Alk 7, cal 560 and Mag 1480- - - - -BRS dosing on the way

[Joker79]

230 gal system between four tanks with sump
I cant seem to get my alk to stay up or even get up there. PH is around 7 as well using Kent reef salt.
I am completely new to the whole dosing aspect but am going to give it a whirl!
Ammonia 0
Nitrite 0
Nitrate 0
Phosphate .02

 

[Joker79]

Do water changes of 5 gal every other day

 

[ritter6788]

You can use regular baking soda dissolved in water to slowly raise your alk. Once you get it where you want you can set up some type of dosing method to maintain it. If you have a low stony coral load you could try changing salts to one with a higher alk.

Have you tested the alkalinity of the newly mixed salt water before adding it to your tank?

 

[Joker79]

I have quite a few lps colonies and a few sps.
Haven't tested new salt water yet but will now!!! Thanks!

 

[mcarroll]

IIRC, Kent does have some crazy numbers similar to that. Not sure about the alk and pH though....that sounds like an extra low set of numbers. If you are sure of your numbers, and aren't carbon dosing in some form (CO2, vodka, vinegar, etc.) I'd try getting the tank some fresh air from outside the house.

Extending the air intake for your skimmer through a window or doorway to the outside is the most common way.

If there's a chance that's convenient to at least test, you should see results in pH pretty quickly. If it works, there are lots of creative ways to do a permanent install for the air.

In the short term, slowly dripping some baked baking soda would help a little too. The effect of fresh air (lowering CO2 back to normal levels) is much greater, so if at all possible at least try that in addition to any dosing. Of course watch pH and try not to make any large changes in too short a time frame.

Is your specific gravity at 1.025?

-Matt

 

[Joker79]

I'm not "dosing" anything as of yet. Sg is 1.026. I run gfo and carbon in a dual reactor is all besides skimmer at this time.
Extending skimmer line to the outside, now that's interesting idea!!!

 

[RacinRevo0818]

Might drip some kalk (pickling lime) instead of baking soda will have a greater affect on Ph. If you have a Ph probe that's makes it easier to keep an eye on but 1 drop every 3 seconds would do wonders or you can add kalk to ato. Also use sodium bicarbonate ( baking soda that has been cook a min of 1 hour at 350ish) this will raise your Ph along with alk. Just adjust slowly, like a week and test often. Many parameters tend to shift when you change one more then another.

 

[Reefing Madness]

Reef Chemistry Forum- Low Alkalinity

 

[mcarroll]

Might drip some kalk (pickling lime) instead of baking soda will have a greater affect on Ph. If you have a Ph probe that's makes it easier to keep an eye on but 1 drop every 3 seconds would do wonders or you can add kalk to ato. Also use sodium bicarbonate ( baking soda that has been cook a min of 1 hour at 350ish) this will raise your Ph along with alk. Just adjust slowly, like a week and test often. Many parameters tend to shift when you change one more then another.

Kalk/limewater adds Ca which is already astronomical.

Baked baking soda (which is sodium carbonate) is really ideal here...and will still soak up some CO2. (Baking in an oven simply uses heat to drive off the carbon dioxide from baking soda...which is sodium bicarbonate.)

Fresh air will have a bigger impact than either and is "free".

Agreed on having something that's continuous-read to monitor pH if you do decide to drip something. pH monitors are definitely not free though.

-Matt