raising alk

hookedonreefs

hookedonreefs

Member
OK, my alk is at 8.5 dKH. I would like to get it up to around 10 or 11dKH. Which is a more suggested method - baking soda or some sort of buffer additive. And about how slowly should I be doing this?
I'm thinking about using baking soda and putting it in across an hour in the morning so if the pH spikes, it won't bee too bad. I'm also thinking about putting the soda in near the skimmer intake so it canmix up quicker.
what are everyone's thoughts?
TIA
Caine
 
toddpolish

toddpolish

Member
I use 2 part B-Ionic. I just use the ALK.
I did baking soda once for pH reasons though...then got a little freaked out about the whole idea of adding that.
 
beaslbob

beaslbob

Well-Known Member
dburr: thanks for posting that link. seems my system is about correct. And that is reassuring.
 
reefnut

reefnut

Active Member
I like Kent Superbuffer. What is your calcium at? Make sure you keep an eye on the calcium as you bring the Alk up.
 
hookedonreefs

hookedonreefs

Member
My Ca was at 500. I'm guessing by bumping up the alk, it precipitated a little, but 500 is on the high side anywho. dburr - that link is where I origionally got the idea - but thanks. I'll have to retest tonight.
Thanks!
Caine
 
dburr

dburr

Active Member
I will also use Kent super DKH. But you need to keep an eye on the PH. I have heard it won't go over 8.3 using it, but, I went up to 8.6 once. Thats why most of the time I will use the BS.
 
hookedonreefs

hookedonreefs

Member
Kip - yeah I use b-ionic too, but I've been trying to raise the Ca lately. -Guess that worked (a little too well):scared:
So I wanted to use the soda to raise the alk and have the Ca precipitate back to stable levels.
FWIW - I did use the soda. Alk is at 10 dKH & Ca dropped to around 450. Now I have to get my trates down. I was a little too intent on moveing Ca and neglected to track trates. Now they're sky high, and I doing a series of water changes to drop them.
Ahh - it never ends!
 
hookedonreefs

hookedonreefs

Member
Sit down first...
I ran a test - I'm trying to figure out why one of my newly aquired sps bleached within days of it's acquisition.
So I ran a test and everything was fine until I got to trates... 100 on my test
I retested twice and took water to an LFS for testing with generally the same results. I'm guessing between my calp. in the fuge dying (fuge bulb died and I didn't replace it fast enough) and maybe a pep. shrimp or two going (I couldn't find them all lately) it must have thrown a trate spike.
Odd thing is, EVERYTHING else in the tank is still either fine or flourishing. It's just that one sps that went. I even got 3 more sps frags since then (they were already on order) and they're doing fine.
Wierd huh?!:notsure:
 
hookedonreefs

hookedonreefs

Member
I HAD grape/feather/regular stringy(don't know what to call it)/and shaving brush.
Now I'm back to regular - run-o'-the-mill stringy buncy calp. <-good description huh:rolleyes:
NJRC is having a meeting tomorrow and I'm expecting to get a whole bunch of grape.
Kip - how often do you think I can get away with a 10% water change to drop those trates?? I'm doing every other night right now, but I'm afraid I'm going to thin out the beneficial bacteria.
 
hookedonreefs

hookedonreefs

Member
Kip - sorry I missed your other question about light acclimation. The LFS where I bought it had 250W 10000K MHs about a foot over the tank. My MHs (175 10000ks) are about 5 inches about the water so the owner said that would be fine. -He's a reputable source BTW-
The other issue I think I caused is he told me to put heavy current on the sps. (staghorn) so I put it about 2 inches from the output of one of my PHs. Can you say "current overkill"? Where the current hit it it started to bleach. I noticed this the second day and moved it, but I theorize this weakened it enough and it finally bleached fully.
FYI - I'm fairly new to sps so I'm living and learning.
 
dburr

dburr

Active Member
b-ionic fan... seemed like baking soda was a quick fix.. but not a stable fix
Kip- Why do you say this? If you really think about it, isn't b-ionic a "quick fix". It works the same way, but, you have to put it in everyday. Thats why it's stable. You could easily figure out how much soda and calcium to dump in for a daily use also. Before you say " I wouldn't do that" let me agree with you.:yes: I wouldn't do that either. I'm just saying and always have said, and everyone else says, that B-IONIC keeps levels stable. It is not meant to raise or low levels, only to keep them where they are. You should move the chemistry with buffer and or calcium products.
Now that I've said that, who has moved levels with B-IONIC? And how did it work? (I mean did it take along time or did it stay in your range) I'm all ears.
The other issue I think I caused is he told me to put heavy current on the sps. (staghorn) so I put it about 2 inches from the output of one of my PHs.
They like current- but not directly pointed at them:scared: (but I think you know that now)
 
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