Dosing AFR overnight

[Reefer911]

I am currently running a continuous drip of alk overnight and have been doing this a few months. Been working great and holding my alk tight at 8.4. However, I am currently dialing it back and transitioning to AFR, and have been dosing 5ml in the morning and 5ml at night. When I completely wean off alk, should I dose the 10ml of AFR overnight to prevent alk/pH swings after lights out (or would it even accomplish that)?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Alk is likely more consumed during the day than night, and AFR does not boost pH, so there's no reason to dose it at night.

It's a little more complicated to try to level alk with AFR than with an immediate alk supplement, but spreading it out during the day is likly the best plan.

 

[jhadaway]

I am currently running a continuous drip of alk overnight and have been doing this a few months. Been working great and holding my alk tight at 8.4. However, I am currently dialing it back and transitioning to AFR, and have been dosing 5ml in the morning and 5ml at night. When I completely wean off alk, should I dose the 10ml of AFR overnight to prevent alk/pH swings after lights out (or would it even accomplish that)?

I run six doses a day, one of them in the middle of the night. I don't have anything to map out a reading like an Apex but my alk has been steady anytime I measure throughout the day. I bought the smallest doser I could and dose as little as I can in one minute (minimum time on timer) multiplied by how ever many times it takes to keep the alk stable.
By dosing all at night you may be seeing a big drop through the day then pumping it back up at night. I would take a test every 3 hours throughout a day to give you an idea of what your consumption is and when and set up the smallest dose you can to push up the alk and keep it stable.
The transition will take some time and daily testing but once you dial it in it sticks. Once you get the alk stable, get your calcium and mag at the right levels. I haven't had to adjust them separately yet. AFR has been great for me (Except when the dosing bottle runs out-)

 

[Reefer911]

Thanks for the guidance. I forget now but I guess I started dosing alk at night to prevent pH swings.
What are some ideas to keep pH stable overnight?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Thanks for the guidance. I forget now but I guess I started dosing alk at night to prevent pH swings.
What are some ideas to keep pH stable overnight?

Outside air to skimmer, CO2 scrubber on skimmer inlet, reverse lit refugium, and different alk product instead of or in addition to AFR,

 

[jhadaway]

Outside air to skimmer, CO2 scrubber on skimmer inlet, reverse lit refugium, and different alk product instead of or in addition to AFR,

I do run a refugium at night and ph hasn't been an issue for me. -yet.

 

[Reefer911]

Outside air to skimmer, CO2 scrubber on skimmer inlet, reverse lit refugium, and different alk product instead of or in addition to AFR,

Thanks Randy. Due to a couple of reasons, one of which is traveling out of town, I will be dosing AFR via pump and I have only one Versa until I get my GHL up and running on my new build. Is it possible to mix Brightwell’s Alkalin 8.3 with AFR without precipitating? I understand it might be tricky figuring out how much to add however, assuming they won’t form a precipitate reaction

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Thanks Randy. Due to car couple of reasons, one of which is traveling out of town, I will be dosing AFR via pump and I have only one Versa until I get my GHL up and running on my new build. Is it possible to mix Brightwell’s Alkalin 8.3 with AFR without precipitating? I understand it might be tricky figuring out how much to add however, assuming they won’t form a precipitate reaction

No, you cannot put that product in AFR (calcium carbonate will precipitate), and it’s a poor choice if raising pH is the goal.

 

[Reefer911]

No, you cannot put that product in AFR (calcium carbonate will precipitate), and it’s a poor choice if raising pH is the goal.

Ok thanks. What would be your product of choice? I don’t have any of the other options readily available to me right now, but will consider a CO2 scrubber in the future

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Ok thanks. What would be your product of choice? I don’t have any of the other options readily available to me right now, but will consider a CO2 scrubber in the future

If the goal is an alk supplement that raises pH:

1. the biggest effect is from hydroxide (say, limewater/kalkwasser or my very high pH two part using sodium hydroxide)
2. second biggest pH boost is from carbonate (many two parts)
3. little effect from products like 8.3,
4. a slight pH lowering from AFR and bicarbonate,
5. a bigger pH drop from acetate (like Salifert All in One)