Alkalinty

[TruRacr314x]

I roll with baked baking soda...can never remember if that is carbonate or bicarbonate. My LFS sells it in bulk. I hand dose about 1/2 teaspoon everyday in my 80g and it keeps my Alk level from falling. If I need to raise it...I dose 1/2 teaspoon twice a day until it gets to the level I need it. I would like to automate this...but for now, doing it by hand has been just fine. I like to keep mine around 9.5....

 

[mcarroll]

Any of you running bio pellets had the same problem found that it takes up alk also i use esv salt mix. I used baking soda got it up and started back manually dosing.[...]

What may be just as likely is that your pH dropped due to formation of more carbonic acid in the water...this can fool an alkalinity test kit into reading the alk low.

Do you happen to know by how much alk dropped?

Any chance you have pH readings from the same time? (...or from now?)

-Matt

 

[mcarroll]

I roll with baked baking soda...can never remember if that is carbonate or bicarbonate.

It's baked to remove the "extra" CO2, making it sodium carbonate, aka washing soda.

If your pH is in good range or you are only dosing small amounts, there's nothing wrong with dosing regular baking soda. Actually I was dosing so much washing soda it was spiking my pH so I switched baking soda.

-Matt

P.S. Bakers use the CO2 release from baking soda during baking to make baked goods like bread and cookies rise.

 

[mike007]

Be carefull on adding commercial alk. supplements. I have been using a Redsea test kit and a Hanna tester and both showed low levels. After speaking with Redsea they told me what i needed to add each day to bring level up. My ca. and mag. levels were right on. After this dosing regiment i have had several corals die. Don't know if i can trust these test kits anymore. My opinion is to let the corals tell you if they are happy. These additives even dosed slowly and dosed at the correct amount can sometimes cause diaster.

 

[HelenofTroy]

Be carefull on adding commercial alk. supplements. I have been using a Redsea test kit and a Hanna tester and both showed low levels. After speaking with Redsea they told me what i needed to add each day to bring level up. My ca. and mag. levels were right on. After this dosing regiment i have had several corals die. Don't know if i can trust these test kits anymore. My opinion is to let the corals tell you if they are happy. These additives even dosed slowly and dosed at the correct amount can sometimes cause diaster.

What were your readings after you dosed?

 

[mike007]

As per Redsea advice my levels never get above 6.5 dkh.

 

[ritter6788]

As per Redsea advice my levels never get above 6.5 dkh.

Redsea recommended not to keep alk over 6.5? Don't they make a salt with an alk of 12 or more?

 

[HelenofTroy]

Yeah I thought alk was supposed to be 8-9...

 

[mike007]

Redsea recommended not to keep alk over 6.5? Don't they make a salt with an alk of 12 or more?

Yes isn't that just crazy? I am about to change to something else. If you are running a low nutrient tank 7 dkh is okay. I am not having the results from Redsea i hoped for.

 

[Greenstreet.1]

What may be just as likely is that your pH dropped due to formation of more carbonic acid in the water...this can fool an alkalinity test kit into reading the alk low.

Do you happen to know by how much alk dropped?

Any chance you have pH readings from the same time? (...or from now?)

-Matt

This was in the pass my ph would be at 8 and my alk would be low used the baking soda an ro got it up to 7,5 and been between 7-8 since then ph always been steady 8


The Lord is good.

 

[Budman's Corals]

Yes isn't that just crazy? I am about to change to something else. If you are running a low nutrient tank 7 dkh is okay. I am not having the results from Redsea i hoped for.

Im on my 2nd 175 gallon bucket of the red sea coral pro salt and im running into the same alk prob..I should of stayed with Reef Crystals but was hoping for better results..

 

[Greenstreet.1]

Im on my 2nd 175 gallon bucket of the red sea coral pro salt and im running into the same alk prob..I should of stayed with Reef Crystals but was hoping for better results..

Try esv it's a great mix cost more but you can mix it to the levels that you want just an idea.


The Lord is good.

 

[HelenofTroy]

Yeah ESV is good.

My problem is that alk drops around 1dkh per day in a 10 gallon tank. Does that sound normal? I have all types of corals in there.

 

[Greenstreet.1]

Yeah ESV is good.

My problem is that alk drops around 1dkh per day in a 10 gallon tank. Does that sound normal? I have all types of corals in there.

The smallest tank that I have is a 20g just started it a few months back I have three nems two feather dusters and some mushroom my plan with this tank is not to test I just do about two water changes a week no skimmer and a hob filter that I mod with some rocks and some greens a carbon pad. This is my first small saltwater setup so I don't know how fast it will drop in a small tank. In my 75g before I started to use my dosing pumps I use to dose alk twice a day to keep it at 7.5 I would always drop to 7 within a few hours. Since I started the dosing pump it stays at 7.5.


The Lord is good.

 

[HelenofTroy]

Wow so it would drop 1dkh in 6 hours, or 4dkh per day? That's crazy.

 

[Greenstreet.1]

Wow so it would drop 1dkh in 6 hours, or 4dkh per day? That's crazy.

I use to say the same thing but the dosing pumps made a big difference for me I only dose mag by hand now may change that soon but my apex only has two of the proper outlets for dosing pumps.


The Lord is good.

 

[Greenstreet.1]

I would tell you this I was told by a very great guy on my local forum MR to don't chase numbers when the tank is ready it will let you know when to bring the levels up. He told me that cause my tank was dropping back down to 7,400,1300 and I kept trying to get it higher but it would all ways drop back to that so I kept dosing for those levels until I installed the pumps now I'm at 7.5,421,1350


The Lord is good.

 

[beaslbob]

Yes isn't that just crazy? I am about to change to something else. If you are running a low nutrient tank 7 dkh is okay. I am not having the results from Redsea i hoped for.

Perhaps it is a units issue. Redsea may be using meg/l