Raising Alk Levels...

[Tonyscoots84]

hey guys...

Checked my PH and ALK last night

- ALK - 5-6
- PH - 7.8

Checked my PH and ALK at 8 pm tonite

- ALK - 5-6
- PH - 7.8

ok so what i decided to do is check on the reef calculator to see how much i need to dose of baked baking soda (for those who dont no it raises the alk) and there is a link between alk and ph.... baked baking soda has a high ph so you have to be careful with doing this... im doing it slowely..

what it told me to do is add 15 tsps of baked baking soda to a gallon jugg with tank water and dose it slowely...

so what im going to do is add 5 tsps of baked baking soda to the gallon jugg and dose 1/3rd of the jugg every 10 min... let the tank cycle the water and check in an hour or 2... and repeat process until 15 tsps worth of baked baking soda are used up... how does this process sound..

 

[marrone]

Tony

Has you Ph always been that low? I would do it slowly other wise it will look like xmas in your tank.

Michael

 

[herman]

Just out of curiousity - what do you normally dose to keep up your Ca and Alk?? How often do you test? While youre at it what levels are your Ca and Mg.....

The procedure you are describing above is Randy's 2 part recipe # 1 - Alk

 

[reefman]

thats mighty low. do u dose kalk or use a b sols?

 

[marrone]

In my tank I've always had a problem keeping the Alk up no matter how much I was dosing. My Alk would be 6-7, Ph 8.4 and Cal 425 but would have a hard time raising the Alk unless i really dosed heavy.

 

[Tonyscoots84]

here is the chart...

hermz its not randys 2 part, cause i didnt select that one... i selected Washing soda/baked baking soda option off the menu...

calcium is around 500
still have not yet checked MG :type:

i was mixing a lil of the baked baking soda previously and dosing a tiny amount of that every once and a while..:banghead:...

marrone thanks for the rec... yea i no something will precipitate out if i did it to fast...

i dose calcium thats why its a lil high.. but other then that just dose kent marine essential elements...

doing it as slowely as i should u guys think i will have a problem..

 

[herman]

Tony,
Try to remember that Alk and Ca is linked in the tank as is PH. Trying to correct something without knowing the other variables can cause further problems. What is your Ca levels? Well take corrective action after that.

 

[Tonyscoots84]

i dont think we could go can go by the calcium... cause i dose that with kents calcium..

 

[herman]

FYI Tony - One part of Randys 2 part is baking soda in water.

It seems that you dont have an understanding of reef chemistry. Check out this link and read it thoroughly. You will become expert in Ca and Alk.

Reef Chemistry

I would recommend that you use Randy's 2 Part since you already have the baking soda. Its easy and you cant go wrong with it not to mention that it gives you phenomenal growth.

 

[Tonyscoots84]

lolz hermz i do understand reef chemistry to a point were the baked baking soda will do both raise ALK 1st and also raise Ph... i understand randy 2 part consisits of that but there is an option for both randys 2 part and just baked baking soda... i dont have and cant find the dowflake anywheres... and spykes is being stingy on his stash.... lolz

 

[herman]

Well Tony the term understand is relative.......:Up_to_som Read the above link and trust me, you will learn something to add to your "understanding" of reef chemistry.

Here is a link to Randy's Recipe 1 and recipe 2
It also lists alternatives to Dowflakes. The question is not whether Spykes is being stingy (cause he is not) but whether you are too cheap to get the stuff yourself :joke:

There are quite a few mail order places for dowflakes etc. Another good product to use that is easy to administer and very simmilar is ESV 2 part. Also dont forget the Mg.

 

[spykes]

dood if you want something gotta come here yourself to get it. If you think im stingy. Oh god never mind bro just come and get your share.

 

[Tonyscoots84]

lolz i was just kidden spykes.... thanks for sharing the wealth lolz.. u available tom.. im off of work and will be able to come down to BK.. and drool over ur tanks lolz... shoot me a pm wit ur address and let me no if tom. is good..

 

[spykes]

yes im home tmr you can pretty much call me if your stoping by and when.

 

[Tonyscoots84]

ok guys here are my new reading after 5 tsps of baked baking soda...

Alk - 7-8
PH - 8.0

im up to the second phase of raising alk another 5 tsps im doing this very slow to make sure everything lives and nothing gets stressed out.. i wanna finish before the second dose of it before lights go out...

 

[meschaefer]

Have you identified why your alk is so low?

What are you dosing a regular basis?

Baking soda is a corrective measure, but you need to know why it is out of balance in the first place.

 

[Tonyscoots84]

the only thing im dosing really was kents calcium and kents essential reef... thats why my alk was low... thats what i think.. but well see how this work out tom.... always hope for the best...

 

[barebucta]

Tony,

I use Oceanic salt which tends to be higher in Calcium (500+ppm), which therefore lowers my PH (7.8-7.9) and my alk (6-7). Therefore I do everyday what you just did to your tank, and it works. I Dose 1 tablespoon of baking soda (I searched and could never find washing soda) daily. This inturn raises my ph (8.1-8.2) and my alk (8-9) after doing it consistantly. I do this b/c its the same as dosing the 2 part (a&b) additives. Why would I dose part b (calcium) if my calcium levels are to high? Therefore in order to raise the ph and alk dose the part a (or in my case the baking soda) to raise the alk and ph. Opinions may differ, but I think you're on the right track. Hope this makes sense.

 

[nanoreefer22]

T,
With the Randy's 2 part I was using my Ca was at 490, Alk was at 11-12, and Mg was at 1280. Drop the Kent stuff and go with something thats gonna keep all your parameters in check, rather than using one product that needs other supplemental products to make it work correctly. Just my opinion.
-Kris

 

[Tonyscoots84]

thank barebucta.. im gonna recheck levels again today and if everything is on track finish the other 5 tsps as directed by the reef chemistry calculator

kris yea im gonna see if i can go get what i need today...