SatBchReef
New Member
Hoping someone can give me some guidance on the right approach to adding sodium hydroxide to my dosing.
Sorry for the long explanation but I think background info is needed...I have a high macro and micro consumption tank in a ~120g sps dominant mixed reef that has been running for about 4 years. I drip kalk for ~21hrs per day to match my tank evaporation. I haven't had my ATO RODI pump on for probably 2 years. Kalk drip stops at my peak photo period to try and reduce pH swings. I run fans to increase evaporation so I can dose more kalk and to keep my temp under 78.5 degrees May-October and about 77.5 when its not as hot outside and I can open the windows some. I end up dosing about 1 gallon of kalk per day. I also dose BRS soda ash, calcium chloride and magnesium based on weekly testing needs which averages somewhere between 60 and 120 ml per day for alk and calcium. I keep alkalinity between 7.5 and 8, calcium about 450 and magnesium 1450ish. I run a CO2 recirculating scrubber with my skimmer. I run reef moonshine method for traces and dose about 12 elements daily based of ICP every 6-8 weeks plus correction doses of some elements that have inconsistent consumption. I've switch over to making many of my own trace elements base on Randy's posts. I haven't done a water change in about 2.5 years.
My pH fluctuated daily between 8.3 and 7.9 and I haven't figured out an effective way to narrow this daily swing. I live in Florida and if I open my windows in the winter my pH will swing between 8.4 and 8.0. I'm considering adding on some sodium hydroxide dosing when my lights are off and my pH drops with the goal of reducing my pH swings. I am looking for guidance for the best way to do this.
My thoughts are to just add on sodium hydroxide dosing for about 12 hrs on top of what I am currently. NaOH dosing would start about 2 hrs after my lights go off until about an hour after they turn on. I would keep kalk and 2 part dosing still going but drop my soda ash dosing amount based of my alkalinity needs.
Thank you so much for any comments and a picture of my WD colony for attention.
Sorry for the long explanation but I think background info is needed...I have a high macro and micro consumption tank in a ~120g sps dominant mixed reef that has been running for about 4 years. I drip kalk for ~21hrs per day to match my tank evaporation. I haven't had my ATO RODI pump on for probably 2 years. Kalk drip stops at my peak photo period to try and reduce pH swings. I run fans to increase evaporation so I can dose more kalk and to keep my temp under 78.5 degrees May-October and about 77.5 when its not as hot outside and I can open the windows some. I end up dosing about 1 gallon of kalk per day. I also dose BRS soda ash, calcium chloride and magnesium based on weekly testing needs which averages somewhere between 60 and 120 ml per day for alk and calcium. I keep alkalinity between 7.5 and 8, calcium about 450 and magnesium 1450ish. I run a CO2 recirculating scrubber with my skimmer. I run reef moonshine method for traces and dose about 12 elements daily based of ICP every 6-8 weeks plus correction doses of some elements that have inconsistent consumption. I've switch over to making many of my own trace elements base on Randy's posts. I haven't done a water change in about 2.5 years.
My pH fluctuated daily between 8.3 and 7.9 and I haven't figured out an effective way to narrow this daily swing. I live in Florida and if I open my windows in the winter my pH will swing between 8.4 and 8.0. I'm considering adding on some sodium hydroxide dosing when my lights are off and my pH drops with the goal of reducing my pH swings. I am looking for guidance for the best way to do this.
My thoughts are to just add on sodium hydroxide dosing for about 12 hrs on top of what I am currently. NaOH dosing would start about 2 hrs after my lights go off until about an hour after they turn on. I would keep kalk and 2 part dosing still going but drop my soda ash dosing amount based of my alkalinity needs.
Thank you so much for any comments and a picture of my WD colony for attention.
There is a titanium grounding probe in the skimmer chamber by the pH probe. It happens right after (a second or so) after the doser doses??? It happens so fast that my Hydros graph doesn’t graph it when I go and look.
