Maintaining Alk

[Potatohead]

It cannot be overbaked in a home oven.

This sounds like a challenge.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Well I was always taught to only dose what’s is needed and in past more alk is consumed than calcium in my tank, which wouldn’t be the same amounts...

The two part will keep calcium about where it is if you dose both parts based on the alkalinity demand. If calcium starts excessively high and you want it lower, or water changes with a high calcium mix keep pushing it up, then it is ok to dose less or not at all.

But bear in mind that you cannot readily see by kit the calcium decline associated with a 1 or even 2 dKH decline in alk because it drops so slowly (and, so the amount of calcium dosed in equal parts is also low).

 

[Travis Stewart]

The two part will keep calcium about where it is if you dose both parts based on the alkalinity demand. If calcium starts excessively high and you want it lower, or water changes with a high calcium mix keep pushing it up, then it is ok to dose less or not at all.

But bear in mind that you cannot readily see by kit the calcium decline associated with a 1 or even 2 dKH decline in alk because it drops so slowly (and, so the amount of calcium dosed in equal parts is also low).

So ideally it’s safe to get calcium and all where I like it(relative to my salt mix) amen dose equal parts from there?

 

[Mike Reef Addict]

I read and understand his literature lol but other than it being less soluble is there a physical attribute associated with knowing if it needs more time?

Randy said something about weight

 

[Travis Stewart]

Sorry my phone has a mind of its own

 

[gfox]

Lol I think he’s asking how do you know IF it needs more baking lol

Thank You

 

[Catfish2]

I belive BRS has just repackaged their additives. I'm assuming it's the same stuff though. I haven't really looked into it though. Can anyone confirm if it is indeed discontinued or just repackaged?

 

[BigJohnny]

They didn't discontinue it they just changed it. It's now in bags that are better at keeping moisture out and they upgraded the purity of some of the powders. They don't sell the big 5 gal buckets anymore though.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

So ideally it’s safe to get calcium and all where I like it(relative to my salt mix) amen dose equal parts from there?

Yes. That’s what I’d do unless calcium is already too high, or you use a sulfur denitrator (which depleted alk and not calcium).

 

[Travis Stewart]

Ended up going with recipe #1

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

This sounds like a challenge.

lol

I think to drive off another molecule of CO2 from sodium carbonate, you need to heat to 500 deg C (932 deg F).

Na2CO3 —-> Na2O + CO2

That will still be ok, it just makes an equivalent to my newer super high pH two part that uses NaOH instead of sodium carbonate.

 

[Lou Ekus]

Not trying to be too product oriented here, but, as always, when thinking about 2 Part addition, I recommend looking into the true Balling Method:


There re also new products that simplify things like:

http://www.tropic-marin.com/minerals/carbocalcium-pulver-powder/?lang=en

 

[Saltyanimals]

Anyone know how to make the alk solution more potent? I rather use less ml of a stronger solution and have to refill the container less often. . Randy?

 

[Travis Stewart]

Anyone know how to make the alk solution more potent? I rather use less ml of a stronger solution and have to refill the container less often. . Randy?

You would think you could use more baking soda...

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

It's not so simple. Alk supplements in two part systems are often close to the solubility limit and cannot always easily be made more potent.

That how I decided to set the concentration of the parts.

When you use sodium carbonate (baked baking soda), that dissolves more than sodium bicarbonate (unbaked baking soda) and is why my Recipe#1 is twice as potent as Recipe #2.

If you really need a higher potency, you can make a two part out of sodium hydroxide:

New DIY Two Part Recipes with Higher pH Boost
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/new-diy-two-part-recipes-with-higher-ph-boost.344500/

Second New DIY Two Part Recipe with Higher pH Boost
https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/second-new-diy-two-part-recipe-with-higher-ph-boost.357080/

 

[BigJohnny]

Randy what do you think about what hanz balling said in that video about how using regular 2 part increases the percentage of sodium chloride in the water therefore lowering everything else's %, and that we should also be dosing everything else in seawater but sodium chloride proportionally, aka the third part of balling?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Randy what do you think about what hanz balling said in that video about how using regular 2 part increases the percentage of sodium chloride in the water therefore lowering everything else's %, and that we should also be dosing everything else in seawater but sodium chloride proportionally, aka the third part of balling?

That is true if you only add sodium carbonate and calcium chloride. It is NOT true of commercial two or three part systems.

Those balanced two systems (e.g., B-ionic) just take that sodium chloride free salt mix, and puts those same ions in one or the other (or both) of the two parts.

In the end, the delivery to the tank is essentially the same between a perfectly designed two part and perfectly designed balling. While both raise salinity, the two part may raise it a bit more since it may tank a little bit more mass to get a proper distribution of what is needed in the two parts.

In terms of DIY recipes, those keep most of the big ions properly balanced, and that is why, for example, the magnesium part contains both chloride and sulfate and should be used as directed, not best be used as "needed" based on testing of magnesium alone. But there is no doubt a DIY is normally less complete in this context for ions such as borate, fluoride, etc. Some people add many of the major and minor ions to them, but most do not.

 

[BigJohnny]

That is true if you only add sodium carbonate and calcium chloride. It is NOT true of commercial two or three part systems.

Those balanced two systems (e.g., B-ionic) just take that sodium chloride free salt mix, and puts those same ions in one or the other (or both) of the two parts.

In the end, the delivery to the tank is essentially the same between a perfectly designed two part and perfectly designed balling. While both raise salinity, the two part may raise it a bit more since it may tank a little bit more mass to get a proper distribution of what is needed in the two parts.

In terms of DIY recipes, those keep most of the big ions properly balanced, and that is why, for example, the magnesium part contains both chloride and sulfate and should be used as directed, not best be used as "needed" based on testing of magnesium alone. But there is no doubt a DIY is normally less complete in this context for ions such as borate, fluoride, etc. Some people add many of the major and minor ions to them, but most do not.

What if you primarily use kalkwasser? Also are these ions all things that you can check via icp?

 

[reefer4816]

they didnt discontinue the brs stuff. They just came out with better stuff....

https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/brs-pharma-additives

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

What if you primarily use kalkwasser? Also are these ions all things that you can check via icp?

If you use limewater/kalkwasser, you are having no effect on salinity/the other ions, so do not need anything like the the sodium chloride free salt mix, and would not benefit from it.

You may want various element supplements (magnesium, trace elements, etc.), just as you might while using Balling or a two part, but do not need other ions "because" of the method, which you do need when using sodium bicarbonate/carbonate/hydroxide and calcium chloride as the primary means of adding calcium and alkalinity.