Second New DIY Two Part Recipe with Higher pH Boost

[Chad3407]

@Randy Holmes-Farley
I have a question. I’m currently using just sodium hydroxide for the alk and calcium chloride for the calcium. I don’t ever find myself having to dose magnesium as it stays pretty steady at 1400 with water changes. My question is, should I be mixing sodium sulfate in the alk part. I wasnt sure if that was just for magnesium part. Or if I should just dose the balling part c.

 

[hunterallen40]

No. Any CO2 getting into it will slightly lower the pH effect, but it has no effect on potency. Even after a lot of CO2 entered, the pH effect is as large or larger than a carbonate based two part.

@Randy Holmes-Farley I was thinking about this earlier, and was wondering why it is not true for kalkwasser, but is true for lye?

Or is it just a lower impact on pH for kalkwasser as well?

 

[Miami Reef]

@Randy Holmes-Farley I was thinking about this earlier, and was wondering why it is not true for kalkwasser, but is true for lye?

Or is it just a lower impact on pH for kalkwasser as well?

Because carbonate with precipitate when in contact with calcium, forming calcium carbonate. :)

Kalkwasser is calcium hydroxide. When in contact with carbon dioxide, it will react with hydroxide, forming carbonate. That further precipitates as calcium carbonate (insoluble) when calcium is in solution with carbonate.

 

[hunterallen40]

Because carbonate with precipitate when in contact with calcium, forming calcium carbonate. :)

Kalkwasser is calcium hydroxide. When in contact with carbon dioxide, it will react with hydroxide, forming carbonate. That further precipitates as calcium carbonate (insoluble) when calcium is in solution with carbonate.

Ah, that makes sense. So, for lye, it would just form sodium carbonate, which is just "normal" two part?

 

[Troylee]

Ah, that makes sense. So, for lye, it would just for sodium carbonate, which is just "normal" two part?

No.. kalk is 2 part cal/alk.
Lye is straight alkalinity 1 part.

 

[Stormlasher]

@Randy Holmes-Farley
I have a question. I’m currently using just sodium hydroxide for the alk and calcium chloride for the calcium. I don’t ever find myself having to dose magnesium as it stays pretty steady at 1400 with water changes. My question is, should I be mixing sodium sulfate in the alk part. I wasnt sure if that was just for magnesium part. Or if I should just dose the balling part c.

Bump I wana know this to

 

[Miami Reef]

Ah, that makes sense. So, for lye, it would just for sodium carbonate, which is just "normal" two part?

Correct. When you use sodium hydroxide, the worst that can happen CO2 enters is you get sodium carbonate, which is still a higher pH additive.

You get the same alkalinity boost whether it remains as sodium hydroxide or sodium carbonate, so the concentration of alk doesn’t change at all. Just the pH boost.

With kalkwasser, when CO2 enters, it lower the pH, alkalinity, and calcium concentration.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Ah, that makes sense. So, for lye, it would just for sodium carbonate, which is just "normal" two part?

Correct. :)

 

[Miami Reef]

@Randy Holmes-Farley
I have a question. I’m currently using just sodium hydroxide for the alk and calcium chloride for the calcium. I don’t ever find myself having to dose magnesium as it stays pretty steady at 1400 with water changes. My question is, should I be mixing sodium sulfate in the alk part. I wasnt sure if that was just for magnesium part. Or if I should just dose the balling part c.

^ @Randy Holmes-Farley

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Bump I wana know this to

There are many different recipes floating around these threads. If you use Balling Part C, there’s no need for sulfate. It’s a primary ingredient in Balling C.

If you are using my 2/3 part, I’d still advise using part 3 as directed unless magnesium is already too high. I doubt it will rise much, but if you find it does for reasons that are unclear, which may include high levels in new salt water, then using the sodium sulfate recipe may be useful.

 

[Miami Reef]

There are many different recipes floating around these threads. If you use Balling Part C, there’s no need for sulfate. It’s a primary ingredient in Balling C.

If you are using my 2/3 part, I’d still advise using part 3 as directed unless magnesium is already too high. I doubt it will rise much, but if you find it does for reasons that are unclear, which may include high levels in new salt water, then using the sodium sulfate recipe may be useful.

Thanks, Randy. :)

 

[zheka757]

im freaking out because i don't know what im doing! and im trying to figure out how much of this alk part mix i need. i don't know what my alk consumption per day is.
i have calcium reactor, and I'm running it at 60ml/minute. on a 480gallon system.
i did the 283g of sodium hydroxide mix per gallon of water just like instructed. can i safely try it at 5ml per minute? on a timer every 6 hours for 30 minutes. so that's 600ml in 24 hours.

 

[Miami Reef]

i did the 283g of sodium hydroxide mix per gallon of water just like instructed. can i safely try it at 5ml per minute? on a timer every 6 hours for 30 minutes. so that's 600ml in 24 hours.

That’s a lot! Is your tank heavily stocked?

 

[piranhaman00]

im freaking out because i don't know what im doing! and im trying to figure out how much of this alk part mix i need. i don't know what my alk consumption per day is.
i have calcium reactor, and I'm running it at 60ml/minute. on a 480gallon system.
i did the 283g of sodium hydroxide mix per gallon of water just like instructed. can i safely try it at 5ml per minute? on a timer every 6 hours for 30 minutes. so that's 600ml in 24 hours.

1817 Liters * 0.1dkh = 5300dkh * x

x=34mLs will raise your 480 gallons by 0.1dkh.

You need to test to understand your alk needs then dose accordingly.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

im freaking out because i don't know what im doing! and im trying to figure out how much of this alk part mix i need. i don't know what my alk consumption per day is.
i have calcium reactor, and I'm running it at 60ml/minute. on a 480gallon system.
i did the 283g of sodium hydroxide mix per gallon of water just like instructed. can i safely try it at 5ml per minute? on a timer every 6 hours for 30 minutes. so that's 600ml in 24 hours.

There’s a calculator for all of my recipes, but you need to decide how much alk per day you want to add this way.

 

[zheka757]

That’s a lot! Is your tank heavily stocked?

Yeah my tank is stocked with big colonies, I just have being relying on calcium reactor for so long that I haven't had a chance to know what's my consumption actually is, I slowly have to keep increasing effluent rate. I'm at the point where my PH is in 7.8-8.1 range. Don't like it to be on a low side.
After posting that, I found calculator, and it says for me to raise my tanks alk from 8.5 to 9.5 I need 300ml of it. Not counting all consumption. So I did a 200ml dose spread out in 2 doses, 6 hours apart. I'll see what results are when I come home.

 

[zheka757]

wow, this alk additive can increase ph. my ph have spiked to 8.4 from 8.1 while alkalinity increased from 8.2 to 8.8

 

[Miami Reef]

wow, this alk additive can increase ph. my ph have spiked to 8.4 from 8.1 while alkalinity increased from 8.2 to 8.8

Oh yeah! It’s my all-time favorite alkalinity addition. I only use sodium hydroxide for my reef tank. :)

 

[zheka757]

Oh yeah! It’s my all-time favorite alkalinity addition. I only use sodium hydroxide for my reef tank. :)

still cant wrap my head around how to switch from calcium reactor and use this only

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

still cant wrap my head around how to switch from calcium reactor and use this only

that's not usually the preferred switch, usually it's the other way around.... why not use both though I would run 50/50, If one fails or cant keep up the other keeps the system running, or run the calcium reactor during the day and two part at night, also additives get expensive and time consuming and you'll be needing to supplement calcium and magnesium