Second New DIY Two Part Recipe with Higher pH Boost

[Miami Reef]

I assume RO tubing would work well too then ?

Since Randy helped me so much, I’ll return the favor by helping out others as well.

Here’s a post of his from this thread:

All polyethylene is good with high ph solutions. Most RO tubings are polyethylene. :)

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I assume RO tubing would work well too then ?

If it is any type of polyethylene or polypropylene, yes. :)

 

[Jay'sReefBugs]

It should be able to exactly replace any amount of limewater you are dosing, and then go beyond that just like adding more limewater would accomplish.

Having major PH issues this summer due to humidity and the fact my tank is in my basment. Opening windows just isn't an option in the summer for me I'm currently running a CO2 scrubber but even with that I can barely get it to 7.7- 7.8 . I'm currently dosing 7ML per a hour (168ML daily) of Fully saturated Kalk . Would I be able to just replace my kalk with the hydroxide solution ( I'm not worried about calcium at this point )? Or is the Alk in this solution a lot higher? I mainly want to try this for PH purposes. Thanks

 

[Miami Reef]

Having major PH issues this summer due to humidity and the fact my tank is in my basment. Opening windows just isn't an option in the summer for me I'm currently running a CO2 scrubber but even with that I can barely get it to 7.7- 7.8 . I'm currently dosing 7ML per a hour (168ML daily) of Fully saturated Kalk . Would I be able to just replace my kalk with the hydroxide solution ( I'm not worried about calcium at this point )? Or is the Alk in this solution a lot higher? I mainly want to try this for PH purposes. Thanks

First, calibrate your ph probe with either: Milwaukee, Hannah, Thermo scientific, or pinpoint calibration solutions. I do not believe your value is correct, especially while using a CO2 scrubber/kalkwasser.

Sodium hydroxide and kalkwasser have the same exact ph boost (per unit of dkh added). The only difference is that kalkwasser supplies both calcium and alkalinity in a single solution which is limited my evaporation, and sodium hydroxide needs to used in conjunction with a calcium supplement.

You aren’t supposed to dose anything solely to raise ph. Sodium hydroxide is primarily used as an alkalinity supplement. Hope this helps.

 

[Jay'sReefBugs]

First, calibrate your ph probe with either: Milwaukee, Hannah, Thermo scientific, or pinpoint calibration solutions. I do not believe your value is correct, especially while using a CO2 scrubber/kalkwasser.

Sodium hydroxide and kalkwasser have the same exact ph boost (per unit of dkh added). The only difference is that kalkwasser supplies both calcium and alkalinity in a single solution which is limited my evaporation, and sodium hydroxide needs to used in conjunction with a calcium supplement.

You aren’t supposed to dose anything solely to raise ph. Sodium hydroxide is primarily used as an alkalinity supplement. Hope this helps.

Value is correct both checked on Milwaukee and apex probes both calibrated to room temperature solution.

 

[Jay'sReefBugs]

First, calibrate your ph probe with either: Milwaukee, Hannah, Thermo scientific, or pinpoint calibration solutions. I do not believe your value is correct, especially while using a CO2 scrubber/kalkwasser.

Sodium hydroxide and kalkwasser have the same exact ph boost (per unit of dkh added). The only difference is that kalkwasser supplies both calcium and alkalinity in a single solution which is limited my evaporation, and sodium hydroxide needs to used in conjunction with a calcium supplement.

You aren’t supposed to dose anything solely to raise ph. Sodium hydroxide is primarily used as an alkalinity supplement. Hope this helps.

I'll check my Kalkwasser when I get home that's the only thing I haven't checked maybe that could be off .

 

[Miami Reef]

Value is correct both checked on Milwaukee and apex probes both calibrated to room temperature solution.

What solutions did you use to calibrate? I’m still skeptical and there’s a lot of poor quality ph solutions in the market.

Ph is one of the hardest things to calibrate IMO because the calibration solutions are unstable (even a drop of 1 buffer getting into the other can cause differences in the ph and CO2 quickly enters the 10.0 buffer which lowers it.

Here’s my protocol after reading Randy’s article:

1. Start with the brands I mentioned above (Randy tested them to be adequate in his article). Relatively new individually sealed packets are best instead of reusable bottles. Use 7 & 10 buffers; not 4.



2. Keep ph solutions at around 77F when calibrating.

3. Rise probe in distilled/RO/DI water prior to entering ANY of the buffers and shake excess water off the probe. A minuscule amount of water is fine.

4. gently stir the probe in the ph solutions and allow readings to stabilize for 30 seconds when calibrating.

5. Once calibration is completed, double check that the probe is correctly reading the ph solutions you used to calibrate.

Once you accomplished this, THEN you can tell me you properly calibrated your probes. ;)

 

[Jay'sReefBugs]

Using Milwaukee solution for that probe the one that comes in a packet 7. I'll try recalibrating it using the method posted above and rinse in ro water as I didn't do that and I'll let the packet warm up some in the sump . Think my basment room temp is around 70-71 last I checked

 

[Miami Reef]

Using Milwaukee solution for that probe the one that comes in a packet 7. I'll try recalibrating it using the method posted above and rinse in ro water as I didn't do that and I'll let the packet warm up some in the sump . Think my basment room temp is around 70-71 last I checked

You need 7 & 10. It’s called a two point calibration and will lead to better results.

 

[Jay'sReefBugs]

You need 7 & 10. It’s called a two point calibration and will lead to better results.

Didn't know that I'll pick up a packet of 10 and report back when I have it calibrated using this method .

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Having major PH issues this summer due to humidity and the fact my tank is in my basment. Opening windows just isn't an option in the summer for me I'm currently running a CO2 scrubber but even with that I can barely get it to 7.7- 7.8 . I'm currently dosing 7ML per a hour (168ML daily) of Fully saturated Kalk . Would I be able to just replace my kalk with the hydroxide solution ( I'm not worried about calcium at this point )? Or is the Alk in this solution a lot higher? I mainly want to try this for PH purposes. Thanks

You can make a sodium hydroxide solution as concentrated or dilute as you want. The recipe here is much more concentrated than kalkwasser.

 

[Jay'sReefBugs]

You can make a sodium hydroxide solution as concentrated or dilute as you want. The recipe here is much more concentrated than kalkwasser.

Ok Thank's. I'm going to hold off until I properly calibrate my probe's and move on from that point .

 

[Jay'sReefBugs]

You need 7 & 10. It’s called a two point calibration and will lead to better results.

Still same reading of 7.7 after Re calibrating . Kalk lost some potency I think that's sitting at 11.9 . Just changed Co2 media yesterday day . Acros seem to be growing fine so not sure what's up . Would like it to get a little closer to 8 but not sure I'm able to in my situation

 

[Miami Reef]

Still same reading of 7.7 after Re calibrating . Kalk lost some potency I think that's sitting at 11.9 . Just changed Co2 media yesterday day . Acros seem to be growing fine so not sure what's up . Would like it to get a little closer to 8 but not sure I'm able to in my situation

Take a cup of tank water and use an air stone to vigorously aerate it for an hour outside. Note the PH initial and final.

Then do the same experiment (vigorously aerating a new cup of tank water) indoors. Note the initial and final ph.

PH will always rise when outside (if it doesn’t, then either your alk is extremely low, or your meter is inaccurate).

If the ph rises indoors, it means you need to aerate your tank more heavily.

If the ph does not rise indoors, it means your indoor CO2 is very high, and more aeration will not help in this final case.

Let me know what results you get.

 

[Jay'sReefBugs]

Take a cup of tank water and use an air stone to vigorously aerate it for an hour outside. Note the PH initial and final.

Then do the same experiment (vigorously aerating a new cup of tank water) indoors. Note the initial and final ph.

PH will always rise when outside (if it doesn’t, then either your alk is extremely low, or your meter is inaccurate).

If the ph rises indoors, it means you need to aerate your tank more heavily.

If the ph does not rise indoors, it means your indoor CO2 is very high, and more aeration will not help in this final case.

Let me know what results you get.

Will do I'll try and run that experiment this weekend. I know when I open the small windows down stairs my PH makes a jump from say a 7.7 to a 8.0 . This summer has been pretty brutal so far humidity wise so opening windows is kinda hard . Winter time I don't have this issue as the home runs on natural gas with a fresh air draw to the furnace

 

[Miami Reef]

Will do I'll try and run that experiment this weekend. I know when I open the small windows down stairs my PH makes a jump from say a 7.7 to a 8.0 . This summer has been pretty brutal so far humidity wise so opening windows is kinda hard . Winter time I don't have this issue as the home runs on natural gas with a fresh air draw to the furnace

Do you have a skimmer? You can draw air from outside just like your furnace does (if they routinely spray pesticides you should have carbon on the intake.

 

[Jay'sReefBugs]

Do you have a skimmer? You can draw air from outside just like your furnace does (if they routinely spray pesticides you should have carbon on the intake.

Yes I'm thinking of trying to set something up at the window . I'm currently getting the house ready for sale or else I would have just hammer drilled a hole throw the concrete for a fresh air draw . I had a fresh air draw setup last year but I believe it was to far and to small of a hose for the skimmer to pull through as I didn't notice a difference. Will see what I can come up this weekend

 

[BirdGuy21]

So I am dosing my 150 gallon tank with BRS soda ash and calcium daily based on Trident controlled dosing and periodic dosing as need to maintain 1300 magnesium (BRS magnesium) I have AWC set up to change a gallon a day. I am struggling with low pH. Can I swap the soda ash for sodium hydroxide with no issues? Any recommendation on brand? A lot comes up on Amazon but I’m not sure which is acceptable.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

So I am dosing my 150 gallon tank with BRS soda ash and calcium daily based on Trident controlled dosing and periodic dosing as need to maintain 1300 magnesium (BRS magnesium) I have AWC set up to change a gallon a day. I am struggling with low pH. Can I swap the soda ash for sodium hydroxide with no issues? Any recommendation on brand? A lot comes up on Amazon but I’m not sure which is acceptable.

Food grade sodium hydroxide is suitable. All of these recipes are mine (including BRS) and are interchangeable in terms of the alk parts.

 

[BirdGuy21]

Thanks Randy!

So as long as I’m dosing the BRS magnesium mix I don’t have to worry about adding the sulfate in the sodium hydroxide? I can use the recipe on the first page to mix one gallon? And will I need to change my total mililiters dosed with this mix?

Would this work?

Sodium Hydroxide - Pure - Food Grade (Caustic Soda, Lye) (2 Pound Jar) https://a.co/d/1bNJ6Xv