Quick Q on ALK

Vincent100 · Nov 28, 2016

Hi all
What's the max I can raise my alk in one go without causing alk burns
Iv let my alk drop lower than I'd like ,sitting at 7.3 or 7.5 on a salifert test kit , I'm waiting for the full colour change ....pink before takeing my reading , I read the other day that the first colour change....light purple is the real level so if that's so my alk in sitting even lower
Any info guys and gals would be great thanks

bif24701 · Nov 28, 2016

Your not in any danger right now. So I would raise it as slowly as you can. Swings in water parameters are not good either way. Do you dose by hand or via a doser?

Vincent100 · Nov 28, 2016

By hand , iv got a single doseing pump but have never got round to setting it up

bif24701 · Nov 28, 2016

Yea, get that set up and dose enough to raise your ALK by 0.1 each day until you reach your desired level. You also need to account for daily usage also. If dosing by hand do the same.

Use the Reef Calculator on BRS for your two part ALK.

You don't want to add a lot of Soda ash all in the same day. It will increase your pH severely.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Nov 29, 2016

Your alk is fine right now. Even 7.0 dKH is fine.

What is your target?

Vincent100 · Nov 29, 2016

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
Your alk is fine right now. Even 7.0 dKH is fine.

What is your target?

Hi Randy
8.5 but I'm thinking maybe 9 dKH the reason being is I buy my water from my lfs for water change and their water comes up higher dKH than mine sits at .....Iv got a drum of salt water sitting here I'm gonna test it in a min and come back with the dKH , maybe you can tell me if it's a ok number to keep it at
At the min iv got high numbers on my no3 po4 which I'm working on bringing down just abit mainly po4

MaiReef · Nov 29, 2016

bif24701 said:
Your not in any danger right now. So I would raise it as slowly as you can. Swings in water parameters are not good either way. Do you dose by hand or via a doser?

+1

Randy Holmes-Farley · Nov 29, 2016

To raise it, you will have to add more than the daily demand, but IMO you can add 0.4 dKH per day to the demand amount to raise it over a few days.

Vincent100 · Nov 29, 2016

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
To raise it, you will have to add more than the daily demand, but IMO you can add 0.4 dKH per day to the demand amount to raise it over a few days.

Thanks Randy

Just tested the nsw from my lfs ,took the reading from the first colour change instead of waiting for it to go pink
8.9 dKH
Is that a ok number to keep it at ?
Also posted a pic of the colour change , went from a start colour of blue/green to this purple ...am I now takeing the real reading
Salifert test kit
Thanks

Randy Holmes-Farley · Nov 29, 2016

8.9 dKH is fine, but I generally wouldn't pick an alkalinity just because the LFS uses it.

Gravityreefing · Nov 30, 2016

Randy holmes -Farley I wonder if you can help me out as well. I have a post title Dosing help. Can you please give me some help or any feed back as to my post?? Thanks in advance..