Raising ur alk not using a dkh buffer or something like it

[Sir Chris]

i can't get above 8.2 mid day and increasing amount is doing nothing and I've been scheduling cal and mag doses accordingly. I know alk is like glue of all the element in he tank and want it at 8.5 on my DT. I just set up he frag tank and hoping the guisman bulbs will do but have a 24" hood incase. Photo is for seeing what's in my tank

 

[Brew12]

what is your concern with using a dkh buffer to raise alk?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

There's no way to boost alkalinity without adding bicarbonate, carbonate, or hydroxide.

How much of what have you been adding?

 

[A Toadstool Leather]

Magnesium and calcium levels affect alkalinity. Try testing and even increasing them to increase alkalinity.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Magnesium and calcium levels affect alkalinity. Try testing and even increasing them to increase alkalinity.

Sorry, that is not correct. Increasing calcium will never increase alkalinity and boosting magnesium will only potentially help reduce abiotic precipitation of calcium carbonate, which will reduce the apparent demand for both calcium and alkalinity a bit.

 

[Brew12]

Magnesium and calcium levels affect alkalinity. Try testing and even increasing them to increase alkalinity.

Can I recommend you try reading this?
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-04/rhf/feature/index.php

 

[GoVols]

How much of what have you been adding?

tagging

 

[A Toadstool Leather]

I guess I was wrong. I usually increase alk with baking soda(sodium bicarbonate) , but ive heard baking it into sodium carbonate makes for an effective alk and ph booster.

http://reef.diesyst.com/chemcalc/chemcalc.html
This is a good resource for knowing how much to use

 

[A Toadstool Leather]

Sorry, that is not correct. Increasing calcium will never increase alkalinity and boosting magnesium will only potentially help reduce abiotic precipitation of calcium carbonate, which will reduce the apparent demand for both calcium and alkalinity a bit.

Thanks for the correction. Magnesium levels regulate calcium levels right?

 

[Brew12]

Thanks for the correction. Magnesium levels regulate calcium levels right?

I wouldn't say it regulates calcium so much as it aids corals in the calcification process. It also help prevent calcium carbonate from precipitating out allowing higher levels in seawater. Here is a good read for you.

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2003/10/chemistry

 

[A Toadstool Leather]

I wouldn't say it regulates calcium so much as it aids corals in the calcification process. It also help prevent calcium carbonate from precipitating out allowing higher levels in seawater. Here is a good read for you.

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/2003/10/chemistry

So it enables higher ca levels but indirectly?

 

[Brew12]

So it enables higher ca levels but indirectly?

That sounds accurate, through helping with super saturation.

 

[GoVols]

it aids corals in the calcification process.

+1

Easy way to put it...
Mag is the grease in between the cal and alk ions so your corals can intake cal and alk.

Low mag can cause your cal and alk ions to bind together and freeze your coral intake.

If I'm wrong then I'll happily take a Randy's wrath.

 

[GoVols]

@Brew12
Would you agree with my above post or am I wrong in the thought process?

 

[Brew12]

@Brew12
Would you agree with my above post or am I wrong in the thought process?

Sounds right to me! But, I'm not a chemist so please don't ask me to describe the actual process!

 

[GoVols]

Sounds right to me! But, I'm not a chemist so please don't ask me to describe the actual process!

I'm no chemist either but (lol) I got one more...

Swallowing a peanut butter sandwich:
Cal = Bread
Alk = Peanut Butter
Mag = Saliva

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

So just to clarify a bit...

The main way that magnesium impacts (reduces) the demand for calcium and alkalinity is that as soon as some calcium carbonate begins to precipitate and form a solid, magnesium gets onto the growing crystal surface in place of some of the calcium, messing up the structure and making it not a good template for more precipitation.

The main way that magnesium MAY increase the demand for calcium and alkalinity is that some organisms (notably coralline algae) may calcify faster with higher magnesium. I'm not certain of this as I've never seen a study, but coralline uses a lot of magneisum relative to calcium and alkalinity, and some reefers thing that higher magnesium spurs its growth.

 

[GoVols]

I agree with heavy coralline and mag intake going up, just because I've seen it too.
If I see coralline kicking in then I test mag levels more often to be sure my mag level stays consistent in the display and adjust if needed.

 

[Sir Chris]

Woh I got a good response. Thanks and I've been using a buffer and dose hours apart on cal and mag is like once a week usally. And buffer at the 5 hour point 2 not swing alk and get 8.2 and 8.0 always. I've been wanting just 8.4 for months now and am getting close but buffers scare me as brown jelly started on a rainbow acan a year ago and saved it by cutting 1/3 of that colony off a lot say I'm lucky but I think jelly is a bacterial start as it goes head 2 head. But regardless. That's y I shy on buffers. But been using 1 I wanted 2 know if a better way other then almost daily dosing. Thanks

 

[Sir Chris]

i did have a horde of asteria stars that ate 90% of my coroline and my harlequin when I see it looks larger every time. So it's possible the lack of coroline through my mag out of balance as I've never had bad salt creep and it's bad since they started there attack on my purple. My glass was covered and has been reverted 2 glass again... haha