Reef crystals alkalinity

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Well, that answers my question. I just tested a 5 gallon bucket of RC that has been mixing for almost a week........7.3dkh. And yes, i can see some sludge on the pump and heater. It is also heated to 80. The last time i measured my rc water, it was 10+. So, i should mix it and use it on the same day, or just not heat it?

Mixing cold and using fast will reduce precipitation. That is the explicit direction from Red Sea about coral pro, their high alk mix.

That said, how much this happens will depend strongly on pH. Higher pH makes it more likely. Don't do anything to raise the pH of new salt water. Sch preciptiation doe snot always happen, and will happen faster when the mixing tank already has calcium carboante in it.

That all said, it may also not be a big deal. I mixed cold, and never heated at all, but did not worry about precipitation from normal IO. This is what my mixing barrel looked like on the bottom after a few years:

What is that Precipitate in My Reef Aquarium? by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com

Figure 1. The residue on the bottom of the plastic trash can that I use to mix Instant Ocean. I rarely clean it out. The solid is most likely calcium carbonate.

 

[skiergd011013]

Mixing cold and using fast will reduce precipitation. That is the explicit direction from Red Sea about coral pro, their high alk mix.

That said, how much this happens will depend strongly on pH. Higher pH makes it more likely. Don't do anything to raise the pH of new salt water. Sch preciptiation doe snot always happen, and will happen faster when the mixing tank already has calcium carboante in it.

That all said, it may also not be a big deal. I mixed cold, and never heated at all, but did not worry about precipitation from normal IO. This is what my mixing barrel looked like on the bottom after a few years:

What is that Precipitate in My Reef Aquarium? by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com

Figure 1. The residue on the bottom of the plastic trash can that I use to mix Instant Ocean. I rarely clean it out. The solid is most likely calcium carbonate.

I liked to always have a full bucket mixed and ready to go incase of any emergency. But im going to try mixing and using on the same day for now on.

 

[David Gaskins]

Randy,

besides the drop in Alk possibility from mixing in room temp water, are there any other downsides? Reason for asking is I use RC and have found the same Alk measurement (around 9.7) after mixing and waiting a day for WC. This matches up well with my DT Alk (9.5) and makes for less stress/work in matching parameters before WC.

Sincerely,

David

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Randy,

besides the drop in Alk possibility from mixing in room temp water, are there any other downsides? Reason for asking is I use RC and have found the same Alk measurement (around 9.7) after mixing and waiting a day for WC. This matches up well with my DT Alk (9.5) and makes for less stress/work in matching parameters before WC.

Sincerely,

David

I would not be worrying about the use of it in your system. :)

 

[skiergd011013]

Mixing cold and using fast will reduce precipitation. That is the explicit direction from Red Sea about coral pro, their high alk mix.

That said, how much this happens will depend strongly on pH. Higher pH makes it more likely. Don't do anything to raise the pH of new salt water. Sch preciptiation doe snot always happen, and will happen faster when the mixing tank already has calcium carboante in it.

That all said, it may also not be a big deal. I mixed cold, and never heated at all, but did not worry about precipitation from normal IO. This is what my mixing barrel looked like on the bottom after a few years:

What is that Precipitate in My Reef Aquarium? by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com

Figure 1. The residue on the bottom of the plastic trash can that I use to mix Instant Ocean. I rarely clean it out. The solid is most likely calcium carbonate.

I did a water change today. I change 4 gallons on my 20 gallon mixed reef weekly. I mixed the RC at room temp to 1.026, then heated it for an hour, then used it. Dkh just before use was 10.8. I tested calcium in the tank just before the waterchange, and it was 490, after a week since the last water change. So it seems water changes are easily meeting the CA demand. The tank depletes 0.23 dkh of alk per day, so i made up a solution of baking soda and RODI. I made up 400 ml of it, concentrated so dosing 100ml per day of it will replace the daily 0.23dkh. I have a scale and can easily measure out the baking soda. Tank is sitting at 8.9 dkh after my water change.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I did a water change today. I change 4 gallons on my 20 gallon mixed reef weekly. I mixed the RC at room temp to 1.026, then heated it for an hour, then used it. Dkh just before use was 10.8. I tested calcium in the tank just before the waterchange, and it was 490, after a week since the last water change. So it seems water changes are easily meeting the CA demand. The tank depletes 0.23 dkh of alk per day, so i made up a solution of baking soda and RODI. I made up 400 ml of it, concentrated so dosing 100ml per day of it will replace the daily 0.23dkh. I have a scale and can easily measure out the baking soda. Tank is sitting at 8.9 dkh after my water change.

That alk and the expected calcium demand (less than 2 ppm per day) is quite low, so since RC has fairly high calcium, it may meet the demand if you do not require calcium as high as RC has in it. :)

 

[skiergd011013]

That alk and the expected calcium demand (less than 2 ppm per day) is quite low, so since RC has fairly high calcium, it may meet the demand if you do not require calcium as high as RC has in it. :)

Randy, is this safe to use? Just double checking with you because i got these big boxes in the laundry aisle.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Yes. :)

 

[skiergd011013]

Yes. :)

Can you please tell me how many Grams of baking soda to mix into one gallon of rodi to make a gallon of alk solution? I am getting numbers all over the place for how much a tbsp of baking soda weighs. I have a scale and would rather use that to be more accurate. I need the 1 Cup and 2 tbsp equivalent. Im trying to make the BULK reef supply calculator gallon dose.