thamks;)
Curt
 
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