Need some help alk issue dosing

[EXOTICAQUATIX]

First off I want to say thanks everyone has been great over the last few weeks helping me troubleshoot. Long story short I need I raise my alk (I think) before I start testing to figure out what I need to to dose with my dosing pump. My parameters as of now are as follows

Sg1.025
Ph 7.91
Magnesium 1400ppm
Alk 7.0
Calcium 400ppm
Phosphate 0
Nitrate <5 ppm

How do I raise My alk safely and where should I try to get it before I start my 4 days of testing to see how much of each additive I need to dose.
Thanks in advance

 

[rworegon]

target alk is 8-12 dkh. Sodium carbonate (baking soda baked @ 400 for about an hour) will raise Alk. Or you can get Sodium carbonate from BRS. They have a reef calculator on their site to figure amount to dose. Be careful with Alk on the high end of that range if you are running GFO. You can burn your sps with high alk.

 

[RedReefer]

Looks like you need to raise your calcium also. If you plan on using dosing pumps I would raise cal&alk with the two part liquid solution that you plan on dosing with. Do not raise just alk it will throw your reef out of balance. You need to raise both at the same time.

 

[Reefing Madness]

Calcium at 400 is not bad. And Alk at 7 is not entirely bad either.
But you want to raise your Alk:
No reason to bake if your just using it to raise your alk.
A tablespoon of Baking Soda will raise your Alk 1dKH. I mix mine up in a 32oz glass, then dump in a high flow area. Slowly dump in a high flow area.
Reef Chemistry Calculator

If you don't bake it, use dosage as listed. It will have a low ph affect for an hour or so. If you bake it, that makes it stronger, so only use half that dose, and it will a high affect on your ph, but they affect the ph only for a brief period.

 

[mike007]

Anywhere from 7-10 dkh is okay. With 7 you want ca. to be about 410 The higher the alk. the higher the ca. needs to be. As far as raising alk. i would not raise more than 1 dkh a day. Baked baking soda works great.

 

[joekool]

Do not increase alkalinity levels more than 0.5meq/lt or 1.4 dKH per day.

For example, the table below shows a series of balanced combinations of calcium and alkalinity in modified seawater:

Calcium (ppm)

Alkalinity (meq/L)

360

0

-------------------

-------------------

390

1.5

400

2.0

410

2.5 (seawater)

420

3.0

430

3.5

440

4.0

450

4.5

460

5.0

-------------------

-------------------

600

12 (possible CaCO3/CO2 Reactor Effluent)

 

[joekool]

7dKH is 2.5meg/L you could just increase Ca to 410

Personally I like to keep my dHK between 12.3 to 12.7 and Ca 455 area.
My SPS are growing great with new polyps every day. LPS are showing new polyps starting as well. Most of which is because I have been doing weekly water changes and I use Red Sea Coral Pro Salt at .026 or 35ppt which when stable is at those levels.

hope any of this helps. IT depends on the types of corals you are trying to grow.

 

[EXOTICAQUATIX]

Ok thanks guys I'm slowly trying to raise alk with baking soda and dosing calcium. I have BRS calc mag and alk and plan on using a dosing pump

 

[joekool]

I use the BRS stuff too.
What do you plan on taking it to?
BRS calc works great. nice feature!

 

[AquamanE]

Looks like you need to raise your calcium also. If you plan on using dosing pumps I would raise cal&alk with the two part liquid solution that you plan on dosing with. Do not raise just alk it will throw your reef out of balance. You need to raise both at the same time.

I agree with Redreefer- raise to your proffered goal. then figure out your tanks demand and dose BOTH at same amounts per calculator of your choice. DO NOT DOSE WITH SEPARATE AMOUNTS. this will lead to inbalance. ALK, and CA are consumed equally.

 

[EXOTICAQUATIX]

Ok so I would like my dkh around 11 and calcium 440. What calculator do I use to find out the equal parts of calcium and alk to accomplish this

 

[EXOTICAQUATIX]

BRS calculator says for my 150 g I should use 460.5ml of solution to raise my calcium from 410 to 440 to raise my dkh from 7 to 11 I need 428.8 ml of solution. So how do I add these in equal parts to raise both alk and calc simultaneously? Ml for ml I would have about 31 more ml of calc solution. I use BRS 2 part and mag by the way

 

[AquamanE]

BRS calculator says for my 150 g I should use 460.5ml of solution to raise my calcium from 410 to 440 to raise my dkh from 7 to 11 I need 428.8 ml of solution. So how do I add these in equal parts to raise both alk and calc simultaneously? Ml for ml I would have about 31 more ml of calc solution. I use BRS 2 part and mag by the way

I would just pour the Ca in. Wait a few hours, then add the ALk, but raise no more than 1.4 DKH per day, so it will take you two-three days.

Once this is done re measure, make sure you are where you want. Once you are, dose nothing for 3-4 days. Remeasure. This will give you your tanks current demmand for that number of days. Divide by the number of days and this is your daily consumption.

Ide measure ca/alk daily for a few days, once you find your daily dosage, then every 2-3 days, until you are comfortable that all is working well.

Thats it, then you go into maintenance mode. I measure alk 1-2x per week and change dosing for both on your alk results since ca does not move as quickly. Cal i measure once a month. I aslo measure mg once a month. keep it in check or you willl have difficulty with alk/ca.

 

[EXOTICAQUATIX]

Ok where should my mag be with calc 440 and alk 11? And thanks your very helpful

 

[AquamanE]

Ok where should my mag be with calc 440 and alk 11? And thanks your very helpful

Ive read above 1320, I like to keep at 1400. Mg also is not used up as quickly.

That being said, I use salts that i make sure are high in Ca, and Mg, so rarely have to adjust them with my water-change schedule.

 

[joekool]

exotix don't pour all that Ca in all at ounce. do it over a few days do the same with your alk. If you pour 460ml of Ca at ounce you will see percipitation your glass will have white dust all over it. I would bring it up over a week maybe 75ml a day.

 

[joekool]

exotix it's not that you want to add the same ml amount of each at the same time it's the fact that you want to bring it up in a balanced ratio. Okay try this 50 ml of each a day test after two days and report back.

I use Red Sea Coral Coral pro salt and that keeps my levels up but I do dose.

 

[AquamanE]

exotix don't pour all that Ca in all at ounce. do it over a few days do the same with your alk. If you pour 460ml of Ca at ounce you will see percipitation your glass will have white dust all over it. I would bring it up over a week maybe 75ml a day.

On a 150? Doubtful. He is only raising by 30ppm. Max recommended is 50ppm per day.

I suppose if he has to spread out cause of Alk anyways its OK, but doubt 30ppm will cause that response you are mentioning.

 

[joekool]

also did you subtract the gallonage of the LR and sand. you should have less than 150 gallons in 150 tank. although 10 gallons of LR doesn't change the calc very much but you should calc based on net volume

 

[joekool]

Yes you are right aqua man I forgot for a second we were talking about a 150 tank smaller doses would be better. to get it up. safer too. Exotic go with the 30ml a day check in three days and report back numbers.
also Mg does last awhile if you use a good reef salt it should stay relatively high. The BRS kit gives you so much. I will replace the CA and alk way before even making the second batch that came with the kit.