Raising Ph and Alk

Vice333

Vice333

New member
I've done some research on a this and am still a little confused. My ph and Alk are both in the 7-7.3 range. My calcium is 480, which I think is fine. Is there any way to raise the Alk and ph without adding a bunch of calcium like I think kalkwasser would do? Thanks
 
I guess I should give more detail. I have a 90 gal corner display with a 280 gal basement sump. About 100 gallons of that is a fuge , and another 40 gallons is just live rock with no light.
 
Search the Internet to find the balance alk for your 480 calcium level. It's an easy fix and there are calculators for adding baking soda to increase alk. Once they are balanced the calcium and alk will decline in a balanced fashion, and can be added in a balanced fashion with kalk or two part.
 
Unless I'm misreading, 7.3 dkh is fine for alk. Are you sure your pH is also 7.3? That is awfully low given the alkalinity. I'd suspect testing error.
 
Simple A&H baking soda is a good source of alk. I would take 1 cup of baking soda, and dissolve it into one gallon or RO/DI water(this will take some mixing/possible heating to get into solution). Use this calculator, fill in the blanks for your system, and use Randy's recipe #2 in the drop down of the alkalinity portion to get to your desired reading. Don't increase your alk by more than .5meg/l (1.4dKH) per day.

What are you using to measure your Ca, Mg and alk?
 
Adding baking soda seems like a quick fix, but I would like to get the numbers squared away so I can dose something slowly and keep the level steady. Also when I travel, the dosing pump would do my work for me.
 
That solution would be fine for dosing, although I used the baked version where it is made into Soda Ash, and will be stronger, i.e. Randy's recipe #1. Once you have your param's where you want them, i.e. Alk @ 8dKH, Ca @ 420, Mg @ 1350, start to test them for a few days to a week to see what your uptake is. Then divide that amount by the number of days you were testing to get a daily dose. You will see your alkalinity go down more quickly than your Ca or Mg, since its taken up at a rate of about 5 pts alk to every 2 parts Ca. In other words you will see your alk drop about 50ppm(2.8dKH) for every 20ppm of Ca, 25ppm(1.4dKH) for every 10 ppm Ca, etc. If you're doing regular WC's its possible that, at first with a low demand, you may only need to dose some Alk, with the WC's keeping up with your Ca. Depending on what you use for a salt mix, and where you keep your SG, you may not have to dose Mg, or dose very infrequently.
What are you using to measure your SG?
 
I have a refractometer for Sg and keep it at 1.026, and use coral pro salt. The only parameters I have that's a little out of whack is the ALK. Could it be that I have enough water volume that all other levels are fine with just water changes? But why is Alk dropping then?
 
Vice333 said:
I have a refractometer for Sg and keep it at 1.026, and use coral pro salt. The only parameters I have that's a little out of whack is the ALK. Could it be that I have enough water volume that all other levels are fine with just water changes? But why is Alk dropping then?
Click to expand...

It is used more quickly, i.e. 5 parts alk to 2 parts Ca, and there is less in reserve in your system. And yes, your WC's may be keeping your other param's within reasonable levels, especially using a reef type salt mix that has elevated levels of those elements.

PS, I would be using a decent 35ppt calibration solution for the refractometer.
 
I have the calibration fluid that came with it and I check it every few months. Thank you for all the advise, it is much appreciated. is there any Additive for just Alk that isn't baking soda?
 
Vice333 said:
I have the calibration fluid that came with it and I check it every few months. Thank you for all the advise, it is much appreciated. is there any Additive for just Alk that isn't baking soda?
Click to expand...

You're welcome. Soda ash is the other commonly used supplement for alkalinity, as mentioned it is just baking soda that has the moisture and CO2 baked out of it.

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-04/rhf/feature/index.php
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-06/rhf/
http://successfulreefkeeping.com/learn/reef-tank-101/calcium-and-alkalinity/
 
downbeach said:
Simple A&H baking soda is a good source of alk. I would take 1 cup of baking soda, and dissolve it into one gallon or RO/DI water(this will take some mixing/possible heating to get into solution). Use this calculator, fill in the blanks for your system, and use Randy's recipe #2 in the drop down of the alkalinity portion to get to your desired reading. Don't increase your alk by more than .5meg/l (1.4dKH) per day.

What are you using to measure your Ca, Mg and alk?
Click to expand...
I am trying to use the calcalator for raising alk with baking soda but it times out.Is there another reference i could use?
 
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