Alk Recipe

[JGT]

I’m looking at the JDieck calculator and it’s confusing me. I thought Randy’s Recipe #2 2nd alk recipe was the one with sodium hydroxide but the comments when I select that says “Recipe #2 is for use in aquaria where the pH is on the high side (above 8.3 or so). It will have a very small pH lowering effect when initially added. The drop that you get will depend on the alkalinity in your aquarium, and, of course, on how much you add. If you add on the order of 0.5 meq/l of alkalinity then the pH will drop by about 0.04 pH units immediately upon addition. The pH may later rise if the aquarium is permitted to blow off excess CO2.” Which sounds like the Baking Soda one. I thought that was Recipe #1?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

My hydroxide recipe has the same potency as the sodium carbonate recipe (Recipe 1). It was developed years after that calculator came out. :)

Recipes are here:

DIY Balling Method Recipe

The Balling DIY supplement recipe utilize a 1:1:1 dosing ratio to maintain proper alkalinity. For instance, if you require 50 mL of the alkalinity solution, you should also add 50 mL of Calcium and Balling. Alkalinity (Choose One) : Option 1: Soda Ash Add 375 g soda ash to enough RO/DI to...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[JGT]

My hydroxide recipe has the same potency as the sodium carbonate recipe (Recipe 1). It was developed years after that calculator came out. :)

Recipes are here:

DIY Balling Method Recipe

The Balling DIY supplement recipe utilize a 1:1:1 dosing ratio to maintain proper alkalinity. For instance, if you require 50 mL of the alkalinity solution, you should also add 50 mL of Calcium and Balling. Alkalinity (Choose One) : Option 1: Soda Ash Add 375 g soda ash to enough RO/DI to...

www.reef2reef.com

Thanks, Ok, so I’m not losing my mind, NaOh3 is #2. So then the comments are wrong no? It raises PH.
And what is the timeframe to add the product? It says to add 357ml To raise alk from 8 to 9.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Thanks, Ok, so I’m not losing my mind, NaOh3 is #2. So then the comments are wrong no? It raises PH.

We need to be careful what 1 and 2 mean.

Miamireef wrote option 1 and 2 in his write up, but that has nothing to do with the calculator or my original Recipe 1 or 2.

Both of the options in the Miamireef link I posted have the potency of, and hence use the calculator entry for, my Recipe 1.

 

[JGT]

We need to be careful what 1 and 2 mean.

Miamireef wrote option 1 and 2 in his write up, but that has nothing to do with the calculator or my original Recipe 1 or 2.

Both of the options in the Miamireef link I posted have the potency of, and hence use the calculator entry for, my Recipe 1.

Ah, OK. So I think I got it.
If I use the original #2 recipe which uses NaOH3 I should select #1 in the calculator? That gives 178.5ml (I assume dosed over a 24 hr period?) What would that equate to using your 283g/gal recipe?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Again, the calculator matches my multiple articles in talking about Recipes 1 and 2.

Original recipe 1 is sodium carbonate. The only published hydroxide recipe that I know of also matches this one.

Original recipe 2 uses sodium bicarbonate ( along soda).

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Ah, OK. So I think I got it.
If I use the original #2 recipe which uses NaOH3 I should select #1 in the calculator? That gives 178.5 ml which I assume if dosed over a 24 hr period would raise the alk 1 dKh?

The timing doesn’t impact the alk rise. The alk rise will depend on the tank volume.

 

[JGT]

OK, is there a way to equate the 178.5ml to the equivalent of your 283g/gal recipe?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

OK, is there a way to equate the 178.5ml to the equivalent of your 283g/gal recipe?

I don’t understand.

How exactly did you make the fluid that you are using at 178.5 mL and as a separate question, what tank volume are you adding it to?

 

[JGT]

I don’t understand.

How exactly did you make the fluid that you are using at 178.5 mL and as a separate question, what tank volume are you adding it to?

I didn’t make the 178.5ml liquid, that’s what the calculator states I need to add to raise the alk from 8 to 9.
I normally dose the 283/g/gal recipe so just wanted to see what I would need to increase my dosage by to raise the dKH. I could do trial and error by increasing what I currently dose but figured starting with a more precise number would be a better way to go. Tank volume is 250 gal.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Ok, so you dissolved 283 g/gallon of sodium hydroxide? If so, use this calculator and the entry for Randy’s Recipe 1.

Reef Chemistry Calculator

 

[JGT]

Ok, so you dissolved 283 g/gallon of sodium hydroxide? If so, use this calculator and the entry for Randy’s Recipe 1.

Reef Chemistry Calculator

Yes, that’s what I normally dose. Just wanting to bump up my alk from 8->9 so was wondering what my dosage now needs to be. The results I shared earlier are from the calculator after selecting Recipe #1 but I don’t know how to translate those results into meaningful numbers for the 283g/gal mixture. Sorry for the confusion.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

No one can tell you what that daily dose should be. You need to get there by trial and error. Raise it a bit and see how it stabilizes after several days. Then adjust again if need be.

 

[JGT]

No one can tell you what that daily dose should be. You need to get there by trial and error. Raise it a bit and see how it stabilizes after several days. Then adjust again if need be.

OK, will do. Thanks.