How do you slowly raise Alkalinty?

[Sbristol49]

My alkalinity is 6.1 right now… My corals have been suffering everytime I did a water change.. finally found out the Red Sea salt I used is 10 Alkalinity and everytime I did a water change there would be huge Alkalinity swings. Was wondering what’s the best way to slowly raise it up close to 10? Thanks.

 

[KrisReef]

Easiest way is to use backing soda.

Use one of the on line tools to help figure out the dose, or just go slow and measure.

I believe the recommendation is no more than 1 dkh/24 hours.

Lets see what other, better help we can get.


Edit: Look:

Randy Recommended DIY Two Part Recipes

There are a whole lot of different DIY recipes around now, and I thought I lay out the differences and my recommendations. In all cases, food grade, USP (pharma) grade, or Analytical Reagent/ACS grades are all good choices for materials. Lower or ungraded materials may be fine, but its more...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Crabs McJones]

Are you dosing anything for alk and calcium between water changes? Once you get your alk to where you want it, may need to start dosing for stability

 

[Sbristol49]

Are you dosing anything for alk and calcium between water changes? Once you get your alk to where you want it, may need to start dosing for stability

Honestly no, Never really tested for alk ever until recently. I lacked for a bit and didnt do a water change for a month.

 

[Crabs McJones]

Honestly no, Never really tested for alk ever until recently. I lacked for a bit and didnt do a water change for a month.

Whats your calcium at currently? Don't want to raise only alk and not balance calcium with it

 

[Sbristol49]

Whats your calcium at currently? Don't want to raise only alk and not balance calcium with it

dang I don't even have anything to test calcium with. I was told to just test alkalinity and keep that in check and calcium & magnesium would follow with it.

 

[ptrusk]

No acros I wouldn't even worry about it. To be safe 1Dkh per day. I wouldn't do 4 Dkh at once simply because of precipitation or possible test error. Are you sure you want 10 Dkh? 8-9 is fine.

 

[Sbristol49]

No acros I wouldn't even worry about it. To be safe 1Dkh per day. I wouldn't do 4 Dkh at once simply because of precipitation or possible test error. Are you sure you want 10 Dkh? 8-9 is fine.

I don't really want it at 10. But the salt that I use Red Sea black bucket has 10dkh alkalinity. I currently have frogspawn, a torch and bubble tip anemone inside the tank. I guess it doesn't raise that much if I do a 5 gallon water change in a 20 gallon tank.

 

[ptrusk]

2 part is great to raise alk and calcium. I use ESV B-ionic. Randy's recipe (BRS 2 part) is good too.

 

[Sbristol49]

2 part is great to raise alk and calcium. I use ESV B-ionic. Randy's recipe (BRS 2 part) is good too.

I did buy all for reef recently I used it for a few days it hasn't raised my alk at all.

 

[ptrusk]

Nah, think about dosing

 

[KrisReef]

dang I don't even have anything to test calcium with. I was told to just test alkalinity and keep that in check and calcium & magnesium would follow with it.

It is theoretically possible just to do water changes in a lightly stocked tank and have the parameters stay good enough without measuring them. This method is what many fish stores use as they are always adding make up water when the send a bag out of the store.

The rest of us have to measure parameters, Mg, Alk & Ca to keep them rocking steady over time to be successful with delicate corals, especially hard corals & all the pretty sticks. Fluctuations in parameters is hard on corals and will make keeping them long term difficult if not impossible.

If you are going to do water changes, get an API Calcium test (crazy cheap but good enough) and get your alk and Ca stabilized. I like natural sea water levels, but if you are using salt with elevated levels that can work too, just find a way to keep them steady.

 

[ptrusk]

Can't tell you about AFR, don't use it but from what I understand its a delayed reaction. Follow instructions

 

[Sbristol49]

It is theoretically possible just to do water changes in a lightly stocked tank and have the parameters stay good enough without measuring them. This method is what many fish stores use as they are always adding make up water when the send a bag out of the store.

The rest of us have to measure parameters, Mg, Alk & Ca to keep them rocking steady over time to be successful with delicate corals, especially hard corals & all the pretty sticks. Fluctuations in parameters is hard on corals and will make keeping them long term difficult if not impossible.

If you are going to do water changes, get an API Calcium test (crazy cheap but good enough) and get your alk and Ca stabilized. I like natural sea water levels, but if you are using salt with elevated levels that can work too, just find a way to keep them steady.

What salt do you use? im thinking if changing salts.. I don't like that the salt in this bucket raises the alk to 10.

 

[ptrusk]

It is theoretically possible just to do water changes in a lightly stocked tank and have the parameters stay good enough without measuring them. This method is what many fish stores use as they are always adding make up water when the send a bag out of the store.

The rest of us have to measure parameters, Mg, Alk & Ca to keep them rocking steady over time to be successful with delicate corals, especially hard corals & all the pretty sticks. Fluctuations in parameters is hard on corals and will make keeping them long term difficult if not impossible.

If you are going to do water changes, get an API Calcium test (crazy cheap but good enough) and get your alk and Ca stabilized. I like natural sea water levels, but if you are using salt with elevated levels that can work too, just find a way to keep them steady.

Indeed but dosing much easier and probably cheaper that water changes.

 

[Sbristol49]

Indeed but dosing much easier and probably cheaper that water changes.

you think I should switch salts to something that raises it to 8? instead of the Red Sea that raises it to 10?

 

[ptrusk]

Water changes won't raise it much. Look into dosing 2 part.

 

[Sbristol49]

Water changes won't raise it much. Look into dosing 2 part.

How quick would I get it up to 8dkh if I used 2 part?

 

[ptrusk]

I have done 2Dkh with no issues all at once. YMMV. LPS don't seem to care but they do appreciate alk.

 

[Crabs McJones]

How quick would I get it up to 8dkh if I used 2 part?

6 to 8 isn't terrible. Id do it in 2 parts. Bump it up to seven, wait a day or two then bump it up to 8.