Alkalinity and Calcium Not Rising

[GoVols]

Lower tank pH reduces precipitation. Baking soda induces lower tank pH than does sodium carbonate.

Thank You!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Do you think it will take less? Do you have a mixing and dosing guide? Thanks for all the help!

Taking less is complicated. Sodium bicarbonate is less soluble in fresh water than is sodium carbonate, so dosing solutions are usually more dilute.

My DIY recipe #2 is half as strong. That's what I'd make, and dose less total volume (so getting less alk for both reasons: less concentrated and lower volume) and see what that does after a while.

If you are boosting magnesium, I'd wait for that to be completed before dosing more alk.

An Improved Do-it-Yourself Two-Part Calcium and Alkalinity Supplement System by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/rhf/index.php

 

[revhtree]

Taking less is complicated. Sodium bicarbonate is less soluble in fresh water than is sodium carbonate, so dosing solutions are usually more dilute.

My DIY recipe #2 is half as strong. That's what I'd make, and dose less total volume (so getting less alk for both reasons: less concentrated and lower volume) and see what that does after a while.

If you are boosting magnesium, I'd wait for that to be completed before dosing more alk.

An Improved Do-it-Yourself Two-Part Calcium and Alkalinity Supplement System by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/rhf/index.php

Thank you. Is there a safe way to raise your magnesium faster?

Fwiw my tank PH runs pretty low. I think due to its location in the basement.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

The concern over raising magneisum fast is contaminants in the additive, not the magnesium itself. You might be able to raise fast without any issue, or not.

 

[revhtree]

I have been dosing 600ml of Calcium along with the 900ml of ALK. I forgot that I was manually dosing ALK and I should have matched the Cal dosing as well.

I check Cal and it was 300!!!

Could this be part of my problem? I stopped all dosing today.

 

[GoVols]

I have been dosing 600ml of Calcium along with the 900ml of ALK. I forgot that I was manually dosing ALK and I should have matched the Cal dosing as well.

I check Cal and it was 300!!!

Could this be part of my problem? I stopped all dosing today.

When I over dosed Seachem's Cal and Alk. I got precipitation and my parameters dropped like yours.
Seachem told me to stop all dosing for a least five days and give my reef a rest.
They said when I started back dosing, to bring up my params. slowly with small doses and it worked.

 

[revhtree]

When I start back should I match the soda ash dosing to my BRS calcium dosing?

Also I have a decent size monti cap that is fading from red to white as I type. I kinda put it in the tank to test for readiness. Hopefully it will make it until I start dosing again!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

When I start back should I match the soda ash dosing to my BRS calcium dosing?

Also I have a decent size monti cap that is fading from red to white as I type. I kinda put it in the tank to test for readiness. Hopefully it will make it until I start dosing again!

I'd start slow, and match the dosing of the calcium to the chosen alkalinity dose.

 

[revhtree]

I'd start slow, and match the dosing of the calcium to the chosen alkalinity dose.

Tank was down to about 5.5dkh so I dosed baking soda to start raising it to the desired level. I'll report back in the morning.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Tank was down to about 5.5dkh so I dosed baking soda to start raising it to the desired level. I'll report back in the morning.

Sounds good.

 

[revhtree]

I've been dosing the solution for the past two days manually and nothing overnight or automatic. Today the Alk is between 7 and 8 DKH up from 5.5. I plan to dose another 900ml today to take it up another 1 to 1.5DKH and then I will start to dose smaller amounts through the night via a doser and do a little manual dosing to try and find the sweet spot.

Sound like a good plan? If so what would be a good starting point for the nightly dose?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I've been dosing the solution for the past two days manually and nothing overnight or automatic. Today the Alk is between 7 and 8 DKH up from 5.5. I plan to dose another 900ml today to take it up another 1 to 1.5DKH and then I will start to dose smaller amounts through the night via a doser and do a little manual dosing to try and find the sweet spot.

Sound like a good plan? If so what would be a good starting point for the nightly dose?

I might let things stabilize at 7-8 dKH for a while before pushing higher.

 

[revhtree]

I might let things stabilize at 7-8 dKH for a while before pushing higher.

Ok will do! Gonna get everything dialed in then hopefully!

 

[BrettMallette]

@revhtree i would almost avoid the doser for the time being. Until you really know your consumption rates. And if it is a precipitatiom issue it might just make it worse. Since you arent watching tank while its happening. Now that you have your magnesium up it seems like your alk is slightly more balanced. System should also be ok with these swings your dealing with since its over a day or 2 not hours...

 

[GoVols]

Ok will do! Gonna get everything dialed in then hopefully!

Rev,
If you don't mind (please) keep us updated.

 

[aashley]

Hey everyone, hoping to get some advice. I have a very random work schedule and am not the best at checking at the same time everyday but within an hour or two. I can give specifics if needed but basically I have been checking Ca and Alk and Sp Gr daily. I check Magnesium about every 3rd day and pH about once per week. This all started when I watched the BRS video mentioned at the beginning of this thread. I was super happy to find the reason for the encrustations everywhere but am not finding the 1:1 ratio of ca to alk true for me. Alk drops from around 8 to 6 everyday and I read is is not good to change more than 1.5ppm daily. Then my calcium will drop from 420 to 400 daily but then on another day, drop from 430 to 350. It seems very random. Because my drops were so drastic, I started titration dosing again about 300 ml of both soda ash and calcium daily but even at that, it is twice more than what the BRS video states they use for their tank. Mine is a 200 gallon mixed reef but only about 10 corals(5-2" frags and other LPS and a few softies). It seemed like an easy way to fix my problem and my crusting problem is greatly diminished now that I corrected the magnesium but getting that sweet spot is driving me crazy. To compound the problem, I have to go out of town on Saturday and will not be back until the following Thursday and have no idea what to do when I am gone. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

 

[GoVols]

Hey everyone, hoping to get some advice. I have a very random work schedule and am not the best at checking at the same time everyday but within an hour or two. I can give specifics if needed but basically I have been checking Ca and Alk and Sp Gr daily. I check Magnesium about every 3rd day and pH about once per week. This all started when I watched the BRS video mentioned at the beginning of this thread. I was super happy to find the reason for the encrustations everywhere but am not finding the 1:1 ratio of ca to alk true for me. Alk drops from around 8 to 6 everyday and I read is is not good to change more than 1.5ppm daily. Then my calcium will drop from 420 to 400 daily but then on another day, drop from 430 to 350. It seems very random. Because my drops were so drastic, I started titration dosing again about 300 ml of both soda ash and calcium daily but even at that, it is twice more than what the BRS video states they use for their tank. Mine is a 200 gallon mixed reef but only about 10 corals(5-2" frags and other LPS and a few softies). It seemed like an easy way to fix my problem and my crusting problem is greatly diminished now that I corrected the magnesium but getting that sweet spot is driving me crazy. To compound the problem, I have to go out of town on Saturday and will not be back until the following Thursday and have no idea what to do when I am gone. Any advice would be greatly appreciated.

The only thing I can thing of:
Are you staying within the daily maximum recommended dosage while dosing your alk and cal?
If your dosing too much at one time your #'s will start to drop instead of staying up.

 

[DipSpit]

@revhtree I haven't read through the thread, apologies if someone mentioned it, but BRS did a video about how overdosing Calc and Alk will make it "fall back on itself" which could be happening and sounds likely.

Please watch this.

http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/video...lutions-but-the-levels-are-actually-dropping/

Highly recommend - because I am 95% sure this is what you're doing.

 

[GoVols]

@revhtree I haven't read through the thread, apologies if someone mentioned it, but BRS did a video about how overdosing Calc and Alk will make it "fall back on itself" which could be happening and sounds likely.

Please watch this.

http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/video...lutions-but-the-levels-are-actually-dropping/

Highly recommend.

lol,
Read the (one) post above yours.

 

[DipSpit]

lol,
Read the (one) post above yours.

Jinx. It's been a long day. Didn't read, admittedly - I got that link on quickdraw though.