Second New DIY Two Part Recipe with Higher pH Boost

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Will the BRS mixing jugs be able to hold this solution? They are labeled as HDPE 2 plastic. Also the Neptune DDR?

HDPE (the 2 also means HDPE) is perfect.

 

[DoMaFe]

Hello Randy, if I am currently dosing B-Ionic Component 1 Alkalinity am I understanding correct to multiply the amount of sodium hydroxide used by 1.5 for it to be equivalent? Would it be the same thing to do the 283 grams of sodium hydroxide and then just dose 1.5x more than what I dose now. Thank you and sorry if it's been asked before.

 

[ss88]

1. Can someone please answer how to use "Tropic Marin Balling Component Part C" in conjunction with this recipe?
2. Do you simply omit the magnesium part of this 3 part recipe and replace it with "Tropic Marin Balling Component Part C"?
3. How much part C is added in relation to the calcium and alk parts of this recipe?
4. Can the trace elements Trop Pro-Coral K+ Trace 1 be added to the calcium part of this recipe as it is done in the BRS Pharma Balling Method?
5. Can the trace elements Trop Pro-Coral A- Trace 2 be added to the calcium part of this recipe as it is done in the BRS Pharma Balling Method?

In a previous thread, I posted a true two part DIY recipe:

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/new-diy-two-part-recipes-with-higher-ph-boost.344500/

But some folks may want to just swap the new ingredient into my 2/3 part recipe (as used by BRS, for example).

Here's the original recipe link (which has a lot more discussion on the details and rationale):

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/rhf/index.php

The new recipe is shown below. It has about twice the pH boost of the original recipe (#1) and should be added to a very high flow area. Initial cloudiness (magnesium hydroxide) is expected, but it should disperse and dissolve. If not, stop using it and figure out why.

Alk part

Add 283 grams of sodium hydroxide to 1 gallon of fresh water. It will get quite warm. Make sure it doesn't soften your container. This solution will contain about 1,900 meq/L of alkalinity (5,300 dKH). BE CAREFUL WITH THIS SOLUTION: IT HAS A pH ABOVE 14. Do not get it in your eyes or on your skin.

Calcium part

Dissolve 500 grams (about 2 ½ cups) of calcium chloride dihydrate (such as Dowflake 77-80% calcium chloride or ESV calcium chloride; see below for substitutes and sources) in enough water to make 1 gallon of total volume. You can dissolve it in about ½ gallon of water, and then pour that into the 1 gallon container and fill it to the top with more freshwater. This solution has about 37,000 ppm calcium.

Magnesium part

Dissolve Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate heptahydrate (3 cups) and magnesium chloride hexahydrate (5 cups) in enough purified freshwater to make 1 gallon total volume. There will likely be a precipitate that forms even if you fully dissolve both ingredients separately. That precipitate is calcium sulfate (calcium as an impurity in the magnesium chloride and sulfate from the Epsom salts). It is fine and appropriate to dose the precipitate along with the remainder of the fluid by shaking it up before dosing.

This solution is added much less frequently or in lower volume than the other two parts. Add 16% as much as the other two parts. Over the time you add 1 gallon of the others, 1 add 610 mL (2 ½ cups) of this solution. You can add it all at once or, preferably, over time as you choose, depending on the aquarium's size and set up. Add it to a high flow area, preferably a sump. In a very small aquarium, or one without a sump, I suggest adding it slowly.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Hello Randy, if I am currently dosing B-Ionic Component 1 Alkalinity am I understanding correct to multiply the amount of sodium hydroxide used by 1.5 for it to be equivalent? Would it be the same thing to do the 283 grams of sodium hydroxide and then just dose 1.5x more than what I dose now. Thank you and sorry if it's been asked before.

Yes to all. :)

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

1. Can someone please answer how to use "Tropic Marin Balling Component Part C" in conjunction with this recipe?
2. Do you simply omit the magnesium part of this 3 part recipe and replace it with "Tropic Marin Balling Component Part C"?
3. How much part C is added in relation to the calcium and alk parts of this recipe?
4. Can the trace elements Trop Pro-Coral K+ Trace 1 be added to the calcium part of this recipe as it is done in the BRS Pharma Balling Method?
5. Can the trace elements Trop Pro-Coral A- Trace 2 be added to the calcium part of this recipe as it is done in the BRS Pharma Balling Method?

you use Balling Part C in exactly the same amounts and exactly the same way that BRS advises for my sodium carbonate recipe (they use that recipe for their soda ash product).

Same answer for the trace elements from TM, though both additive solutions do not go into the same calcium oart thecwsy questions 4 and 5 ask.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

The BRS Balling Part C directions:

https://www.bulkreefsupply.com/trace-element-package-tropic-marin.html

 

[trevorhiller]

I'm curious if anyone has dosed this with the Versa pumps. I'm not exactly sure what sort of clear plastic makes up the "cartridge" that holds the peristaltic tubing. If you have, let me know...

 

[ss88]

Hi Randy Holmes-Farley,

Please clearify as some of this information is contradicting to a degree with "Tropic Marin Balling Component Part C"

What I have surmised is to use "Tropic Marin Balling Component Part C" at the ratio specified here.

BRS.com: "Tropic Marin Part C, dosage will be 2x your calcium and alkalinity dose."

Then on an as needed basis for corrections to magnesium levels use a 1:1 ratio of Magnesium Chloride to Magnesium Sulfate. 4 cups each in one gallon.

The calcium carbonate sold by BRS is dihydrate? Thus no need to reduce by 20%.

Might be worth another reminder ( because I know I forget) that if using anhydrous CaCl2 then reduce volume by 20%

There's lots of magnesium in Balling Part C. More than anything else except chloride and sulfate (and possibly sodium, depending on how they formulated it).

That said, it's not a perfect solution for magnesium because it doesn't add magnesium to offset consumption, just to offset the effect of dilution by the two part sodium and chloride additions.

I'd use the Part C for routine dosing, and then if magnesium starts to get low, give occasional corrections with a magnesium additive.

Yes, The BRS recipe is 1:1. I designed it.

BRS uses the dihydrate. Even for some recipe that does not, it t only impacts how much to use in a recipe. Nothing else.

The BRS "magnesium part" is akin to the Tropic Marin part CV of Balling, but is not as good as Balling Part C.

Using Balling Part C witht eh BRS calciuma nd alk is a great choice.

Yes but if you want to be as perfect as possible, it's a different mix. 11:1 chloride to sulfate.

Understood, the trace elements Tropic Pro-Coral K+ be added to the Calcium Chloride dihydrate part of this recipe.

Understood, he trace elements Tropic Pro-Coral A- is added to the Sodium Hydroxide part of this recipe.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Hi Randy Holmes-Farley,

Please clearify as some of this information is contradicting to a degree with "Tropic Marin Balling Component Part C"

What I have surmised is to use "Tropic Marin Balling Component Part C" at the ratio specified here.

BRS.com: "Tropic Marin Part C, dosage will be 2x your calcium and alkalinity dose."

Then on an as needed basis for corrections to magnesium levels use a 1:1 ratio of Magnesium Chloride to Magnesium Sulfate. 4 cups each in one gallon.

The calcium carbonate sold by BRS is dihydrate? Thus no need to reduce by 20%.











Understood, the trace elements Tropic Pro-Coral K+ be added to the Calcium Chloride dihydrate part of this recipe.

Understood, he trace elements Tropic Pro-Coral A- is added to the Sodium Hydroxide part of this recipe.

Im not sure what is contradictory, but here’s the summary:

1. Use only sodium hydroxide and calcium chloride for the 2 parts. No other ingredients.

2. Use Balling Part C at the rate specified by BRS based on the alk and calcium dosing.

3. If you need to boost magnesium more, use an ordinary magnesium supplement (such as an 11:1 mag chloride to sulfate recipe) and not one intended to offset the excessive chloride from the calcium chloride (such as my 5:3 mag chloride to sulfate recipe) because the Balling Part C has already corrected that issue.

4. BRS sells calcium chloride in the dihydrate form (unless they have changed it, but anhydrous is more expensive and no better, so there’s no reason to change it).

 

[ss88]

Thank you for the clarification. Correct not a contradiction, just information split between multiple post. Felt it best to ask for clarification before dosing to an established reef tank.

 

[Miami Reef]

This might be one of the coolest little gadgets I purchased.

It’s a magnetic stirrer. I make my sodium hydroxide batches in 1 L batches and use a volumetric flask to make sure everything is as accurate as possible.

I had Jim Welsh help me on another forum. :)

 

[trevorhiller]

This might be one of the coolest little gadgets I purchased.

It’s a magnetic stirrer. I make my sodium hydroxide batches in 1 L batches and use a volumetric flask to make sure everything is as accurate as possible.

I had Jim Welsh help me on another forum. :)

I need to get one of these, pretty cool.

I have the mini one for test kit vials and love it:

https://www.saltwateraquarium.com/s...MI57qDraby-QIVhdzICh1pLAtqEAQYAiABEgKXy_D_BwE

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

This might be one of the coolest little gadgets I purchased.

It’s a magnetic stirrer. I make my sodium hydroxide batches in 1 L batches and use a volumetric flask to make sure everything is as accurate as possible.

I had Jim Welsh help me on another forum. :)

Looks very lab-like. :)

 

[Miami Reef]

Looks very lab-like. :)

Why thank you. lol

Learned from one of my favorite people in the world (you!)

 

[JGT]

This might be one of the coolest little gadgets I purchased.

It’s a magnetic stirrer. I make my sodium hydroxide batches in 1 L batches and use a volumetric flask to make sure everything is as accurate as possible.

I had Jim Welsh help me on another forum. :)

here’s mine…add 1415 grams of NaH0 to 5 gals RODI and shake vigorously :face-with-tears-of-joy:

 

[Miami Reef]

here’s mine…add 1415 grams of NaH0 to 5 gals RODI and shake vigorously :face-with-tears-of-joy:

I actually did it like that at first (not with a 5 gallon jug though!).

I’m just terrified that the cap will come off and explode sodium hydroxide all over my body!

My volumetric flask has a stopper, and I shook and inverted the bottle, but I was so scared it would leak from the top.

Am I just being paranoid @Randy Holmes-Farley ?

That 5 gallon bucket sure looks convenient, especially since my tank consumes a lot of the solutions. :)

 

[JGT]

Been doing it for a couple of years now, no issues. I don’t cap it when I first mix everything. Let it heat up and then settle down. Then I cap it, shake a couple times and connect my doser. Good for several months.

 

[Miami Reef]

Been doing it for a couple of years now, no issues. I don’t cap it when I first mix everything. Let it heat up and then settle down. Then I cap it, shake a couple times and connect my doser. Good for several months.

Do you pour the water into the sodium hydroxide or the sodium hydroxide into the water?

 

[JGT]

Do you pour the water into the sodium hydroxide or the sodium hydroxide into the water?

Start with about 3 gals, add the NaOH and let sit. Then cap, shake and let sit. Then add remaining 2 gals and shake several times resting a couple minutes between each.

 

[Cjeippert]

I dose kalk at night about 2 gallons and 3 part 170 ml of soda ash, 170 ml calcium chloride, 45 ml mag sulf/ mag chl mix in the day. 4 separate jugs. If I wanted to boost ph and use sodium hydroxide, what would that look like?

do I stop kalk?

do I still dose 170 ml of cal and NaHO

do I still use the brs 2 part msg maintenance mix?

always curious about this, but do not want to change if everything is great. Just hate the summer ph slums in AZ.