Question on raising alkalinity

Fishingandreefing

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Hey R2R. My new tanks alk is at around 6, cal 420, salinity 1.025, and ph is 8.4.

I currently dose 10 tsp of kalk in the 5g buck via ato.

Tank is being cycled for about 8 months and currently hosting 2 fish and a dozen of lps.

According to brs, i need sodium bicarbinate to raise alk without raising ph. However, with the holiday season i dont know how long its going to take for brs to ship it here.

However, i got soda ash on hand but brs say that will raise ph as well.

Should i use soda ash or just wait? Tank is doing ok so far since its all lps.
 

redfishbluefish

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Agree with @YankeeTankee If you are fixated on using sodium bicarb, just pick up some Arm & Hammer baking soda at you local grocery....100% sodium bicarbonate.
 

blasterman

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Just get some grocery store baking soda and use the online reef calculator.. Soda ash is just baking soda thats been heated in a oven to drive off C02.

Funny how BRS doesn't tell you that.
 
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Fishingandreefing

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Just get some grocery store baking soda and use the online reef calculator.. Soda ash is just baking soda thats been heated in a oven to drive off C02.

Funny how BRS doesn't tell you that.
I guess is cheap enough that lots of people don’t care. As long as I know that it won’t raise my ph too much I am good. I am going to raise alk from 6 to 8 in 5 days. While doing that, my ATO will continue dosing kalk as always.

I guess will be checking alk daily till reach to my desire level.
 
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Fishingandreefing

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Didn’t have a gallon jug and didn’t want to make too much since I mainly replying on dosing kalk via ato. (Will still dosing kalk while adding soda ash)

so I ended up mixing 13oz of rodi with about 70ml of soda ash.

current alk 6, goal is 8, based on the brs calculator is roughly 115ml divided by 5 days dosing.

will be doing 20ml daily and check alk daily if possible.

will keep you guys posted
 

arussellnsg

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Didn’t have a gallon jug and didn’t want to make too much since I mainly replying on dosing kalk via ato. (Will still dosing kalk while adding soda ash)

so I ended up mixing 13oz of rodi with about 70ml of soda ash.

current alk 6, goal is 8, based on the brs calculator is roughly 115ml divided by 5 days dosing.

will be doing 20ml daily and check alk daily if possible.

will keep you guys posted
Did you have any follow-up to report on this method? I'm needing to do the same and was hoping to read good results on your end.
Thanks in advance for sharing more of possible
 

Randy Holmes-Farley

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the BRS soda bicarb is "pharma grade";)

Is that better or worse than food grade that you'd buy in a grocery store?

High grade sodium carbonate is expensive since food grade is not readily available. That is why, if you want sodium carbonate I recommend buying food grade sodium bicarbonate and baking it yourself. BRS saves you the trouble of baking it, but does not offer higher purity than food grade baking soda, I don't think.
 

Randy Holmes-Farley

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Did you have any follow-up to report on this method? I'm needing to do the same and was hoping to read good results on your end.
Thanks in advance for sharing more of possible

"This method" means what to you?

We have a complete understanding of how to make different alkalinity supplements and what effect they will have on pH.
 

arussellnsg

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"This method" means what to you?

We have a complete understanding of how to make different alkalinity supplements and what effect they will have on pH.
I meant this question for the post from Fishingandreefing above when posted about what he/she was going to do and then "will keep you guys posted"

I was wondering what the results he got from doing the said method in that post.
 

Randy Holmes-Farley

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I meant this question for the post from Fishingandreefing above when posted about what he/she was going to do and then "will keep you guys posted"

I was wondering what the results he got from doing the said method in that post.

I understand what you wrote, but what are you trying to accomplish?

We can advise with 100% accuracy how to raise alkalinity with and without pH changes of various directions and extents.
 

Dkmoo

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Is that better or worse than food grade that you'd buy in a grocery store?

High grade sodium carbonate is expensive since food grade is not readily available. That is why, if you want sodium carbonate I recommend buying food grade sodium bicarbonate and baking it yourself. BRS saves you the trouble of baking it, but does not offer higher purity than food grade baking soda, I don't think.
yeah i bake my own arm and hammer
 

arussellnsg

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I understand what you wrote, but what are you trying to accomplish?

We can advise with 100% accuracy how to raise alkalinity with and without pH changes of various directions and extents.
Oh, of course. My apologies for my ignorance.

I am trying to raise my alk from 5.9 to at a minimum of 8, but 9 would be my target. My pH is 8.1 so I don't want that affected. So far, I've added Kalkwasser to ATO. Should I do good ol baking soda? And the other guy's amount, 20ml seemed appropriate for my 55gal (45gal water total) no sump. Please advise, thanks so much!
 

Storm Trooper Reefer

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Try a salt with a higher Alk, like Fritz pro, Red Sea blue bucket. LPS consume Alk faster than Cal. When Alk drops, cal goes up. When you raise your Alk, cal will drop. Also what is you Mag at? If it’s low, you are saturated and your additions will not change your numbers
 

Randy Holmes-Farley

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Oh, of course. My apologies for my ignorance.

I am trying to raise my alk from 5.9 to at a minimum of 8, but 9 would be my target. My pH is 8.1 so I don't want that affected. So far, I've added Kalkwasser to ATO. Should I do good ol baking soda? And the other guy's amount, 20ml seemed appropriate for my 55gal (45gal water total) no sump. Please advise, thanks so much!

9 dKH is a fairly high target, but baking soda is probably the best way to raise it if you do not want a pH boost.

Why don't you want a pH boost? pH 8.1 is lower than normal average seawater.

If you spread that baking soda out over a week or so, you won't likely notice the very small ph drop that comes after each addition.

The pH will ultimately rise with an alk boost that high, no matter how you do it, but there will be no sudden jumps.

IMO, sodium carbonate is also a fine way to raise it (I'd use it), but it will also give a temporary pH rise with each addition.
 

arussellnsg

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Try a salt with a higher Alk, like Fritz pro, Red Sea blue bucket. LPS consume Alk faster than Cal. When Alk drops, cal goes up. When you raise your Alk, cal will drop. Also what is you Mag at? If it’s low, you are saturated and your additions will not change your numbers
Mag has been high, 18-1900
 

arussellnsg

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I retested yesterday after adding 2 tsp Kalkwasser to my ATO 3.5gal. It has been used up in little over a week on 2/23. Then I topped off my ATO reservoir with RODI only.
My results
Alk 6.6
Ca 450
pH 8.3

Didn't test mag, I want to lower it but not too concerned

Should I continue on with Kalkwasser?

I honestly don't have the mind strength to calculate daily use... I don't drip disease, only top off
I had 1 ICP test done a month ago when I saw my SpG at 46.6
I mitigated that with water changes... now at 36.2, 1.027,1.028 ... seems to vary for whatever reason... ‍♀️ maybe Kalkwasser?

Anyway, any more feedback is appreciated... I'm more of a trial and error reefer as you may have thought.
 

arussellnsg

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I retested yesterday after adding 2 tsp Kalkwasser to my ATO 3.5gal. It has been used up in little over a week on 2/23. Then I topped off my ATO reservoir with RODI only.
My results
Alk 6.6
Ca 450
pH 8.3

Didn't test mag, I want to lower it but not too concerned

Should I continue on with Kalkwasser?

I honestly don't have the mind strength to calculate daily use... I don't drip disease, only top off
I had 1 ICP test done a month ago when I saw my SpG at 46.6
I mitigated that with water changes... now at 36.2, 1.027,1.028 ... seems to vary for whatever reason... ‍♀️ maybe Kalkwasser?

Anyway, any more feedback is appreciated... I'm more of a trial and error reefer as you may have thought.
Sorry got my dates wrong. 3/28... started Kalkwasser
 

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