Alk dosing
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Randy Holmes-Farley
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I’m confused why you would want to, unless calcium is ALREADY above your target level and you want it to decline, but if you want to, add just enough of the alk part to maintain stable alkalinity at your target, like any alk supplement.
This calculator may be useful:
This calculator may be useful:
melonheadorion
Well-Known Member
the API kit is not going to be accurate. if you got the red sea pro kit, you will find that the API test is probably not even close. i used the normal red sea kit as well, and it works well enough to get you a good reading.
the red sea pro test kit will allow you to get a much more accurate reading. in any instance, dosing alk depends on what you need to replenish. i dont have much to tell you other than you need to know what you have to replace on a daily basis, and also to read the instructions on the back of the bottle.
up until recently, to maintain my alk where i wanted it, i had to dose 1 cap twice a day. i dont use dosers, so i just used the cap to pour it in on the schedule i setup
the red sea pro test kit will allow you to get a much more accurate reading. in any instance, dosing alk depends on what you need to replenish. i dont have much to tell you other than you need to know what you have to replace on a daily basis, and also to read the instructions on the back of the bottle.
up until recently, to maintain my alk where i wanted it, i had to dose 1 cap twice a day. i dont use dosers, so i just used the cap to pour it in on the schedule i setup
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Chucky
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Well using the api test kit mentioned above I am showing calc is 500 plus and dkh is 6 therefore I would think I would need to bring up my alk to a stable number of 8 or 9 right? Will 2 caps not overdose the tank in alk since it’s measured in meq and not dkh ?
Uncle99
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As you know, both are designed to be used together, but not at exactly at the same time. I have found the dosage of this product is not 1 for 1, appears that I need to dose about 15% less calcium to keep those two on-point.
Make sure your MG is 1350-1420ppm before you test Alk or CA as low MG can result in inaccurate or unstable test results.
Second, measure both daily same time for 7 days, and divide by 7 to get a daily consumption level.
Once you can see what you stuff needs daily, it’s easy to calculate the dosage.
Calc at 500ppm is not a big issue, API could be off.
But Alk must be moved to your desired level which is usually equal to what your new saltwater mix, mixes up to. That will ensure water changes don’t impact our chemistry much.
So two caps is about 10ml, but I’m not sure what your water volume is so can say, if it was 5g, that would be a problem, if 200g that would not move the needle far.
Make sure your MG is 1350-1420ppm before you test Alk or CA as low MG can result in inaccurate or unstable test results.
Second, measure both daily same time for 7 days, and divide by 7 to get a daily consumption level.
Once you can see what you stuff needs daily, it’s easy to calculate the dosage.
Calc at 500ppm is not a big issue, API could be off.
But Alk must be moved to your desired level which is usually equal to what your new saltwater mix, mixes up to. That will ensure water changes don’t impact our chemistry much.
So two caps is about 10ml, but I’m not sure what your water volume is so can say, if it was 5g, that would be a problem, if 200g that would not move the needle far.
czoolander
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Red sea has an awesome product
Alkalinity/KH Foundation B super easy to dose 5ml for 25 gallons adds .1 dkh
I have been using this for months now and my alkalinity is finally stable staying between 7.3 and 7.6 with manual dosing > I am sure it would be even more accurate tighter range if i used an auto doser like trident
That is the product i would recommend for dosing your Alk
Alkalinity/KH Foundation B super easy to dose 5ml for 25 gallons adds .1 dkh
I have been using this for months now and my alkalinity is finally stable staying between 7.3 and 7.6 with manual dosing > I am sure it would be even more accurate tighter range if i used an auto doser like trident
That is the product i would recommend for dosing your Alk
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Chucky
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If I can trust the api according to my test yesterday it was over 500 on calc and my salifert mag test shows between 1450-1500
Randy Holmes-Farley
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I have nothing against it that I know of, but how is that easier than other alkalinity additives?
Randy Holmes-Farley
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Try your calcium kit on your new salt water.
czoolander
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Its probably not
but i had zero success with dosing alk with baking soda and online recipes had major alk spikes
I have dosed the red sea product for months now and if i test my alk at 7.3 and dose instructions for .2 dkh that night. come home from work the next day and test my alk its 7.5 . Every time so i wont use any other product because for me this stuff is AMAZING !!!!!!! seriously in love with it
# no i dont work for red sea LOL
Randy Holmes-Farley
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Ok, I understand what you are saying, but in reality what you dosed is not going to be functionally different, in attaining stable alk, than an appropriate dose of baking soda, washing soda, or commercial supplements.
czoolander
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I get what you are saying for someone advanced like yourself
But for me the simplicity of pouring a liquid into a container of say 10 ML and raising my ALK exactly .2 DKH
Literally the easiest and simplest most accurate equation that i know of?
Is it more expensive ....... yes its not cheap . But its a price i will pay to finally get accurate ALK dosing every single time
Uncle99
10K Club member
I trust the Salifert for MG, but the other I don’t.
Salifert has a fast an reasonable accurate CA test.
Hanna for Alk.
You need good results to take corrective action if necessary.
I’d work the alk forward from 6dkh, that’s not going to work.
For example, I run an elevated system.
My salt is RS Black so we are mixing to Alk 11.5dkh, Ca 465ppm and MG 1365ppm. This is my base point. From here I just dose all three, every hour, to ensure they stay, right on those numbers.
The longer I do this and the same with salinity and temp, the faster my systems seem to mature up.
KStatefan
2500 Club Member
You can convert the units between the two.
1 meq/L = 2.8 dKH
Alkalinity Conversion Calculator
Aquarium calculator; Convert alkalinity between milliequivalents-per-liter (meq/L, meql), carbonate hardness (dKH, KH), and parts-per-million (ppm).
www.hamzasreef.com
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Chucky
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I dosed 4ml of alk last night what would that equal toYou can convert the units between the two.
1 meq/L = 2.8 dKH
Alkalinity Conversion Calculator
Aquarium calculator; Convert alkalinity between milliequivalents-per-liter (meq/L, meql), carbonate hardness (dKH, KH), and parts-per-million (ppm).
KStatefan
2500 Club Member
I have never used the product but the instructions say
1ml/6.5 gallons contributes 0.176 meq/L convert that to 0.495 dKH
going to assume your 32 gallon biocube has 25 gallons of water so
1ml/25 gallons contributes 0.129 dKH you added 4ml so multiply that by 4 give you 0.5148 dKH
You could also use the calculator that Randy posted
