Alkalinity

[thesilence87]

I finally purchased pH and alkalinity test kits, and upon testing, I am getting results of 5.6dkH, with a pH of ~8.0.

Should I be worried about the low alk, and if so, what should I be dosing to get it back up to where it should be?

 

[thanh386]

I would not freak about it, but would slowly raise the levels.

 

[thesilence87]

Okay, thanks Thanh. Are there any particular products you recommend for raising alk?

 

[thanh386]

Baking soda for ph lol,
Seachem for alk

 

[thesilence87]

Alright, thank you!

I'll drop by an LFS and see what they have for that sort of thing.

 

[k3nnyp]

There have been several recent threads on this. I had a similar problem and ultimately I purchased a BRS 2 part dosing kit including pumps. I put the pumps on my RKL and slowly raised my alkalinity, calcium and magnesium. Params are much more aligned now.

 

[ripped tide]

If you bake baking soda, you will convert it from sodium bicarbonate to sodium carbonate... Aka soda ash, sodium carbonate or the ingredient in the alk part of BRS 2 part. Sodium carbonate will help hold your ph up a little better than bakin soda, and be more usable by your coral.

 

[k3nnyp]

I haven't compared price but for $18 a gallon I'll buy from BRS before trying to bake baking soda unless it's in a cake

 

[rdnelson]

I would test magnesium before I got too carried away with trying to raise the alk. If the mag is not at a high enough level, the alk and cal will precipitate out. With mag are correct levels it is much easier to maintain alk and cal in my opinion.

 

[thesilence87]

k3nnyP;799620 wrote: There have been several recent threads on this. I had a similar problem and ultimately I purchased a BRS 2 part dosing kit including pumps. I put the pumps on my RKL and slowly raised my alkalinity, calcium and magnesium. Params are much more aligned now.

Dosing pumps are a little outside my price range right now. All dosing will be done manually as needed.

Ripped Tide;799626 wrote: If you bake baking soda, you will convert it from sodium bicarbonate to sodium carbonate... Aka soda ash, sodium carbonate or the ingredient in the alk part of BRS 2 part. Sodium carbonate will help hold your ph up a little better than bakin soda, and be more usable by your coral.

So dosing this will both elevate my pH and my alkalinity?

rdnelson99;799653 wrote: I would test magnesium before I got too carried away with trying to raise the alk. If the mag is not at a high enough level, the alk and cal will precipitate out. With mag are correct levels it is much easier to maintain alk and cal in my opinion.

If a magnesium test shows low mag, I'll want to raise that before I work on the alk?

 

[ichthyoid]

+1, Keeping your Mag up makes everything more stable.

 

[rdnelson]

ichthyoid;799707 wrote: +1, Keeping your Mag up makes everything more stable.

I learned that from you!!! :thumbs: Sure made things easier for me.

 

[eagle9252]

ichthyoid;799707 wrote: +1, Keeping your Mag up makes everything more stable.

+ a whole bunch