Adding sodium hydroxide to balance pH swings

[nicolehuntah]

@Randy Holmes-Farley Hi there - I am hoping you or someone here can review my proposed method and calculations.

I have a 20 gallon AIO UNS90 LA long nano tank (mixed LPS and SPS) and I am about to switch from AFR to DIY balling 3 part with sodium hydroxide for pH benefits. I am between 7.7 - 8 pH with a nano skimmer and co2 scrubber so I'd like to raise that a bit for coral health. Additionally, it seems my current calcium is low compared to my target alk (of 9) so I will be able to adjust these numbers a bit with a 3 part, but I've never dosed a 3 part before. I've got an AWC set up to change about 1/4 gallon per day and I use NYOS Pure salt.

Current parameters (testing with hanna)
Salinity: 34 ppt (target of 34-35 ppt)
pH: 7.7 - 8 (ideally Im hoping to see a high of 8.3-8.4 max)
alk: 9 (target)
Calcium: 395 (I'd ideally like this to be 450-480)
Mag: 1290 (I'd ideally like this to be 1350-1440)

My hydros minnow dosers can only dose a minimum of 1mL at a time so I am probably going to mix solutions to half potency so I can dose more times per day and minimize spikes as much possible.

My 3 parts would be:
Alk: Sodium Hydroxide AND Tropic Marin A- Trace Elements
Calcium: Calcium Chloride Dihydrate AND Tropic Marin K+ Trace Elements
Balling Method & Mag: Tropic Marin Balling Part C AND Magnesium Chloride Hexahydrate

I am dosing 9ml of AFR daily right now and it seems that AFR is 1.15 times as strong as the DIY balling method per a post from @Miami Reef in the diy balling method thread . Am I correct in my calculations below for a jumping off point to mirror what I have for AFR parameters? I understand that I will adjust these to get levels to where I want them. I'd like to try to replicate my current parameters before tinkering with individual levels

• 9ml of AFR / 1.15 potency for DIY method = 7.83ml of daily DIY solutions.
• 7.83ml of daily DIY solutions x 2 (because I'd be mixing them up at half potency) = 15.66ml of daily DIY solutions at half potency
• 15.66ml / 3 for the 3 parts = 5.22ml of each part per day to reach equivalent current AFR parameters.

Additionally: I am wondering if anyone has experience moving from AFR to a 3 part. Since AFR takes some time for the bacteria to break down and release components, to begin dosing the 3 part and maintain as much consistency as possible should I:

1. skip a full day of AFR and then dose full 5.22ml of each part the following day OR
2. replace my morning dose of AFR with half a dose of each part and then do a full part the next day?

Many thanks in advance for the information.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Sounds appropriate and I’d just do a cold turkey switch.

Be sure to spread out the alk dosing. It’s much more important to go slowly with hydroxide than with AFR.

 

[nicolehuntah]

Sounds appropriate and I’d just do a cold turkey switch.

Be sure to spread out the alk dosing. It’s much more important to go slowly with hydroxide than with AFR.

Definitely - cant thank you enough for the info.

Would you recommend I alternate alk + calcium + balling part 3 all day or dose Calcium then Balling part 3/mag in the morning and then just spread alk out all day?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

It’s only alk that needs to be spread out. It’s fine to spread the others, but once a day for them is also fine.