Alkalinity consumption vs. Calcium levels

michealprater · Mar 9, 2022

I currently dose Tropic Marin All-For-Reef. It does a fantastic job of keeping my calcium and magnesium stable in my tank, however it cannot keep up with buffering the alkalinity. I decided to start dosing kalkwasser because I figured it would help with the alkalinity and I would have the added benefit of the ph increase, which I had plenty of headroom for. Only issue is the kalk is also raising my calcium numbers, that are stable. If I get the kalk to buffer the alk up to a number i need, it sends my calc over 500. So my question is, would Soda ash be a better alternative to kalk so it just raises alk? Also, will soda ask give me the added boost to PH that kalk is giving me?

Thanks in advance!

michealprater · Mar 9, 2022

Right now I am just bumping the Alk with Sodium bicarbonate daily. My tank can stay stable on calc and mag, and consumes .25 dkh per day of alk.

Garf · Mar 9, 2022

michealprater said:
Right now I am just bumping the Alk with Sodium bicarbonate daily. My tank can stay stable on calc and mag, and consumes .25 dkh per day of alk.

You do know that if you bake bicarbonate powder, when mixed with water for dosing, that will also increase pH?

Randy Holmes-Farley · Mar 9, 2022

michealprater said:
Right now I am just bumping the Alk with Sodium bicarbonate daily. My tank can stay stable on calc and mag, and consumes .25 dkh per day of alk.

500-550 ppm calcium is fine, but if you want to boost alk and not calcium, then any ordinary alk supplement is fine to use in addition to the All for Reef.

michealprater · Mar 9, 2022

Garf said:
You do know that if you bake bicarbonate powder, when mixed with water for dosing, that will also increase pH?

Yes. Thank you. I would prefer to use something I don't have to physically bake.

michealprater · Mar 9, 2022

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
500-550 ppm calcium is fine, but if you want to boost alk and not calcium, then any ordinary alk supplement is fine to use in addition to the All for Reef.

Thanks Randy, outside of kalk is there any alk supplement that will increase my ph as well?

SPS2020 · Mar 9, 2022

BRS has a few videos on the subject with which brands and how they affect pH. IIRC, the latest is 'De-Mystifying Two Part'.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Mar 9, 2022

michealprater said:
Thanks Randy, outside of kalk is there any alk supplement that will increase my ph as well?

Sure.

Sodium carbonate (or baked baking soda) raises pH, and sodium hydroxide raises it about twice as much and exactly the same as kalkwasser.

Second New DIY Two Part Recipe with Higher pH Boost

In a previous thread, I posted a true two part DIY recipe: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/new-diy-two-part-recipes-with-higher-ph-boost.344500/ But some folks may want to just swap the new ingredient into my 2/3 part recipe (as used by BRS, for example). Here's the original recipe link...

www.reef2reef.com

michealprater · Mar 9, 2022

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
Sure.

Sodium carbonate (or baked baking soda) raises pH, and sodium hydroxide raises it about twice as much and exactly the same as kalkwasser.

Second New DIY Two Part Recipe with Higher pH Boost

In a previous thread, I posted a true two part DIY recipe: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/new-diy-two-part-recipes-with-higher-ph-boost.344500/ But some folks may want to just swap the new ingredient into my 2/3 part recipe (as used by BRS, for example). Here's the original recipe link...

www.reef2reef.com

Will this work?

Pure Lye Drain Cleaner / Opener, 2 lbs. Food Grade Sodium Hydroxide Micro Beads - HDPE container with resealable Child Resistant cap

Randy Holmes-Farley · Mar 9, 2022

michealprater said:
Will this work?

Pure Lye Drain Cleaner / Opener, 2 lbs. Food Grade Sodium Hydroxide Micro Beads - HDPE container with resealable Child Resistant cap

Yes. My suggestion is to read through the above linked thread for discussions by folks using this method. I would suggest it is an advanced method that maty need more care for things like safety and plastic compatibility, etc.

michealprater · Mar 9, 2022

Awesome. Thank you so much! I am always amazed at your willingness to help others and how thorough you are. I have admired this for years from another forum prior to here. Thanks for all you do for the community.

michealprater · Mar 9, 2022

I may have overlooked it, but I am 10 pages in and have yet to see what types of bottles I can use for the solution.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Mar 9, 2022

michealprater said:
I may have overlooked it, but I am 10 pages in and have yet to see what types of bottles I can use for the solution.

Polyethylene and polypropylene are perfect. Others may be OK.

Tankkeepers · Apr 19, 2022

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
Polyethylene and polypropylene are perfect. Others may be OK.

Would food grade be ok to use or will it break down and become brittle over time

Idk so I ask

HuduVudu · Apr 19, 2022

@michealprater I would check your room CO2 this plays a pretty heavy role.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Apr 19, 2022

Tankkeepers said:
Would food grade be ok to use or will it break down and become brittle over time

Idk so I ask

Food grade what? HDPE or PP are fine.

Tankkeepers · Apr 20, 2022

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
Food grade what? HDPE or PP are fine.

My bad lol I did mean plastic and you awnsered my question thank you very much

Have you noticed one having a better life then the other or do they both hold up just fine

I assume they both hold up just fine long term with no leaching or absorbing anything

Also would an acrylic box be better

Thank you for your time

Randy Holmes-Farley · Apr 20, 2022

Both polypropylene and HDPE should last a long time, and any degradation is likely from oxygen and UV slowly damaging the container, not the contents damaging it. HDPE and PP are about as inert as plastics can get.

Acrylic is not better, and is likely worse.