Sodium Bisulfate to Reduce Alkalinity in New Salt Water or in Display Tanks

[Browser]

Are you talking about dropping the alk in water change water (no limit) or in an aquarium (go very slow due to the big pH drop)? I recommend the water change route.

By dosing in the aquarium....how slow is very slow?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

By dosing in the aquarium....

Better to do it by water change.

But if you want to do it to a tank, I'd limit it to 0.1 dKh per day drop due to the pH lowering, unless you carefully monitor it and ensure it is not getting too low. A 1.4 dKh drop may drop the pH as low as 6.9, and that assumes you started at pH 8.1. I'd add it late afternoon when pH is highest.

 

[BradB]

I don't understand this at all. Unless you pick a salt like Reef Crystals, where you are intentionally paying extra money for extra Alkalinity, Alkalinity is going to be close to NSW. For a 30% water change the extra Alkalinity is somewhere between completely irrelevant and slightly beneficial. If you do have an Acropora based tank, or other Alkalinity sensitive animals, you aren't going to change more than 30% of your water at once unless it is an emergency. When I do have a 3am 100% water change emergency, I am not going to be worried about acid or alkalinity.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I don't understand this at all. Unless you pick a salt like Reef Crystals, where you are intentionally paying extra money for extra Alkalinity, Alkalinity is going to be close to NSW. For a 30% water change the extra Alkalinity is somewhere between completely irrelevant and slightly beneficial. If you do have an Acropora based tank, or other Alkalinity sensitive animals, you aren't going to change more than 30% of your water at once unless it is an emergency. When I do have a 3am 100% water change emergency, I am not going to be worried about acid or alkalinity.

It is not true that higher alk mixes cost more. Normal IO is among the cheapest and has alk higher than many would like.

Thus, if you want an 8 dKH mix, and don't want to pay more, mixing some acid into normal IO is an excellent choice that some folks have elected.

If you are maintaining 8 dKH and do a 30% water change with 11 dKH IO, alk rises to 8.9 dKH. Some folks consider that undesirable, especially if they have dosing set on a dosing pump.

As you can see from the two posts above yours, some folks have to deal with rising alk.

 

[Browser]

@Randy Holmes-Farley I made a RODI dilution of sodium bisulfate capable of reducing my alk to my target.
I then set a daily dosage from 17:00 to 23:00 with amount equal to reduce my alk by 0.1.
I also check the ph not to be less that 7.9 which will stop my dosing.
If all goes well my alk target will be reached in 20-21 days.

My only concern is that a reduced ph will increase the dissolving rate (of what is seems to be disolving), and I am afraid that I will be caught in a perpetual situation. What do youbthink about that?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

@Randy Holmes-Farley I made a RODI dilution of sodium bisulfate capable of reducing my alk to my target.
I then set a daily dosage from 17:00 to 23:00 with amount equal to reduce my alk by 0.1.
I also check the ph not to be less that 7.9 which will stop my dosing.
If all goes well my alk target will be reached in 20-21 days.

My only concern is that a reduced ph will increase the dissolving rate (of what is seems to be disolving), and I am afraid that I will be caught in a perpetual situation. What do youbthink about that?

Well, let's see what happens. Your plan looks good to me.

For a while, don't put too much dosing solution in the reservoir in case somethign goes wrong and too much gets dosed.

 

[BradB]

I don't understand your concern with knowledge that you can take or leave, like a lot of other products, but no one is trying to get you to use it.

It is not true that higher alk mixes cost more. Normal IO is among the cheapest and has alk higher than many would like.

Thus, if you want an 8 dKH mix, and don't want to pay more, mixing some acid into normal IO is an excellent choice that some folks have elected.

If you are maintaining 8 dKH and do a 30% water change with 11 dKH IO, alk rises to 8.9 dKH. Some folks consider that undesirable, especially if they have dosing set on a dosing pump.

As you can see from the two posts above yours, some folks have to deal with rising alk.

I am not complaining you put this out there. With 4 pages of comments, I assumed there was a useful reason, but I missed it.

I was mainly comparing Reef Crystals and IO, although there are other salts similar to Reef Crystals that seemed marketed towards people with stony corals who'd rather rely on water changes than dosing or calcium reactors. Buying Reef Crystals and complaining the Alkalinity is too high is reasonable. But then switching to IO is more reasonable than keeping Reef Crystals and adding acid. I rarely test my salt mix, but use IO and would be surprised if it was 11 dKH.

I aim for 10 dKH on paper, but struggle to keep 9 and never change more than 20% of my water except for emergencies. I can understand if you target 8 dKH, want to use IO and don't want fluctuations.

 

[Browser]

Well, let's see what happens. Your plan looks good to me.

For a while, don't put too much dosing solution in the reservoir in case somethign goes wrong and too much gets dosed.

Thank you for helping.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Thank you for helping.

You're welcome.

Happy Reefing.

 

[Browser]

You're welcome.

Happy Reefing.

Hello again.

Just to let you know how it goes..

It worked fine.
I checked the ph effect and did not seem to be to dramatic, so i increased the dosage during the day.
I controled the dosage checking the PH not to drop less than 7.9, and also my alk not to drop more than 8.3, when i stopped the dosing.
I consumed half the sodium sulfate solution of what i have calculated.

I am now checking the system to see if i will have an increase in alk again.

PS. I also make a 5lt water change daily.

 

[gbroadbridge]

Hello again.

Just to let you know how it goes..

It worked fine.
I checked the ph effect and did not seem to be to dramatic, so i increased the dosage during the day.
I controled the dosage checking the PH not to drop less than 7.9, and also my alk not to drop more than 8.3, when i stopped the dosing.
I consumed half the sodium sulfate solution of what i have calculated.

I am now checking the system to see if i will have an increase in alk again.

PS. I also make a 5lt water change daily.

Thanks for posting that - saved for future reference

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Hello again.

Just to let you know how it goes..

It worked fine.
I checked the ph effect and did not seem to be to dramatic, so i increased the dosage during the day.
I controled the dosage checking the PH not to drop less than 7.9, and also my alk not to drop more than 8.3, when i stopped the dosing.
I consumed half the sodium sulfate solution of what i have calculated.

I am now checking the system to see if i will have an increase in alk again.

PS. I also make a 5lt water change daily.

Great, thanks for the update!

 

[EricR]

Just wanted to say, "Thank you, Mr. Randy sir!" for this article. (Increasing alkalinity with no dosing is my issue that I now see is not unheard of for various reasons so now using this method for reduction)
...won't cloud this thread further

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Just wanted to say, "Thank you, Mr. Randy sir!" for this article. (Increasing alkalinity with no dosing is my issue that I now see is not unheard of for various reasons so now using this method for reduction)
...won't cloud this thread further

You're welcome.

 

[c4haskett]

For what it's worth, I use IO Reef Crystals specifically for elevated calcium and magnesium. I prefer to run about 9 dKh. I have consistently used "hardware store" grade muriatic acid to a fresh batch of saltwater for about 2.5 years now. I always wait 24 hour to let excess c02 out and ph always returns to normal with medium to heavy flow pointed towards the surface of my reservoir. I've never noticed any ill effects or anything unusual after a water change. I've had the same jug of muriatic acid now for the entire 2.5 years I've had it.

 

[nano reef]

While I would not suggest that you accept everything Seachem claims, and certainly not what others post to their web site, Seachem gives a value:

https://www.seachem.com/support/forums/forum/sunken-gardens/244-adding-seachem-acid-buffer-every-day

"Acid Buffer at a dose of 1/4 teaspoon per 20 gallons will lower your dKH by 0.6 points."

That what I like is not much figuring out to do!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I consumed half the sodium sulfate solution of what i have calculated.

I assume that is a typo and you mean sodium bisulfate? Sodium sulfate is a different chemical and is useless in relation to alkalinity.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

That what I like is not much figuring out to do!

Fair enough, but I would not advise generally believing everything Seachem claims.