Dosing ammonium chloride and dropping alkalinity.

[KGV]

A lot of talk about ammonium chloride dosing these days. Some state that their alk dropped, presumably because the corals grow faster. But isn’t ammonium chloride a weak acid that will always suppress alkalinity? @Randy Holmes-Farley?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

A lot of talk about ammonium chloride dosing these days. Some state that their alk dropped, presumably because the corals grow faster. But isn’t ammonium chloride a weak acid that will always suppress alkalinity? @Randy Holmes-Farley?

Yes, ammonium chloride reduces alk. If that is a concern, use ammonium bicarbonate as described here:

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/diy-ammonia-dosing-for-low-nitrate-systems.987087/