Raising Alk (1 Viewer)

[Wildfire]

Hiya,

My alk REFUSES to come up... It is (per my test kit) "Low Normal" (no, I don't have a quantitative value, thank you Red Sea....)

Am I remember right in thinking that I can add Baking Soda (CH2O3) to my top-off water / into the sump to raise my Alk? If so, does anyone have a good calculator for how much Soda I'd need to raise.. say.... 275 gallons of water up, and does anyone know of a good test kit that measures Alk in NUMBERS?

Thanks!

 

[Guest]

Yes baking soda raises it. You should go get yourself a salifert alk/dkh kit. Here is a link that gives good numbers on how much you need to add to raise to the level you want. http://www.kademani.com/reefchem.htm good luck, my alk drops alot too

 

[KarenB]

I use just strictly baking soda for buffer at the moment, along with Tropic Marin for calcium. I usually only need 2 small teaspoonfuls every other day for my 135 to keep the alk at around 10.2. What I like about the baking soda is that it doesn't jack with my pH too much.

 

[AggieBrandon]

Karen,

I think the tropic marin bio calcium raises both alk and calcium...but not 100% sure

 

[Wildfire]

How do you introduce it into the system? Do you dissolved x tsp per gallon of makeup water, or drip it (like kalk) or what?

Thanks!

 

[Niko5]

First off you should get a real test kit like Salfert and get a value on your alk

Some people say you can dump it in but it doesnt hurt to drip it in. I have a calcualtor that tells you the X number of TSP for baking soda to raise the Alk to whatever you want ill post it tonight if you dont already have it.

 

[Rick]

What are the optimum levels to try and keep your calcium and Alk at?

Rick

 

[Rick]

My PH is at 8.4 and alk is at 2.5, calcium is at 450.

Also I use Kalkwasser, mix up about 2 gallons on the Saturday and then pour in about 1/2 gallon every day till its gone. For Calcium I use the Kent liquid.

Does pickling lime achieve the same effect as the Kalk and liqud calcium? What if any is the diffrence.

Thanks
Rick

 

[Guest]

Pickling lime is the same as kalk, just about 1/4 the price. If you are adding kalk, you don't need to be adding the calcium too - over time, that will cause your calcium to get too high. It looks like it's already starting actually - 450 is getting towards the high end on calcium, and 2.5 is the low end of alk.

 

[aqua-nut]

Now I've been told that kalkwasser wont raise your calcium, but it will maintain it and keep your pH and alkalinity stable.

I've been watching my alkalinity like a hawk and forgot my calcium for a month or so and it fell to 210, thinking that dripping kalkwasser in my top off was keeping it up where it should be.

When I noticed my anthias, colt coral and hammerhead retracting and looking all shriveled up, I tested my water and found my calcium to be low. Ugh.

 

[Guest]

Did you do any water changes during that time? A lot of salt mixes are very low on calcium, so yes you would have to supplement after a water change.

 

[ShaneV]

Kalk isnt an efficient way of raising Calcium levels, what it will do is maintain the level. So if you dose with calcium consistantlly, you can get it too high easily.

 

[KarenB]

Karen,

I think the tropic marin bio calcium raises both alk and calcium...but not 100% sure

Even if that is so, I am still needing to add some buffer, so I do

 

[Rick]

What brand of pickling lime do you use, or does it matter, and do you usually find it in the spice section of the grocery store?

 

[ShaneV]

Ive used Ms Wages, and Ball's Pickling Lime. Ms Wages seems more pure. With the Bal'ls pickling Lime the residue at the bottom was yellow, with Ms Wages its white.

 

[Rick]

What store do you get it at, is it pretty easy to get ahold of?

 

[ShaneV]

Ive found Balls at wal mart and Ms Wages at Krogers. Its been a while since Ive looked for it. Its in the canning supplies.

You can get it online here:
http://www.canningpantry.com/pickling-lime.html
or in bulk:
http://www.canningpantry.com/pickling-lime-case.html

 

[Rick]

I've heard of adding white vinegar to the pickling lime... Do you add vinegar? What is the purpose and how do you do it?

Thanks for the help.
Rick

 

[ShaneV]

When you mix kalk it should be kept in an airtight as possible container to help the kalk water from reacting with the oxygen. Dissolving in vinegar can help alleviate some of the interaction with air.

Ive used it both ways and didnt see any real advantage or disadvantage using vinegar, just dont use much vinegar as it can make aragonite sand clump up.

 

[Rick]

I guess, I'm doing a bad thing then... I spoke with JJ at the LFS at Fuqua, he told me to just mix it up in an open container, when it got the film ontop to swirl the film on the top allow it to settle, and then just dump a little bit each day directly to the sump.
I do about 1/2 gallon 4 days a week.

Would you have a DIY or some plans that I could use to put together an effective air tight kalk drip?