New DIY Two Part Recipes with Higher pH Boost

[pfoxgrover]

Is the NaOH recipe safe to use with BRS Dosers? Also, what tubing is safe? Do not want any accidents/leaks over time. Thank you.

I have dosed about 5 gallons so far through BRS dosing hose and a BRS doser with no issue. I think the main concern is when you mix the solution it gets very hot especially at the bottom of the mixing container where the NOAH falls to as it dissolves. I have been mixing one gallon at a time in a 1 gallon container sitting in a 5 gallon bucket near half full of water and have had no issues. Remember your safety equipment of course!

Update on my switch back in late Sept.:
I had been doing the original 2 part over a 12 hour period but I switched it to once per hour 24/7 to smooth out the pH rise. I saw no immediate change to Alkalinity test results due to the new concentration.

I was able to see a definite increase in pH from the switch to NAOH ( I am still dosing Kalkwasser as well) although not enough to keep me above 8.0 at night with the window just cracked open, so I also added a DIY partially recirculating CO2 reactor and now I can stay in the low 8s as long as I use a lot of scrubber media (takes about 4 liters of CO2 scrubber media per month on a 240 gallon packed reef tank).

Since incorporating these since late Sept. my alkalinity demand in the tank has increased by 30% (approx. 117 ml per day more NAOH than starting dose ) if you ignore the Kalkwasser additions that are roughly the same.

This is anecdotally of course but my SPS corals seem to look better and have increased growth. I think I am seeing less instances of tissue necrosis, especially the kind that starts at the base of the coral but that might de coincidental.

Thanks again @Randy Holmes-Farley for sharing this awesome recipe!!

 

[trmiv]

Just ordered the chemicals for Randy’s version. I’ll be dosing it through my Neptune DOS from an acrylic Simplicity Aquatics dosing container. I’m currently dosing b-ionic so this is to replace that. I was going to try dosing kalk for the ph boost but I didn’t want to change how I’m dosing so hopefully this accomplishes what I’m looking for without having to change around my setup.

I’m a little nervous about mixing and handling the sodium hydroxide, but I’ll go slow.

 

[trmiv]

FYI for anyone looking to make this, don't order this stuff. Not only is it not food grade as it claims, it's not even pure sodium hydroxide. I ended up having to order different stuff that won't be here until next week now. Oh well, I guess I can make sure all my drains are clean with this stuff.

Amazon.com: Lye for Soap Making, Sodium Hydroxide for Soap Making, Pure Lye, Food Grade Lye, Caustic Soda, Drain Cleaner and Clog Remover, High Test Lye Food Grade, 2lbs.: Arts, Crafts & Sewing

 

[brendan2u]

Anyone have suggestions of brands of various ingredients?

I haven't dosed for a long time...

Side story, after I got my wisdom teeth taken out in high school, I had my stepfather drive my to 5 different hardware stores where I read all of the ingredients of various products until I found a calcium anhydride that fit the bill that was meant for swimming pools.

I don't see how everyone was loopy, I was Lazer focused! Must have gave me Adderal on accident!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Anyone have suggestions of brands of various ingredients?

I haven't dosed for a long time...

Side story, after I got my wisdom teeth taken out in high school, I had my stepfather drive my to 5 different hardware stores where I read all of the ingredients of various products until I found a calcium anhydride that fit the bill that was meant for swimming pools.

I don't see how everyone was loopy, I was Lazer focused! Must have gave me Adderal on accident!

You found something actually labeled calcium anhydride?

Food grade sodium hydroxide for the alk part:

Amazon product ASIN B07KNR9SVF

 

[trmiv]

Anyone have suggestions of brands of various ingredients?

I haven't dosed for a long time...

Side story, after I got my wisdom teeth taken out in high school, I had my stepfather drive my to 5 different hardware stores where I read all of the ingredients of various products until I found a calcium anhydride that fit the bill that was meant for swimming pools.

I don't see how everyone was loopy, I was Lazer focused! Must have gave me Adderal on accident!

I already had calcium chloride from BRS so I used that.

For the other parts I used

sodium hydroxide

Sodium Hydroxide - Pure - Food... Amazon product ASIN B07KNR9SVF
Sodium Sulfate

Duda Energy 1ssf Natural Sodium... Amazon product ASIN B005K4EKQQ
Magnesium

Fritz Aquatics Magnesium Chloride Bulk Reef Chemical Amazon product ASIN B00OTH5WE4
I probably could have gotten magnesium cheaper elsewhere but I was impatient and it was on Prime so I got that.

 

[Isaac Alves]

FWIW, the white powder that forms is likely magnesium hydroxide. :)

I’m curious about this Apitasia killing solution @Tmmste mentioned in this thread. I have used this method a few times now. And it does work well. My curiosity is on the Magnesium Hydroxide precipitate that is left behind once the initial blast of high pH and heat subsides. Is it harmful to Marine fish at all? I’ve seen my cardinal take a chunk of the white material into his mouth and spit it out. I’ve not seen any issues that would cause me concern — But I am curious if an animal was to swallow a pea sized amount of this precipitate will it be as harmless as us taking a standard dose of Milk of Magnesia?

I just read through your article on precipitates from an old reef central post. Very good article still. But the focus was not on the interaction of Magnesium Hydroxide bing ingested by marine life.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I’m curious about this Apitasia killing solution @Tmmste mentioned in this thread. I have used this method a few times now. And it does work well. My curiosity is on the Magnesium Hydroxide precipitate that is left behind once the initial blast of high pH and heat subsides. Is it harmful to Marine fish at all? I’ve seen my cardinal take a chunk of the white material into his mouth and spit it out. I’ve not seen any issues that would cause me concern — But I am curious if an animal was to swallow a pea sized amount of this precipitate will it be as harmless as us taking a standard dose of Milk of Magnesia?

I just read through your article on precipitates from an old reef central post. Very good article still. But the focus was not on the interaction of Magnesium Hydroxide bing ingested by marine life.

Yes, it is essentially milk of magnesia. It raises pH a bit as it dissolves. I don't suspect it is an issue for animals with a stomach where the pH is reduced, but it might be for an filter feeder that digests other ways.

 

[brendan2u]

Any suggestions for the calcium?

Sorry, the pool stuff I found was about 7 years ago and it took forever to find (once again, I was technically on drugs, but still lol).

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Any suggestions for the calcium?

Sorry, the pool stuff I found was about 7 years ago and it took forever to find (once again, I was technically on drugs, but still lol).

The BRS material is good. I do not know what is the cheapest acceptable material these days.

 

[trmiv]

so thus far with this I haven’t noticed any significant ph boost over the b-ionic I was using. I’m only dosing about 22ml per day in my Reefer 350 though so maybe I’m just not dosing enough to see much of a boost.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

so thus far with this I haven’t noticed any significant ph boost over the b-ionic I was using. I’m only dosing about 22ml per day in my Reefer 350 though so maybe I’m just not dosing enough to see much of a boost.

Whatever pH boost folks get, it will be about twice as much from this recipe as normal B-ionic.

That said, you are only dosing about 0.33 dKh per day, which is very low. The pH boost from all at once dosing is only about 0.17 pH units, and if spread out through the day, will be lower.

 

[trmiv]

In BRS’s Tropic Marin/BRS hybrid they mention you can add Tropic Marin Trace A- to the Alk portion of the two part and Tropic Marin Trace K+ to the calcium portion of the two part. Can I do that with the calcium hydroxide recipe here? I know the calcium portion is pretty much the same so that would work, but not sure if the sodium hydroxide mixed with some of the Tropic Marin A- would be an issue?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

In BRS’s Tropic Marin/BRS hybrid they mention you can add Tropic Marin Trace A- to the Alk portion of the two part and Tropic Marin Trace K+ to the calcium portion of the two part. Can I do that with the calcium hydroxide recipe here? I know the calcium portion is pretty much the same so that would work, but not sure if the sodium hydroxide mixed with some of the Tropic Marin A- would be an issue?

You mean sodium hydroxide recipe, right? Not calcium hydroxide.

I expect you can mix the TM A- into the hydroxide part, but am not 100% sure since I am not sure how much of what is in that product.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

FWIW, since BRS now sells Tropic Marin Balling Part C, I think that the "best" recipe to use is the DIY using just sodium hydroxide and calcium chloride , then Balling Part C to balance everything else.

 

[trmiv]

You mean sodium hydroxide recipe, right? Not calcium hydroxide.

I expect you can mix the TM A- into the hydroxide part, but am not 100% sure since I am not sure how much of what is in that product.

Sorry yea sodium hydroxide.

FWIW, since BRS now sells Tropic Marin Balling Part C, I think that the "best" recipe to use is the DIY using just sodium hydroxide and calcium chloride , then Balling Part C to balance everything else.

So in that case remove the sodium sulfate from the alk part and the magnesium from the calcium part? Would you keep the same amount of sodium hydroxide and calcium chloride in each or replace the amount of sodium sulfate and magnesium in each with what you removed?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

So in that case remove the sodium sulfate from the alk part and the magnesium from the calcium part? Would you keep the same amount of sodium hydroxide and calcium chloride in each or replace the amount of sodium sulfate and magnesium in each with what you removed?

Yes, just start with the simple recipe:

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/second-new-diy-two-part-recipe-with-higher-ph-boost.357080/

 

[trmiv]

Yes, just start with the simple recipe:

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/second-new-diy-two-part-recipe-with-higher-ph-boost.357080/

Great thank you.

If I already have a gallon of the recipe with the sulfate and magnesium mixed up can I use part c along with that, or would I need to toss that and use the simple recipe if I want to start dosing part c?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Great thank you.

If I already have a gallon of the recipe with the sulfate and magnesium mixed up can I use part c along with that, or would I need to toss that and use the simple recipe if I want to start dosing part c?

I would wait. You'd be doubling up on the main ingredient in Balling Part C: magnesium sulfate.

 

[GoVols]

@Randy Holmes-Farley

In version 2, is there a part that consumes C02 that makes you be able to reach a higher ph?

Thank you