Second New DIY Two Part Recipe with Higher pH Boost

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

It does appear the tank is responding to photosynthesis with higher pH during the day. Yes, it is tight, but that's a factor of aeration vs in tank CO2 production and consumption. Also, pH is buffered better at higher pH, so the higher than pH, the less swing there will be from a given change in CO2.

 

[Chad3407]

Ok I mixed up 283g of sodium hydroxide and made 1 gallon of solution. I was curious about the ph so I tested it and only got 11.6. I recalibrated my tester and still got 11.6. That’s quit a bit lower than the over 14 I was expecting.

 

[Troylee]

So how long is this stuff good for if it’s mixed and stored? Is it like kalk where the 02 levels will weaken it? And this won’t work in a top off like kalk? It’s gotta be dosed separately as a 3 part I’m assuming? Skimmed through a bunch of pages and didn’t see this info.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Ok I mixed up 283g of sodium hydroxide and made 1 gallon of solution. I was curious about the ph so I tested it and only got 11.6. I recalibrated my tester and still got 11.6. That’s quit a bit lower than the over 14 I was expecting.

Your meter is not reading it correctly, and might not be expected to.

The pH is above 14.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

So how long is this stuff good for if it’s mixed and stored? Is it like kalk where the 02 levels will weaken it? And this won’t work in a top off like kalk? It’s gotta be dosed separately as a 3 part I’m assuming? Skimmed through a bunch of pages and didn’t see this info.

Its alk potency will never change. It’s pH effect will very slowly trend toward the soda ash version as CO2 enters.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

So how long is this stuff good for if it’s mixed and stored? Is it like kalk where the 02 levels will weaken it? And this won’t work in a top off like kalk? It’s gotta be dosed separately as a 3 part I’m assuming? Skimmed through a bunch of pages and didn’t see this info.

it is dosed like a standard 2/3 part.

 

[killer2001]

How many ppm of Magnesium does this recipe provide?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

How many ppm of Magnesium does this recipe provide?

Which recipe? The diy two part magnesium portion should not be fused based on magnesium needs, but directly in relation to the other two parts.

That said, you can use this calculator and Randy’s magnesium entry.

http://reef.diesyst.com/chemcalc/chem_calc3.html

 

[killer2001]

Which recipe? The diy two part magnesium portion should not be fused based on magnesium needs, but directly in relation to the other two parts.

That said, you can use this calculator and Randy’s magnesium entry.

http://reef.diesyst.com/chemcalc/chem_calc3.html

The one at the beginning of this thread, "Dissolve Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate heptahydrate (3 cups) and magnesium chloride hexahydrate (5 cups) in enough purified freshwater to make 1 gallon total volume."

I was planning to use this to boost my Mg from 1250 to 1350. My calcium is 432 ppm and alkalinity currently at 8 dKH. I was just curious the amount of ppm in this recipe as you stated 5,300 dKH for the alkalinity part and 37,000ppm for the calcium part but the magnesium part was omitted.

Thanks Randy!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

You can use it to do that,

The one at the beginning of this thread, "Dissolve Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate heptahydrate (3 cups) and magnesium chloride hexahydrate (5 cups) in enough purified freshwater to make 1 gallon total volume."

I was planning to use this to boost my Mg from 1250 to 1350. My calcium is 432 ppm and alkalinity currently at 8 dKH. I was just curious the amount of ppm in this recipe as you stated 5,300 dKH for the alkalinity part and 37,000ppm for the calcium part but the magnesium part was omitted.

Thanks Randy!

You can use this material to do that, but it’s not the optimal recipe for that purpose. Use the calculator to do it.

 

[Chad3407]

I’ve gone through this thread again and can’t find an answer to how much tropic Marin k+ and A- I should add to the 2 parts. I know the concentration is higher in this diy than tropic Marin balling so I dont want to make a mistake.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I’ve gone through this thread again and can’t find an answer to how much tropic Marin k+ and A- I should add to the 2 parts. I know the concentration is higher in this diy than tropic Marin balling so I dont want to make a mistake.

This recipe is ~2x potent standard Tropic Marin Balling. That said, demand for trace elements is often not really related to alk and calcium demand, since many noncalcifying organisms use a lot of trace elements. Soft corals, macroalgae, etc.

 

[Jasonak]

Hi my dos has not changed but my ph has been rising and alk dropping. 2 different test on alk both about 7 I think alk is dropping because DOS stop at ph of 8.53 or higher. you apex system with probe, its at 8.56 now it will drop overnight but has been around 8-2 8-4 all week. used to run around 7-9 -8-3 with alk in the 8-5 range

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Hi my dos has not changed but my ph has been rising and alk dropping. 2 different test on alk both about 7 I think alk is dropping because DOS stop at ph of 8.53 or higher. you apex system with probe, its at 8.56 now it will drop overnight but has been around 8-2 8-4 all week. used to run around 7-9 -8-3 with alk in the 8-5 range

I'm not sure I understand this is post.

Are you responding to someones question, or are you reporting results obtained on switching to this dosing method?

 

[Jasonak]

I'm not sure I understand this is post.

Are you responding to someones question, or are you reporting results obtained on switching to this dosing method?

Hi
Sorry my results after switching. Ive been using it for months and have had great results until recently with the dip of ALK and spike in PH

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Hi
Sorry my results after switching. Ive been using it for months and have had great results until recently with the dip of ALK and spike in PH

Like any tank, pH and demand for alk may depend on the CO2 levels in the room air, so if that changed based on whether, the pH and alk would change.

 

[Jasonak]

Like any tank, pH and demand for alk may depend on the CO2 levels in the room air, so if that changed based on whether, the pH and alk would change.

Hi
Thanks for replying so quick. I had been running a air pump in the sump that I turned off because of the higher PH range trying to bring it back down. PH of 8.56 is not a problem ? I thought I was getting to high of PH I didnt want to increase my ALK dos in fear of driving up PH more.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Hi
Thanks for replying so quick. I had been running a air pump in the sump that I turned off because of the higher PH range trying to bring it back down. PH of 8.56 is not a problem ? I thought I was getting to high of PH I didnt want to increase my ALK dos in fear of driving up PH more.

IMO, pH 8.56 is fine. If you continue to see pH higher than you want, and aeration doesn't bring it down, you can always make this recipe as part hydroxide and part carbonate. :)

 

[CNDReef]

IMO, pH 8.56 is fine. If you continue to see pH higher than you want, and aeration doesn't bring it down, you can always make this recipe as part hydroxide and part carbonate. :)

Awesome to know. Was worried about this exact point

 

[zheka757]

my 500G system runs 7.9-8.2 ph, i use calcium reactor/ water changes for all my water needs. how can ad this to my system to boost ph? to lets says 8.3-8.4 levels?