Alkalinity of 5,8dkh

[Rabald]

Hi,

Yesterday I measured my alkalinty for the first time, it was 5,8dkh (hanna, today again after water changes). If I am not mistaken this is very low. Should I worry? And what should I do to change it?

All my corals look fine.
I have some acans, candy cane, and some softies

My other parameters:
salinity: 1,025
phosphate: 0,17
nitrate: 10
calcium: 400
PH: 7,8

thx

 

[Spare time]

What salt do you use? A water change should have moved it up.

In general, alk is best handled by dosing. Bicarbonate solutions or an all in one like all for reef are my recommendations for those who are new to dosing.

 

[Rabald]

What salt do you use? A water change should have moved it up.

In general, alk is best handled by dosing. Bicarbonate solutions or an all in one like all for reef are my recommendations for those who are new to dosing.

I am using aquaforrest reef salt.

Is it hard to dose the bicarbonate?

 

[KyleTheRSReefer]

Hi,

Yesterday I measured my alkalinty for the first time, it was 5,8dkh (hanna, today again after water changes). If I am not mistaken this is very low. Should I worry? And what should I do to change it?

All my corals look fine.
I have some acans, candy cane, and some softies

My other parameters:
salinity: 1,025
phosphate: 0,17
nitrate: 10
calcium: 400
PH: 7,8

thx

I use the red sea kh additive, start off with a lower dose and increase to around 8, only aim to increase a maximum of 0.3 each day as not to swing the element too much

 

[Spare time]

I am using aquaforrest reef salt.

Is it hard to dose the bicarbonate?

Dosing bicarbonate is easy. I recommend the BRS 1 gallon mixing powder. They have a calculator on their website so essentially if you test alk at time X and then at time Y (after 24 hours or one week or whatever), you know how much you use within that time frame. Simply dose whatever the tank consumes in that period. Daily dosing is better than weekly if you have moderate-high consumption, but if you have, lets say only 0.25KH drop a week, once a week is also fine.

 

[twentyleagues]

Do you mix and store saltwater? Do you mix a batch everytime you are going to change water? Have you tested new saltwater alk?

 

[PharmrJohn]

As your target is 8 to 12, it's gonna take a little time to bring it up. You can bring it up to 7 straight away then move up slowly from there.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I'd certainly dose alk, and grocery store baking soda is fine.

Dissolve a little in ro/di water and add it.

I'd add 0.25 dKH a day for a few days using this calculator:

https://reef.diesyst.com/chemcalc/chem_calc3.html

 

[Rabald]

Do you mix and store saltwater? Do you mix a batch everytime you are going to change water? Have you tested new saltwater alk?

I make my own, never tested before using it. Always make the water 2-3 hours before the water change. Next time I will check

 

[Rabald]

I'd certainly dose alk, and grocery store baking soda is fine.

Dissolve a little in ro/di water and add it.

I'd add 0.25 dKH a day for a few days using this calculator:

https://reef.diesyst.com/chemcalc/chem_calc3.html

And how do I add it? With my ATO?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

And how do I add it? With my ATO?

Add it to a high flow area away from corals, like in front of a powerhead.

 

[Rabald]

As your target is 8 to 12, it's gonna take a little time to bring it up. You can bring it up to 7 straight away then move up slowly from there.

So, a big jump from 5,8 to 7 is not bad? And from there on slow steps? Why is that if I may ask?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

So, a big jump from 5,8 to 7 is not bad? And from there on slow steps? Why is that if I may ask?

Bad or not, there's no reason to do it. It's a risk that corals might respond negatively. They have likely ramped up bicarbonate uptake transporters to a level where they can get what they need, and if alk suddenly jumps up, they may end up taking in more than they can readily accommodate before they ramp down uptake transporters. Like force feeding someone more than they can digest.