Water change alkalinity

Rmckoy · Mar 20, 2022

FRANK48 said:
How do I calculate consumption and also know when to dose to keep the level correct

Raise the level slowly to you’re goal level .
and wait 24 hours to test again .

test daily 24 hours apart for 5 days to calculate how much it drops in that period .

FRANK48 · Mar 20, 2022

Rmckoy said:
Raise the level slowly to you’re goal level .
and wait 24 hours to test again .

test daily 24 hours apart for 5 days to calculate how much it drops in that period .

So I would test 5 days a week and then once I find out how much my alk drop I would dose to keep it up?

Rmckoy · Mar 20, 2022

FRANK48 said:
So I would test 5 days a week and then once I find out how much my alk drop I would dose to keep it up?

Test today . And dose to get to your goal .
So example : if you test now and it’s at 7.25
Dose enough to raise alk to 7.5 today .
tomorrow dose to get to 7.75
And so on

by the time you get to your goal test only for 5 days ( do not dose )
At the end of the 5 days you will know how much is needed for 5 days .
divide that by 5 to get your daily dose amount .

5 days is to get a more accurate average

Lavey29 · Mar 20, 2022

FRANK48 said:
So I would test 5 days a week and then once I find out how much my alk drop I would dose to keep it up?

Basically, you could test for 2 days if you want. Same time each day and see what your alk drops over a 24 hour period then determine based on water volume how much you need to dose to keep it stabil over 24 hours rather then the slight drop.

Miami Reef · Mar 20, 2022

Rmckoy said:
Test today . And dose to get to your goal .
So example : if you test now and it’s at 7.25
Dose enough to raise alk to 7.5 today .
tomorrow dose to get to 7.75
And so on

by the time you get to your goal test only for 5 days ( do not dose )
At the end of the 5 days you will know how much is needed for 5 days .
divide that by 5 to get your daily dose amount .

5 days is to get a more accurate average

This is well said ^

You’ll be much more precise by doing this.

FRANK48 · Mar 20, 2022

Miami Reef said:
This is well said ^

You’ll be much more precise by doing this.

I will does baking soda and do this yes

Doctorgori · Mar 20, 2022

I won’t confuse any mix of my advise, do as advised and you’ll fine.
Simplest thing moving forward might be pick a salt brand and match its parameters … dose and maintain however you want, frequent testing with calibrated alkalinity test cures all evils

FRANK48 · Mar 20, 2022

Doctorgori said:
I won’t confuse any mix of my advise, do as advised and you’ll fine.
Simplest thing moving forward might be pick a salt brand and match its parameters … dose and maintain however you want, frequent testing with calibrated alkalinity test cures all evils

My salt has its alk at 11.5

Doctorgori · Mar 20, 2022

FRANK48 said:
How do I calculate consumption and also know when to dose to keep the level correct

that’s a longer answer, hopefully will beat me to this but I’ll try to find a good dosing article, help appreciated

FRANK48 said:
I will does baking soda and do this yes

you could, Randy just said so and trust me, we all do as he says (lol) … no peers in this arena… I won’t dare advise as I don’t know and I like kalkwasser to dose in the beginning, but 2 part (which can use baking soda) and a few other ways aren’t much harder …you have choices that’s why nobody’s being definitive

Doctorgori · Mar 20, 2022

FRANK48 said:
My salt has its alk at 11.5

I just lost confidence that range…thanks to @Miami Reef … what’s your salt brand and how are you dosing ?

Doctorgori · Mar 20, 2022

Rmckoy said:
Perhaps I’ve missed something where higher alk levels are becoming more desirable ?

higher levels = higher consumption
But without the demand I don’t see the benefit

yeah I’m questioning the benefit also, but to your question ICYMI it started when they came out with Reef Crystals , then they started adding elevated levels faster than they added sugar to kids cereal … I dunno what Fritz Redline is, but I was cutting it with Instant Ocean just to sell at street level

Rmckoy · Mar 20, 2022

Doctorgori said:
yeah I’m questioning the benefit also, but to your question ICYMI it started when they came out with Reef Crystals , then they started adding elevated levels faster than they added sugar to kids cereal … I dunno what Fritz Redline is, but I was cutting it with Instant Ocean just to sell at street level

Cutting to sell at street level .
sounds illegal

I think the red box compared to the blue is society believes high alk grows corals faster .
and in the day and age where everyone is trying to make extra money faster , why not try selling frags and have them growing at a fast enough rate to keep up with demand

Rmckoy · Mar 20, 2022

Doctorgori said:
yeah I’m questioning the benefit also, but to your question ICYMI it started when they came out with Reef Crystals , then they started adding elevated levels faster than they added sugar to kids cereal … I dunno what Fritz Redline is, but I was cutting it with Instant Ocean just to sell at street level

I made another post . And tagged you as well

FRANK48 · Mar 20, 2022

Doctorgori said:
I just lost confidence that range…thanks to @Miami Reef … what’s your salt brand and how are you dosing ?

im using red sea coral pro

Doctorgori · Mar 20, 2022

FRANK48 said:
im using red sea coral pro

I won’t poo poo any salt brand or it’s levels as I’m 100% certain there are some sharp tanks running it …I think the satellite conversation is are those elevated alkalinity levels even required.
Not derailing your thread OP ..
Randy Holmes Farley has written some good articles on reef chemistry even I can understand.
FWIW I might go back to cheap Instant Ocean regular and keep my tanks there

FRANK48 · Mar 20, 2022

Rmckoy said:
Test today . And dose to get to your goal .
So example : if you test now and it’s at 7.25
Dose enough to raise alk to 7.5 today .
tomorrow dose to get to 7.75
And so on

by the time you get to your goal test only for 5 days ( do not dose )
At the end of the 5 days you will know how much is needed for 5 days .
divide that by 5 to get your daily dose amount .

5 days is to get a more accurate average

I just doses sodium bicarbonate and I tested about an hour later and my DKH is now 9.5 I’m very confused on how it jumped up so fast