Manual alk dosing

[Red2143]

I have a 32 gallon biocube and may be getting close to the point where there is an alkalinity deficit at the end of the week after a 10% water change. What products should I look into for manual dosing?

 

[Jekyl]

I have a 32 gallon biocube and may be getting close to the point where there is an alkalinity deficit at the end of the week after a 10% water change. What products should I look into for manual dosing?

Baking soda

 

[nereefpat]

For manual dosing, a solution of baking soda is probably the easiest. If you know how much alk consumption is for the week, we can help you calculate how much you need.

 

[homer1475]

Plain jane arm and hammer is all I've used for many years.

Google "Randy's DIY 2 part recipe"

And a simple calculator:

Reef Chemistry Calculator

 

[bushdoc]

Second all advice given prior, baking soda ( Sodium Bicarbonate) doesn't raise pH and can be given as a bolus. That is what I am dosing for one of my smaller tanks.
When you start dosing dKH you should probably also correct Ca as those go together, your corals are using both Alkalinity and Calcium to build skeleton.

 

[homer1475]

While I have never used it, I hear great things about All for reef from tropic marin.

Being you have a smaller tank, it wouldn't cost you a ton, and it's a 1 solution for everything.

 

[pledosophy]

Personally I like two part for small tanks. I use Brightwell but used B Ionic for years as well.

You'll need to dose for alk and calcium, equal parts of each. My routine for years was get up, make coffee, while the coffee was brewing test my tank for alk, dose the two part to get my levels where I wanted them, empty my skimmer and rinse the neck, go back and stand in front of the coffee maker waiting for the full cup to finish.

Once you get the process down it will take you less then 5-10 minutes a day. If you want to get fancy and spend a bunch of money an Apex will do this for you.

 

[nothing_fancy]

I use tropic marin AFR on a 40 gallon sps dominant system. Dose is fairly light at 14ml spread out over 2 doses daily. When my Mag and Cal start to creep up I lower the dose down to 12ml. Occasionally my alk will start to dip low so I put in a little Brightwell alkalin8.3 and that seems to help stabilize. I am definitely interested in the baking soda method though. Id also like to get my alkalinity up a bit over time without causing rises in other parameters.

 

[Privateye]

I use this:

It's sodium carbonate (soda ash) so it's stronger than baking soda. I dissolve it in some RO water and then put it in bottles or my dosing pump reservoir.

 

[Gtinnel]

Baking soda that I bake in the oven to convert to soda ash is all I’ve ever used to maintain alkalinity.

 

[Sebastiancrab]

I have a 40 breeder and tried All for Reef. I wasn't successful in maintaining alk and calcium at the right levels. I now use Seachem Reef Complete and am switching to baking soda after starting out with BRS liquid sodium bicarbonate. All for Reef is expensive.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Occasionally my alk will start to dip low so I put in a little Brightwell alkalin8.3 and that seems to help stabilize. I am definitely interested in the baking soda method though. Id also like to get my alkalinity up a bit over time without causing rises in other parameters.

As an fyi, sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) is the main ingredient in the Brightwell alkaline 8.3.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I use this:

It's sodium carbonate (soda ash) so it's stronger than baking soda. I dissolve it in some RO water and then put it in bottles or my dosing pump reservoir.

My only concern with that, and the reason I recommended baked baking soda instead (which produces the same chemical: sodium carbonate) is the lack of a purity guarantee that does come with baking soda.

 

[Gtinnel]

the lack of a purity guarantee that does come with baking soda.

I think you meant to say the lack of purity guarantee that comes with washing soda.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I see how my sentence might be misinterpreted. You are right in your interpretation.

I meant it to be read this way:

the lack of a purity guarantee for washing soda, a guarantee that does come with baking soda.

 

[Privateye]

My only concern with that, and the reason I recommended baked baking soda instead (which produces the same chemical: sodium carbonate) is the lack of a purity guarantee that does come with baking soda.

I hear ya, and that's totally a fair concern. Frankly I don't know anyone who has taken my advice on it in recent years and I have plenty of reefer friends. I used soda ash from a chemical supply company for about 3 years until I left that particular job (and their retail license). After that I mentioned to my coworker that I used soda ash for alkalinity, and he was the guy to buy this brand first. It worked for him for 2 years. I didn't have any alkalinity issues at the time so I didn't check try it myself.

Years later my coral growth was very high and I needed to supplement. I stood in Walmart, holding this product while I called Arm & Hammer. I asked if there were any additives or other things not stated on the box. They confirmed there weren't any. I realize they can't determine exactly what impurities could be in it. I decided to try it though. I was only on the phone 3 minutes too - good phone coverage for Arm & Hammer!

And that was 5 years ago. You're right that there could be something in there that's a concern, but if so I haven't seen any signs. I posted knowing I'd be the odd-man-out, but sometimes that's a good thing. It's simply the cheapest alkalinity booster I've found. I think I use about 2 boxes a year in my 90 gallon. When I bring big corals to the Orlando stores, often the same colony as the last visit, they always ask the same thing: "so....what are you doing?"

Good question. I'm not 100% sure but this may be part of it. I make a point never to mention it in earshot of a customer at a fish store though. They need to sell their stuff.

 

[OceanDreamer]

Baking soda