Raising alk with fritz reef pro mix

[Jl330]

I've been running reef crystals since I started my tank. My alk stays around 7.5 and my sps is slow growing and brownish. Thinking of switching up to this salt mix to bring up my alkalinity and calcium.

I'd just do 5% water changes weekly till it's at the numbers I want. I'd like all around 10.

Is this a good idea to make the switch? I know kalkwasser could achieve a similar goal but doing it with the salt mix seems like there's less to go wrong.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I belive fritz pro has a Lower alk than reef crystals.

 

[Jl330]

I belive fritz pro has a Lower alk than reef crystals.

Stats from the red box.


SALINITY: 35ppt

ALKALINITY: 10-12ppm

CALCIUM: 400-500ppm

MAGNESIUM: 1300-1400ppm

STRONTIUM: 9ppm

POTASSIUM: 400ppm




That 10-12 ppm alk should be higher.

Or I could start dosing up my water change water where I want it.

 

[Jl330]

I could also try red sea coral pro. I think it's supposed to be in a similar range.

 

[MTBake]

Have you considered dosing an alk solution to the tank to raise it to where you want it? Eventually the water changes won't keep up and you'll need to dose anyway.

FWIW, my alk is at 6.8 dkh right now and my corals seem to be growing fine. Color is good as well.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

How should that be higher than marked?

Reef crystals is 12 -13alk.

You be better served adding saturated like water to the ato or looking at an auto dosing system.

 

[Jl330]

How should that be higher than marked?

Reef crystals is 12 -13alk.

You be better served adding saturated like water to the ato or looking at an auto dosing system.

I don't know why I thought it was lower.

I'll just keep the same path I'm going. Maybe my test is bad. I feel like there's no way I'm using that much.

What's a good easy to use alk test?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I like the Red Sea all test myself.

Depending on the amount of water you are changing , it’ll be much less than the 12-13 in afresh mixed batch.
Your tank actually sounds normal. Test before you do a wc. (Do it twice to verify) then test it after ward.
That difference is how much you use between changes.

 

[Jl330]

I like the Red Sea all test myself.

Depending on the amount of water you are changing , it’ll be much less than the 12-13 in afresh mixed batch.
Your tank actually sounds normal. Test before you do a wc. (Do it twice to verify) then test it after ward.
That difference is how much you use between changes.

I'll do that. With the amount of nitrate in my system, I'd really like to keep it up in the 10-11 range. I've been at 7-8 for the longest time which would be fine with lower nutrients.

 

[MTBake]

Salifert, red sea, and Hanna are good alk test kits.

I would get some soda ash from BRS and make up a solution to increase alk if I wanted to raise it. I keep my alk between 6.5 and 7.5 and haven't had a problem yet. Phosphates are .13 with the Hanna ulr checker and no3 is at 10ppm with Salifert test.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I'll do that. With the amount of nitrate in my system, I'd really like to keep it up in the 10-11 range. I've been at 7-8 for the longest time which would be fine with lower nutrients.

Mine has always been in the 8 range. Experimenting with higher alk levels I saw no difference in color or growth.

If you want to keep it in the higher ranges you’ll need to dose or do larger more frequentl water changes

 

[Jl330]

Salifert, red sea, and Hanna are good alk test kits.

I would get some soda ash from BRS and make up a solution to increase alk if I wanted to raise it. I keep my alk between 6.5 and 7.5 and haven't had a problem yet. Phosphates are .13 with the Hanna ulr checker and no3 is at 10ppm with Salifert test.

Do you keep sps?

Trying to increase growth rate.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Do you keep sps?

Trying to increase growth rate.

Yes , a few.

 

[Jl330]

Looks like everything is fine and I'm just over thinking everything as usual.

I'll just keep up the frequent water changes and testing, keep it stable and start dosing when the water changes aren't keeping up.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

Looks like everything is fine and I'm just over thinking everything as usual.

I'll just keep up the frequent water changes and testing, keep it stable and start dosing when the water changes aren't keeping up.

I’ve had good success with that.

A fwiw , and easy solution is to add kalkwaser to the ato. It’s cheap.
300. -600 ml of the clear liquid added to 2.5 gal container is what I did for a long time before auto dosing.

 

[Jl330]

I’ve had good success with that.

A fwiw , and easy solution is to add kalkwaser to the ato. It’s cheap.
300. -600 ml of the clear liquid added to 2.5 gal container is what I did for a long time before auto dosing.

I've been considering that. I just don't measure the water I put in my ATO. When the bucket is empty, I add more.

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I've been considering that. I just don't measure the water I put in my ATO. When the bucket is empty, I add more.

Same here. It’s such a small dose of kalk it it really never matters.

 

[Jl330]

Same here. It’s such a small dose of kalk it it really never matters.

I'll grab some next time I get a chance and start doing tiny doses.

 

[Jl330]

I just tested my water after vacation and my alk was at 7.

I'm going to do a small 5% water change every day till I get it up over 9. I'll be adding kalk to the ATO to help as well.

 

[Coral Newbie]

I would dose to bring your ALK up then spending the money doing all the water changes.

Few things I have noticed doing my water changes. (I water change 25 gal over 3 days with the apex DOS once every 2 weeks)
1. If you use red sea they tell you to do the water changes within 4hrs of mixing otherwise the trace elements evaporate ( I don’t understand it)
2. I use fritz pro red box and if I keep mixing all day and night to not let the water just site in my mixing tank then my alk will drop over the 3 days. If it is constantly being mix. Again not sure why but I have test with my Hannah after 1st mixing then 3 days later. Went from a 11 to 6