Help please

[Jilly92]

My alk is quite low but my Ca is perfect. Tested twice because i thought there must be a mistake. How to fix without raising calcium? I'm on day 2 of a blackout with only corals in tank right now. Not sure why ammonia is up.

 

[Jilly92]

My alk is quite low but my Ca is perfect. Tested twice because i thought there must be a mistake. How to fix without raising calcium? I'm on day 2 of a blackout with only corals in tank right now. Not sure why ammonia is up.

My alk is quite low but my Ca is perfect. Tested twice because i thought there must be a mistake. How to fix without raising calcium? I'm on day 2 of a blackout with only corals in tank right now. Not sure why ammonia is up.

I'm using redsea test kit

 

[Jekyl]

Don't raise it more than 1 dkh a day.
Here's a calculator and you can use simple baking soda.

Reef Chemistry Calculator

 

[fishguy242]

Don't raise it more than 1 dkh a day.
Here's a calculator and you can use simple baking soda.

Reef Chemistry Calculator

what he said... and monitor alk same time of day for following days ,to adjust ...

 

[Jilly92]

Don't raise it more than 1 dkh a day.
Here's a calculator and you can use simple baking soda.

Reef Chemistry Calculator

Wow thank you that's very helpful

 

[Jilly92]

what he said... and monitor alk same time of day for following days ,to adjust ...

Awesome

 

[Jilly92]

I can't believe I've never heard of that calculator before!

 

[Jilly92]

Sorry one more thing. If I use baking soda it will somewhat lower pH and if I use baked baking soda it says it will have a substantially higher pH. So if I just wanted to raise the pH a little can I do half baking soda and half baked baking soda? Mix them together in rodi to make a solution and dose it slowly?

 

[Jedi1199]

Question.... what do you have in your tank that requires a higher alk level?

 

[Jilly92]

Question.... what do you have in your tank that requires a higher alk level?

It's a mixed reef. My test kit says it should be 4.1-11.5

 

[Jack Ravensbergen]

Don't raise it more than 1 dkh a day.
Here's a calculator and you can use simple baking soda.

Reef Chemistry Calculator

+1

 

[homer1475]

ALK of 7 is what NSW is, it's not that low FYI.

Most like to keep it in the middle for a little wiggle room of around 8. I personally keep my tank at 7 to 7.5.

Sodium bicarb yes has a small PH lowering effect, but at the amount your adding, you probably won't even notice the slight lowering of PH.

Curious though, what have you been adding for 2 part?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Sorry one more thing. If I use baking soda it will somewhat lower pH and if I use baked baking soda it says it will have a substantially higher pH. So if I just wanted to raise the pH a little can I do half baking soda and half baked baking soda? Mix them together in rodi to make a solution and dose it slowly?

Yes, but that's that's generally a waste of time.

The pH drop of bicarbonate is very small, and the rise with carbonate is not as much as most people want.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

It's a mixed reef. My test kit says it should be 4.1-11.5

Must be a typo?

No kit should recommend alk as low as 4 dKH.

 

[Jilly92]

ALK of 7 is what NSW is, it's not that low FYI.

Most like to keep it in the middle for a little wiggle room of around 8. I personally keep my tank at 7 to 7.5.

Sodium bicarb yes has a small PH lowering effect, but at the amount your adding, you probably won't even notice the slight lowering of PH.

Curious though, what have you been adding for 2 part?

I don't add anything.

 

[Jilly92]

Must be a typo?

No kit should recommend alk as low as 4 dKH.

4.1 is meq dkh is 11.5. No typo

 

[Jilly92]

Must be a typo?

No kit should recommend alk as low as 4 dKH.

ALK of 7 is what NSW is, it's not that low FYI.

Most like to keep it in the middle for a little wiggle room of around 8. I personally keep my tank at 7 to 7.5.

Sodium bicarb yes has a small PH lowering effect, but at the amount your adding, you probably won't even notice the slight lowering of PH.

Curious though, what have you been adding for 2 part?

What is NSW? I've always had good range numbers and never had to dose so I'm learning.

 

[Jeffcb]

It's a mixed reef. My test kit says it should be 4.1-11.5

I shoot for 11.5 on my reef tank but it is hard to keep it there.

 

[Jilly92]

Yes, but that's that's generally a waste of time.

The pH drop of bicarbonate is very small, and the rise with carbonate is not as much as most people want.

I got time I want to raise ph to 8 atleast

 

[Jilly92]

I shoot for 11.5 on my reef tank but it is hard to keep it there.

That's what I'm going for