Low alk and PH input needed

[blue_eyes53813]

Hi all, I just noticed yesterday that my Alk is 2.5-3 meq/l and my ph is 7.8. Both are very low to my liking. My calcium is 440.

I would like my alk around 4 and Ph 8.1-8.2. OK with the handy dandy reef calculator It says to add 15 tsp of baked baking soda. So I mixed it up with a gallon of RO water today.. I added maybe 2 cups out of the gallon jug.
Questions now.

1. How slow should this be added to the tank.? Can I dump more in at a time?
2. How often ( many times a week) does everybody else have to add baked baking soda to their tanks to keep ALK in check?
3. Will This raise PH too?

PLease give me your schedule of when you need to add baked baking soda to raise ALK to your tank.


What Im thinking might be happening is, I just added ozone a week or so ago. With the clarity of my water now, Im guessing my corals are using more and growing . causing the Alk to drop.. I dose Kalk everynight. My Alk has never been an issue so I wanna make sure im doing this right.. Thanks In advance, Vicki

[DrHank]

I use Randy's two part but this calculator may be of help if you don't have it. Use the flash version. It should give you warnings if there are any.

Reef Chemistry Calculator

[blue_eyes53813]

Thanks Hank, Ive never used the flash on the calculator before. That is alot better. The graphs are cool. My Alk isnt really off that far. From the chart 3-3.5 is a good range. I was right on with the 15 tsp of baked baking soda.

[Dentoid]

Perhaps you are not dripping enough kalk? That's a big system, need lot-o-kalk. I also use the two part balanced additive and a calcium reactor. So sometimes I only add the alk additive.

If your corals are using the calc then wouldn't your calcium also go down?
By increasing your alk the pH will also rise to a certain extent, may be all you need.

[blue_eyes53813]

That is probably true Scott. My calcium is always around 420-440. I guess as the corals are growing I will need to add more kalk and that too will fluctuate the other parameters as well.. The addition of Alk supplement is totally new to me.

[Woodstock]

Eventhough I top off with kalkwasser, I occassionally have to adjust my alk. The frequency and amount of alk needed varies but I usually only need to buffer it once every few months. The cleaner I keep everything (sponges, socks, ditritus, skimming, etc) the less I have to buffer it. Also, if you have a high calcium load (sps, clams, etc) then the alk may need adjusting more often.

[blue_eyes53813]

Once every few months ha... That wouldnt be to bad. How much do you add to 1 gallon of RO water? and do you drip it?

[Woodstock]

Chemistry and the Aquarium

Alkalinity2 for our purposes here is comprised of bicarbonate and carbonate. The vast majority of alkalinity depletion in most tanks also comes about by the precipitation of calcium carbonate, as described above. In this process, as alkalinity is depleted by 1 meq/L, calcium will be depleted by 20 ppm. There are some other processes that can lead to alkalinity depletion, including partial cycling of nitrogen (from organic compounds to nitrate and no further) and the incorporation of magnesium into calcium carbonate, but these are generally much less important than calcification.
Consequently, alkalinity depletion in most tanks (especially in short time frames) is tightly coupled to calcium depletion, and if one supplements calcium and alkalinity in proportions equal to those that they are being removed, then it is MUCH less likely that calcium and alkalinity will become imbalanced4 and thereby trickier to correct. That is, the only problems that you will encounter are those in zones 1 and 2 (not enough or too much of these additives). Using a balanced scheme, you should not ever end up in zones 3 and 4, where you have substantial imbalances between calcium and alkalinity.

[Woodstock]

Originally Posted by blue_eyes53813

Once every few months ha... That wouldnt be to bad. How much do you add to 1 gallon of RO water? and do you drip it?

I usually only need to adjust it up 1.0 - 1.5 dKH (1-2 tsp of baked baking soda). I stir the soda into a glass of tank water and slowly (over several hours) pour it by hand into the sump area being sure to keep an eye on the PH. I will add a little ever hour or so.

[blue_eyes53813]

1-2 tsp? I just mixed 15 tsp in a gallon of RO... Thank god I didnt add all of it to the tank.... Im glad I asked.

[Woodstock]

I am very glad you asked too!!! That could have been disasterous! I use the calculator and mix only what it calculates I need. Then I pour that amount into a high flow area over several hours or a few days if it is a huge increase. It will affect your alkalinity and PH; both of which the corals/fish can be sensitive to.

[blue_eyes53813]

That is very weird.. I just redid the calculations on the calculator and it said 15 tsp again. to raise it 1 point. from 3-4 meq/l. very odd. That could be really devistating to a system.. It just says to dose very slowly..

Tell me if Im wrong or reading the calculator wrong.This is what I put in
350 gallon system. current Alk 3. desired Alk of 4.. and it says 15 tsp..???weird

[mps9506]

The difference is that Doni is raising her dkh by 1 or 2 units, you are looking to raise your alk 1 meq/l. Very different units.
From the calculations I check you are both right. Keep in mind Doni's system is much smaller also.

[DrHank]

Please bear in mind that you are dealing with total system volume. Remember, when in doubt, test. I would assume that the amount needed would be different for each system tested and for each time tested. My guess is that you two are dealing with different system volumes and possibly different additives.

[Woodstock]

Yeah.

I would dose yours over two days. 3 meg/l (8.7 dKH) raised to 4 meg/l (11.6 dkh) is a big jump so increase it slowly.

meg/l x 2.9 = dKh