Second New DIY Two Part Recipe with Higher pH Boost

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

One last query if you could answer please, I am only looking to make 1 ltr of solution (1000ml) so by weight I would need to reduce to approx 75g to get 5300 dKh. This solution would equate to 1ml of solution containing 5.3 dKh which would be over the current uptake level and maintenance level. Would I be able to reduce weight of sodium hydroxide to then reduce dKh concentration within the solution while still maintaining a higher pH (obviously not as high as 14)? What would be the calculation to work this out? Current tank uptake is 1.6-1.8 dKh daily

You can dilute the alk and calcium parts as much as you want.

The pH effect in the aquarium and the alk added to the aquarium are both exactly related to the number of hydroxide ions added, so if you add the same total alk over the same time period, the pH effect in the aquarium is not dependent on how much you diluted (or concentrated) the solution prior to dosing it.

 

[Shawzy10]

You can dilute the alk and calcium parts as much as you want.

The pH effect in the aquarium and the alk added to the aquarium are both exactly related to the number of hydroxide ions added, so if you add the same total alk over the same time period, the pH effect in the aquarium is not dependent on how much you diluted (or concentrated) the solution prior to dosing it.

Therefore if I dilute the sodium hydroxide of 37g into 1000ml of RODI that would be the equivalence of 2650 dKh in solution, would that still achieve a pH boost to a 250 ltr system?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Therefore if I dilute the sodium hydroxide of 37g into 1000ml of RODI that would be the equivalence of 2650 dKh in solution, would that still achieve a pH boost to a 250 ltr system?

Any dosing of hydroxide will attain some pH boost.

The more dKH you add, the bigger the boost.

1.4 dKH added all at once will give a boost around 0.6 pH units. That's obviously too much, but spread that out and the pH boost is much smaller. If you dose 0.10 dKH at a time, the instantaneous boost is less than 0.1 pH units and is OK if you can mix it in rapidly.

 

[2una]

Hi Randy ,
Wondering if i could get your input on this please

I want to switch out this Component 2 (Alk part) & replace it with a Sodium Hydroxide mix.
To replace it to equal strength i have a close idea what to mix but.......

If we assumed
Comp 1 = Calcium Chloride
Comp 2 = Sodium Bicarb
Comp3 = Magnesium Chloride
& the Reef mineral Salt in the Comp 3 is what balances out the chemical leftovers.

Is it likely that will still chemically balance out +/- ok changing to sodium hydroxide rather than sodium bicarb you think or better not to toy with as its too much of a guessing game?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Hi Randy ,
Wondering if i could get your input on this please

I want to switch out this Component 2 (Alk part) & replace it with a Sodium Hydroxide mix.
To replace it to equal strength i have a close idea what to mix but.......

If we assumed
Comp 1 = Calcium Chloride
Comp 2 = Sodium Bicarb
Comp3 = Magnesium Chloride
& the Reef mineral Salt in the Comp 3 is what balances out the chemical leftovers.

Is it likely that will still chemically balance out +/- ok changing to sodium hydroxide rather than sodium bicarb you think or better not to toy with as its too much of a guessing game?

This is the aquaforest product?

Aquaforest Strong C says it adds iodide and fluoride which are fine at high pH. Do they not mention some components? Cant' say.

Other folks have made similar changes. The pH in the new component 2 is much higher, but it is probably OK since the things in Strong C are already experiencing a pH higher than 8-9. Just look to see if anything precipitates when you make it.

 

[2una]

This is the aquaforest product?

Aquaforest Strong C says it adds iodide and fluoride which are fine at high pH. Do they not mention some components? Cant' say.

Other folks have made similar changes. The pH in the new component 2 is much higher, but it is probably OK since the things in Strong C are already experiencing a pH higher than 8-9. Just look to see if anything precipitates when you make it.

Yes its the Aquaforest product
I already trawled through this thread & saw you mention you thought the strongs are likely ok , yes they're all trace & no i don't have any idea what exactly the iodide or fluoride is.

But in general taking away the sodium bicarb & switching to hydroxide we'll still just end up with build up of NaCl once again or will it be likely skewed heavier one way some what by switching?

I was never too hot in chemistry class & just wanted to check - if it does skew i don't think it will be much drama that i can't pick up in icp anyway but thought it better to ask 1st.
I keep an eye on what's going on with chloride & sulphur to see an inbalance building yes?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Yes its the Aquaforest product
I already trawled through this thread & saw you mention you thought the strongs are likely ok , yes they're all trace & no i don't have any idea what exactly the iodide or fluoride is.

But in general taking away the sodium bicarb & switching to hydroxide we'll still just end up with build up of NaCl once again or will it be likely skewed heavier one way some what by switching?

I was never too hot in chemistry class & just wanted to check - if it does skew i don't think it will be much drama that i can't pick up in icp anyway but thought it better to ask 1st.
I keep an eye on what's going on with chloride & sulphur to see an inbalance building yes?

The change of sodium hydroxide for sodium carbonate has no impact on any other aspect of the chemistry in the tank except pH.

IMO, the best option is to use Balling Part C as a third part.

Second best is my DIY third part.

Both keep the chloride/sulfate in balance when dosed as directed. The Balling Part C keeps other things in balance too such as potassium, bromide, etc.

 

[2una]

The change of sodium hydroxide for sodium carbonate has no impact on any other aspect of the chemistry in the tank except pH.

IMO, the best option is to use Balling Part C as a third part.

Second best is my DIY third part.

Both keep the chloride/sulfate in balance when dosed as directed. The Balling Part C keeps other things in balance too such as potassium, bromide, etc.

Great - Thank you Randy , i'll do some more homework on what you mentioned there & in the meantime looks like i should be good to use up the product i have & apply that pH kick to it.
Your input here is invaluable, much appreciated, thanks!.

 

[2una]

I learnt something today
Don't order a 5000ml graduated beaker & expect it to show you 5000ml as it stops at 4500ml
Guess i'll rely on my scale

 

[ReefEco]

Hi Randy - just came across this thread as I search for some pH boosting techniques. Thanks as always for your knowledge. I read the first 10 pages of the post, but haven't found my answer, so will post it here - apologies if you have addressed it earlier in the thread. Just wondering if I can switch out 1:1 the sodium hydroxide ALK component in this new recipe for my current Soda Ash (BRS) component. Right now I'm dosing 195ml of ALK, 175ml of CALCIUM, and 3000ml of KALK daily. Can I just start by switching out the ALK using soda ash with the same volume using the new Sodium Hydroxide ALK solution and see what the pH boost is? Water volume is about 600g, pH swing from about 7.95 to 8.08 daily. Thanks for your help!

 

[spsick]

Bugger I read R2R every day and have never seen this! Just ordered a kalk reactor to offset some 2 part dosing for better pH boost.

Randy, will using this caustic recipe have a greater pH boost vs kalk and soda ash on a 75g tank consuming .6dkh a day?

 

[2una]

Reporting back from an earlier question i asked about Aquaforest Comp 2 & the adding of Strong C in a NaOH mix.
It looked like it mixed just fine - no visable precipitation or anything looking untoward.

This recipe of Randys NaOH Alk part is pretty close to double AF's so i used 373g of NaOH to 5L RODI & doubled the AF comp 1 + 3 mixtures to what a normal 5L mix would be. It all looked to mix up just fine.
Hoping now i can dose 115ml/day instead of 230ml

 

[richiero]

Anyone here experiencing large quantities of the high ph alk remaining undissolved in their sumps?for some reason i have a mound of it in my sump where my dosing lines are located. Is this normal
? My doser offsets dosing elements by 5 min to avoid mixing. @Randy Holmes-Farley im dosing about 50 - 60 ml a day. Thank you for any help

 

[Nerdist Aquarist]

I experienced the same. You need to dose the solution in "VERY" high flow. I added a 200 gallon/hour power head in the return pump section of my sump where I dose it.

 

[richiero]

I experienced the same. You need to dose the solution in "VERY" high flow. I added a 200 gallon/hour power head in the return pump section of my sump where I dose it.

thank you so much should i located my dosing line in the chamber where my abyzz return pump is? @Nerdist Aquarist @Randy Holmes-Farley or in my skimmer chamber ? thank you!

 

[Arego]

You can get bulk Sodium Hydroxide at Duda diesel.You can buy your micron filter socks there to.
https://www.dudadiesel.com/biodiesel_chemicals.php

The storage tanks they sell are second to none.

 

[spsick]

Bump @Randy Holmes-Farley will using caustic like this boost pH more than Kalk?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Hi Randy - just came across this thread as I search for some pH boosting techniques. Thanks as always for your knowledge. I read the first 10 pages of the post, but haven't found my answer, so will post it here - apologies if you have addressed it earlier in the thread. Just wondering if I can switch out 1:1 the sodium hydroxide ALK component in this new recipe for my current Soda Ash (BRS) component. Right now I'm dosing 195ml of ALK, 175ml of CALCIUM, and 3000ml of KALK daily. Can I just start by switching out the ALK using soda ash with the same volume using the new Sodium Hydroxide ALK solution and see what the pH boost is? Water volume is about 600g, pH swing from about 7.95 to 8.08 daily. Thanks for your help!

Yes. The BRS recipe is my DIY two part. So the BRS two part recipe is exactly equally potent to the sodium hydroxide recipe here.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Bump @Randy Holmes-Farley will using caustic like this boost pH more than Kalk?

On a per unit of alk added, it is identical to using kalkwasser (limewater) from a pH perspective

But it does not have the evaporation limitations that kalkwasser has. That allows more to be dosed, and to better control timing without changing tank water levels (such as dosing during the daytime or nighttime only).

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

thank you so much should i located my dosing line in the chamber where my abyzz return pump is? @Nerdist Aquarist @Randy Holmes-Farley or in my skimmer chamber ? thank you!

It may be better to dose into a larger volume of turbulent water than directly into a smaller area like a skimmer or return line inlet, but what's best depends on the setup.