Microbe-Lift KH Bio Active Booster need advice

KenzieReef92 · Mar 2, 2019

I was thinking about slowly raising my alk by .5 dkh per day using Microbe-Lift KH Bio Active Booster

https://www.microbelift.com/product/kh-bio-active-booster-carbonate-alkalinity/

I saw a helpful article @ https://www.petcha.com/microbe-lift-kh-bio-active-booster-review/

The directions say 1 level scoop 100ppm in 10G 50ppm in a 20G which I figure means 25ppm in a 40G which is what I currently have

My math is 6 scoops 150ppm/40G/8.5Dkh dissolved in 2 cups RODI

8.5Dkh/473mL x 30 = roughly around .5 DkH per 30mL

The instructions state that ML/KH may slightly increase pH; adjust pH as necessary. I would like to know if anyone has used this product and how much it raised your pH

Ingredients "label says Carbonate Alkalinity"
Contains a proprietary blend of Carbonate Hardness Constitues

Anyone using this product who could chime in would help or any other helpful tips would be appreciated I am avoiding raising it by .5 meq/L to stay safe

Ron Reefman · Mar 3, 2019

I know the company well as they are based here in SW Florida. I don't use this particular product, but that's because I had lots of tanks and use swimming pool soda ash to raise my alk.

I'm sorry, but I can't follow your math at all. If you are unsure about how much to dose to get the 0.5 dKH change you want, I'd recommend you make a much smaller dose, like 10% or 25% of what you calculate. Measure the alk before you dose and then again 10 minutes after you dose (giving time for water to move it around and mix). Then you'll see the change and can adjust from there.

Please don't chase your pH level by adding alk to the system! The pH change you may get, it will be relatively small and very temporary. All sodium carbonate products (baking soda and most aquarium alk additives) will raise alk and have little affect on pH. Soda ash is sodium bicarbonate and will raise alk the same way, but it also will raise pH slightly. This increase in pH is very temporary. The pH in your water is determined by the C02 in the water and that is determined by the C02 in the air within your house. The air and water are constantly doing 'gas exchange' where oxygen and C02 in the air will mix with the surface of your water. This is going on all the time and will counteract the change your alk additive will have on pH very quickly.

I used to dose soda ash with a dosser that added just a few drops every minute. That did push up my pH a little bit and kept it there because it was being dosed every minute, 24 hours a day.

Short answer, don't worry about the pH change and do NOT chase the pH level unless it gets really out of the normal range (7.8 to 8.3 IMHO).

I hope this helps some?

Randy Holmes-Farley · Mar 3, 2019

I cannot know exactly what is in that product, so cannot say how much it will raise pH. Different alk supplementing chemicals (sodium bicarbonate, sodium carbonate, and sodium hydroxide) all boost carbonate alkalinity but raise (or lower) pH to different extents, and many products are even mixtures of these.