Aquarium Chemistry Question? Ask the Doctor!

[mattgsa]

Have you tried another test kit for comparison? That sure seems like a lot to me. Maybe your not mixing a strong enough solution? I started using ESV Bionic Nitrate and love it. I hated trying to find the right mix ratio for powdered solutions.

Yes, I have used multiple test kits, and I have tested the dosed solution. However, the good news came today, after dosing 600 mls for several days.

I think it is time to turn down the daily dose, I'm just not sure how much to drop it by.

 

[geekengineer]

I don't know if this is the right place but I was going through some of my old chemicals and I should have marked this stuff. I can't remember what it was or if it was for my aquarium for a buffer. It is slightly alkaline mixed some in water and got about 7.5ph and I am fairly sure it isn't sodium hydroxide. It is a bit whiter and comes in little beads no noticeable smell. if I expose it to a flame it turns into something that almost looks like melted wax but turns back to a solid quickly after heat is removed. After it cools it loses a bit of its white color and is still solid but more flakey . It dissolves in water (not quickly) but not in isopropyl alcohol. I was wondering if its maybe a calcium, sodium, or potassium of something?

Oh and happy Halloween.

 

[geekengineer]

Ok I think I figured out what it was I forgot I bought some Urea for some other project. I found it buried in my Amizon orders. lol I'm not a 100% sure but I don't know what else it could be.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

The pellets look like sodium hydroxide often looks, but other things may come this way. If you have a pH meter, dissolve one in ro/di and check the pH.

 

[redfishbluefish]

The pellets look like sodium hydroxide often looks, but other things may come this way. If you have a pH meter, dissolve one in ro/di and check the pH.

....... mixed some in water and got about 7.5ph ........

 

[Dburr1014]

I don't know if this is the right place but I was going through some of my old chemicals and I should have marked this stuff. I can't remember what it was or if it was for my aquarium for a buffer. It is slightly alkaline mixed some in water and got about 7.5ph and I am fairly sure it isn't sodium hydroxide. It is a bit whiter and comes in little beads no noticeable smell. if I expose it to a flame it turns into something that almost looks like melted wax but turns back to a solid quickly after heat is removed. After it cools it loses a bit of its white color and is still solid but more flakey . It dissolves in water (not quickly) but not in isopropyl alcohol. I was wondering if its maybe a calcium, sodium, or potassium of something?

Oh and happy Halloween.

Make sure not to get any on that reeses. That would be a sin.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Thanks, Paul.

 

[geekengineer]

Thanks guys. I am 95% sure it's urea that I bought for something not fish related and it is slightly alkaline. I did try some denatured alcohol and it does dissolve but really slowly tho.

 

[chipchipbro]

@Randy Holmes-Farley
I am dosing 2-part and actually have unbalanced dosages. Means I kind of dose maybe half of Calcium compared to Alkalinity.

Now… I want the both to be balanced and same dosages.. I increased Calcium dosage and cant see a change in Calcium levels. Howevery, my Alk level jumped from 8 dKH to 9 dKH.

Is that a possible reaction?
Can I easily increaese Calcium dosage to the same level as Alk?

thanks!

 

[chipchipbro]

@Randy Holmes-Farley My Alk keeps going up when I dose more Calcium. However, the calcium stays the same.
(Tested with Salifert)

I was dosing 30ml calcium daily and incresed to maybe 40ml
I dose about 140ml Alkalinity daily and DKH was stable at 8 for months now...

Tropic Marin Original Balling

Is there an explantion?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

@Randy Holmes-Farley My Alk keeps going up when I dose more Calcium. However, the calcium stays the same.
(Tested with Salifert)

I was dosing 30ml calcium daily and incresed to maybe 40ml
I dose about 140ml Alkalinity daily and DKH was stable at 8 for months now...

Tropic Marin Original Balling

Is there an explantion?

WHat are the actual alk and calcium values?
What exactly are you dosing when you say Balling? Just the calcium part of the real Tropic Marin product?

Are you dosing anything else? Nitrate? It adds alk. Tap water?

What salt mix for water changes?

 

[chipchipbro]

WHat are the actual alk and calcium values?
What exactly are you dosing when you say Balling? Just the calcium part of the real Tropic Marin product?

Are you dosing anything else? Nitrate? It adds alk. Tap water?

What salt mix for water changes?

Actual Alk is 10 dKH as per today morning..
Calcium is 425 as per today morning..

- I dose Part A and Part B of Tropic Marin Balling
- Waterchanges weekly 10% with Red Sea Blue Bucket
- I dont dose anything else just RODI in the ATO

My Calcium and Alk was stable for months now I only changed the dosage of Calcium yesterday.
And my Alk was 8 before I increased Calcium dosage. Also havent performed a WC in between.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Actual Alk is 10 dKH as per today morning..
Calcium is 425 as per today morning..

- I dose Part A and Part B of Tropic Marin Balling
- Waterchanges weekly 10% with Red Sea Blue Bucket
- I dont dose anything else just RODI in the ATO

My Calcium and Alk was stable for months now I only changed the dosage of Calcium yesterday.
And my Alk was 8 before I increased Calcium dosage. Also havent performed a WC in between.

Dosing calcium chloride will not ever make alkalinity rise.

One of these is likely the explanation:

1. you dosed something else (some calcium additives do boost alk, such as calcium formate, calcium acetate, Aquavitro Calcification, Seachem Reef Calcium, etc.),

2. Alk rose for some other reason (nitrate falling, nitrate dosing, tap water with alk for top off, etc.

3. The alk rise is test error.

 

[audioTom]

Quick question:
3g of sodium bicarbonate will raise the dKH in 100 liters by 1.
How much grams of sodium hydroxide is needed for that 1 dKH - raise?
Thank you!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Quick question:
3g of sodium bicarbonate will raise the dKH in 100 liters by 1.
How much grams of sodium hydroxide is needed for that 1 dKH - raise?
Thank you!

1.4 grams sodium hydroxide provides the same alkalinity as 3 grams of sodium bicarbonate.

 

[audioTom]

And yet another question:

i am mixing my own trace elements solution.
Nickelchloride is the only thing i cant buy here if i am not a reseller or a professional.
So i want to use a readily mixed solution which states: 1ml raises the amount of nickel by 2µg per 100 litre saltwater.

I need a concentration of 25ng per ml in my traceelement solution. Here's the math, could you check if i am right or wrong?

1ml of bought solution contains 2µg or 2000ng nickel.
This 1ml solution into 1 litre of trace element solution is a concentration of 2ng/ml
I need 25ng per ml so i have to multiply by 12,5 = 25ng/ml.
If i mix 20 litres of trace element solution i need to put in 250ml of bought solution!?

Thank you in advance

 

[Seymo44]

I extremely grateful that we have a place for all of our chemistry questions.


I’ve recently had a few snail deaths in a short period of time. I usually only lose a couple snails a year. This prompted me to check my copper with my hanna checker. Is 0.06ppm a dangerous level of copper and/or is the hanna sensitive enough to measure low levels of copper?

I also tested brand new distilled water, 0.00ppm; as well as newly mixed salt water, 0.02ppm. All other inverts, including coral are thriving.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I extremely grateful that we have a place for all of our chemistry questions.


I’ve recently had a few snail deaths in a short period of time. I usually only lose a couple snails a year. This prompted me to check my copper with my hanna checker. Is 0.06ppm a dangerous level of copper and/or is the hanna sensitive enough to measure low levels of copper?

I also tested brand new distilled water, 0.00ppm; as well as newly mixed salt water, 0.02ppm. All other inverts, including coral are thriving.

The Hanna copper checker is not sufficiently accurate at the low end to put faith in it. If you think copper might be elevated, I’d get an icp test from a reputable company.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

So i want to use a readily mixed solution which states: 1ml raises the amount of nickel by 2µg per 100 litre saltwater.

…
1ml of bought solution contains 2µg or 2000ng nickel.

I’d be surprised if that is what it says.

Does it perhaps say 2 ug/L per 100 L seawater?

 

[audioTom]

I’d be surprised if that is what it says.

Does it perhaps say 2 ug/L per 100 L seawater?

Hi Randy,

heres the original german text:
"1ml erhöht die Nickel-Konzentration von 100ml Meerwasser um +2μg/l"

"1ml raises the nickel-concentration of 100Liter (ml is a typo I guess) seawater by 2yg/Liter"

The "ml" - thing should be a typo on eBay.de. The bottles say liter.