Changing water to raise alkalinity question?

[Lisa Cain]

Hello my tank has cycled, working on th4e diatoms which seems manageable. I am working hard on raising alkalinity from now 6.7 to 8.5. This is keeping me from transferring the remainder of the fish and corals. I am dosing with Seschem fusion 2 and All for Reef. Lesson for new reefers! If a company is setting up your tank please ask for the parameters of the water. The water that was used for my 120 gallon tank was completely off parameters! Now I am trying to fix it. My question is will doing water changes with water with a higher alkalinity along with dosing help or should I simply dose?

 

[painter1982]

I use sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) if I need to adjust alkalinity. I use All for Reef to maintain it. I think trying to adjust with water changes would be the hard way.

 

[Lisa Cain]

I use sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) if I need to adjust alkalinity. I use All for Reef to maintain it. I think trying to adjust with water changes would be the hard way.

Thanks, is there a particular type of baking soda? How much do you use? Does it affect corals or fish in any negative way?

 

[LOZReefer]

I dose/drip Kalkwasser to help with ph, calc, and alk. On top of dosing AFR

 

[painter1982]

I use sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) if I need to adjust alkalinity. I use All for Reef to maintain it. I think trying to adjust with water changes would be the hard way.

Thanks, is there a particular type of baking soda? How much do you use? Does it affect corals or fish in any negative way?

I use the stuff BRS sells. Some people on here use kind you’d use for baking. Somewhere on this sight will have the amount to use.

 

[Sam7]

Hello my tank has cycled, working on th4e diatoms which seems manageable. I am working hard on raising alkalinity from now 6.7 to 8.5. This is keeping me from transferring the remainder of the fish and corals. I am dosing with Infusion 2 and All for Reef. Lesson for new reefers! If a company is setting up your tank please ask for the parameters of the water. The water that was used for my 120 gallon tank was completely off parameters! Now I am trying to fix it. My question is will doing water changes with water with a higher alkalinity along with dosing help or should I simply dose?

why do you need to raise it to 8.5? 7-12 is fine. Depends what salt your usinng wether it will be high enough to raise it.....but how much water change would that be to raise it to your goal

 

[bushdoc]

You need two trips:

1. Local grocery store-Arm and Hammer Baking soda-check ingredients it should just say Sodium Bicarbonate
2. BRS website, Calculator section ( you can use BRS dry sodium bicarbonate)

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Hello my tank has cycled, working on th4e diatoms which seems manageable. I am working hard on raising alkalinity from now 6.7 to 8.5. This is keeping me from transferring the remainder of the fish and corals. I am dosing with Seschem fusion 2 and All for Reef. Lesson for new reefers! If a company is setting up your tank please ask for the parameters of the water. The water that was used for my 120 gallon tank was completely off parameters! Now I am trying to fix it. My question is will doing water changes with water with a higher alkalinity along with dosing help or should I simply dose?

An alkalinity of 6.7 dKH is not a reason to delay either fish or coral additions. It exactly matches their natural ocean environment.

Thst said, raising alk is a simple exercise of dosing baking soda as folks have mentioned.

 

[sgdnycct]

You need two trips:

1. Local grocery store-Arm and Hammer Baking soda-check ingredients it should just say Sodium Bicarbonate
2. BRS website, Calculator section ( you can use BRS dry sodium bicarbonate)

Best way to go IME.

Someone else also posted that you’re within range. Are you trying to get the new water parameters to match your old? If you’re going to slow acclimate anyway I wouldn’t worry and add the livestock. You can get the dkh to where you want it over time once everyone’s settled in. If you aren’t going to slow acclimate I don’t think a change in dkh is a big deal for the fish but may be for some sensitive corals.

 

[GoAskAlice]

The OP posted in a different thread about this transfer earlier in the week that the alkalinity of the old tank (the tank from which the fish are corals are being transferred) was 10.3. So, for my own information, doesn't transferring the fish from a tank with alk at 10.3 dKH to a tank with alk at 6.7 dKH without acclimation potentially harm the fish due to stress and shock?

 

[sgdnycct]

If those numbers are right- that’s a big swing. As far as I know fish are less susceptible to dkh swings than coral BUT those numbers are very big. Feels (and I’m no expert) like too much of a swing. Especially since at those levels I’d expect PH to likely be affected. If PH is different the yeah need slow acclimation.

To OP: I’d suggest the following:

1. If your tank is empty and or has 0 livestock. Go with the bicarbonate + BRS chart to get your alk where you need it. You should be able to get up and stable in a couple days. If not, go to #2.

2. Based on the above numbers slow acclimate regardless. If your fish are in temporary pens without a natural environment I’d suggest go ahead and slow acclimate asap then slowly bring up you dkh over time again using bicarbonate and BRS chart. Keeping fish in temporary environment’s stresses them out and affects their biome, making them susceptible to disease.

NOTE: use the basic bicarbonate making sure there’s no special additives like fragrances or other stuff.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

The OP posted in a different thread about this transfer earlier in the week that the alkalinity of the old tank (the tank from which the fish are corals are being transferred) was 10.3. So, for my own information, doesn't transferring the fish from a tank with alk at 10.3 dKH to a tank with alk at 6.7 dKH without acclimation potentially harm the fish due to stress and shock?

Fish, no.

Corals, probably yes. That fact would have been useful to know as part of a question about suitable alk.

 

[Lisa Cain]

Thanks to all.
Deer Reef Family. I made the transfer and all is well. I am poster pictures. Three weeks and 5 days of cycling. The fish are much happier. Coral are happy including my large bio cube. Now all I have to worry about is not overfeeding and raising nitrates or ammonia to high. Ammonia is currently zero and Nitrates 5 ppm. Alkalinity 7.7. How do I obtain a thread build label?

 

[Lisa Cain]

You need two trips:

1. Local grocery store-Arm and Hammer Baking soda-check ingredients it should just say Sodium Bicarbonate
2. BRS website, Calculator section ( you can use BRS dry sodium bicarbonate)

Thank you.

 

[Lisa Cain]

If those numbers are right- that’s a big swing. As far as I know fish are less susceptible to dkh swings than coral BUT those numbers are very big. Feels (and I’m no expert) like too much of a swing. Especially since at those levels I’d expect PH to likely be affected. If PH is different the yeah need slow acclimation.

To OP: I’d suggest the following:

1. If your tank is empty and or has 0 livestock. Go with the bicarbonate + BRS chart to get your alk where you need it. You should be able to get up and stable in a couple days. If not, go to #2.

2. Based on the above numbers slow acclimate regardless. If your fish are in temporary pens without a natural environment I’d suggest go ahead and slow acclimate asap then slowly bring up you dkh over time again using bicarbonate and BRS chart. Keeping fish in temporary environment’s stresses them out and affects their biome, making them susceptible to disease.

NOTE: use the basic bicarbonate making sure there’s no special additives like fragrances or other stuff.

Thank you

 

[Lisa Cain]

The OP posted in a different thread about this transfer earlier in the week that the alkalinity of the old tank (the tank from which the fish are corals are being transferred) was 10.3. So, for my own information, doesn't transferring the fish from a tank with alk at 10.3 dKH to a tank with alk at 6.7 dKH without acclimation potentially harm the fish due to stress and shock?

Thank you

 

[Lisa Cain]

If those numbers are right- that’s a big swing. As far as I know fish are less susceptible to dkh swings than coral BUT those numbers are very big. Feels (and I’m no expert) like too much of a swing. Especially since at those levels I’d expect PH to likely be affected. If PH is different the yeah need slow acclimation.

To OP: I’d suggest the following:

1. If your tank is empty and or has 0 livestock. Go with the bicarbonate + BRS chart to get your alk where you need it. You should be able to get up and stable in a couple days. If not, go to #2.

2. Based on the above numbers slow acclimate regardless. If your fish are in temporary pens without a natural environment I’d suggest go ahead and slow acclimate asap then slowly bring up you dkh over time again using bicarbonate and BRS chart. Keeping fish in temporary environment’s stresses them out and affects their biome, making them susceptible to disease.

NOTE: use the basic bicarbonate making sure there’s no special additives like fragrances or other stuff.

Thank you!

 

[Lisa Cain]

If those numbers are right- that’s a big swing. As far as I know fish are less susceptible to dkh swings than coral BUT those numbers are very big. Feels (and I’m no expert) like too much of a swing. Especially since at those levels I’d expect PH to likely be affected. If PH is different the yeah need slow acclimation.

To OP: I’d suggest the following:

1. If your tank is empty and or has 0 livestock. Go with the bicarbonate + BRS chart to get your alk where you need it. You should be able to get up and stable in a couple days. If not, go to #2.

2. Based on the above numbers slow acclimate regardless. If your fish are in temporary pens without a natural environment I’d suggest go ahead and slow acclimate asap then slowly bring up you dkh over time again using bicarbonate and BRS chart. Keeping fish in temporary environment’s stresses them out and affects their biome, making them susceptible to disease.

NOTE: use the basic bicarbonate making sure there’s no special additives like fragrances or other stuff.

Thank you.

 

[Lisa Cain]

If those numbers are right- that’s a big swing. As far as I know fish are less susceptible to dkh swings than coral BUT those numbers are very big. Feels (and I’m no expert) like too much of a swing. Especially since at those levels I’d expect PH to likely be affected. If PH is different the yeah need slow acclimation.

To OP: I’d suggest the following:

1. If your tank is empty and or has 0 livestock. Go with the bicarbonate + BRS chart to get your alk where you need it. You should be able to get up and stable in a couple days. If not, go to #2.

2. Based on the above numbers slow acclimate regardless. If your fish are in temporary pens without a natural environment I’d suggest go ahead and slow acclimate asap then slowly bring up you dkh over time again using bicarbonate and BRS chart. Keeping fish in temporary environment’s stresses them out and affects their biome, making them susceptible to disease.

NOTE: use the basic bicarbonate making sure there’s no special additives like fragrances or other stuff.

Thank you

 

[Lisa Cain]

If those numbers are right- that’s a big swing. As far as I know fish are less susceptible to dkh swings than coral BUT those numbers are very big. Feels (and I’m no expert) like too much of a swing. Especially since at those levels I’d expect PH to likely be affected. If PH is different the yeah need slow acclimation.

To OP: I’d suggest the following:

1. If your tank is empty and or has 0 livestock. Go with the bicarbonate + BRS chart to get your alk where you need it. You should be able to get up and stable in a couple days. If not, go to #2.

2. Based on the above numbers slow acclimate regardless. If your fish are in temporary pens without a natural environment I’d suggest go ahead and slow acclimate asap then slowly bring up you dkh over time again using bicarbonate and BRS chart. Keeping fish in temporary environment’s stresses them out and affects their biome, making them susceptible to disease.

NOTE: use the basic bicarbonate making sure there’s no special additives like fragrances or other stuff.

Thank you