What Calc/Alk levels do you keep your reef tanks at? (1 Viewer)

[AggieBrandon]

Hello,

Just curious to see what everyone keeps their Calcium/Alkalinity levels at for their reef tanks. I am working on my SPS dominated tank and want to keep the levels as close to optimum as possible. I will be using Tropic Marin bio-calcium to raise my calcium levels and Kalkwasser to keep the levels stable. What does everyone use to raise alkalinity or lower alkalinity? I have the reef calculator as a favorite but they don't have tropic marin as a product selection. If need be I can buy another product such as kent turbo calcium. Right now the levels are at 380 for calcium and 10.6 dkh for alkalinity. All input is appreciated.

Brandon

 

[Guest]

I keep the alkalinity around 10 dKH and the calcium is about 430 ppm. From what I've read, as long as you are in the correct range for both you are good, i.e. 430 ppm calcium is not any better than 380 ppm, as long as your alk is also within range.

To adjust alkalinity by itself, use baking soda if your pH is normal or washing soda if your pH is low. For washing soda, it is better to make your own from baking soda instead of buying the stuff from the store, but I'm not sure how big a deal that is. I've used the store-bought washing soda several times with no ill effects, but now I'm switching to baking soda since I finally solved my depressed pH problem.

 

[AggieBrandon]

Yeah I am shooting for a calcium level around 430 or so with dKH around 10. Now I need to find that recipe to make the baking soda/washing soda mix.

Brandon

 

[Guest]

Spread the baking soda out on a cookie sheet and bake it at 300 degrees for an hour to make washing soda. But unless you are having pH problems, don't worry about it - just use regular baking soda.

 

[AggieBrandon]

yeah I need to test ph again to see what i am at

 

[Guest]

My anemones and softies don't care too much...

 

[Cakepro]

Spread the baking soda out on a cookie sheet and bake it at 300 degrees for an hour to make washing soda. But unless you are having pH problems, don't worry about it - just use regular baking soda.

Whaaaaaattttt?? Tell me more. What's the difference between baking soda and washing soda? Sodium bicarbonate becomes something else when baked in an oven??

 

[Guest]

I wanna know too. Fill me in!!!!

 

[AggieBrandon]

Baking Soda

To raise 50 gallons of tank water by 1 meq/L will require about 16 grams of baking soda (sodium bicarbonate; sodium hydrogencarbonate). Since a level teaspoon of baking soda weighs just under 6 grams, then 1 teaspoon will raise the alkalinity in that 50 gallons by ~0.4 meq/L (~1 dKH).



Washing Soda

To raise 50 gallons of tank water by 1 meq/L will require 10 grams of washing soda (sodium carbonate). Since a level teaspoon of washing soda weighs just over 6 grams, then 1 teaspoon will raise the alkalinity in that 50 gallons by ~0.6 meq/L (~1.7 dKH).

if you buy washing soda make sure it doesn't have surfactants added or any type of "perfume"

 

[AggieBrandon]

The recipe i was referring to earlier to maintain alk was a mixture of baking soda and washing soda. Mix 5 parts baking soda to 1 part washing soda and you should have a nice mixture to maintain alk levels.

Lots cheaper than store bought and can be dosed in top off water. Oh and washing soda is also called soda ash.

Brandon

 

[Guest]

Whaaaaaattttt?? Tell me more. What's the difference between baking soda and washing soda? Sodium bicarbonate becomes something else when baked in an oven??

Washing soda is baking soda + CO2 + water. Using raw baking soda to correct alk has a neutral effect on pH, whereas using washing soda will raise the pH - by quite a bit, actually. I find it temporarily raises pH by .1-.15 for each teaspoon of washing soda in my 75g.

When you bake regular baking soda, it removes most of the water and CO2, which converts it to something very similar to washing soda (but not exactly). This is the preferred method, because store-bought washing soda is not food-grade like baking soda is, so you don't know exactly what chemicals have been added.

 

[Guest]

Ahh. So it is simple after all Thanks for the clear breakdown Mike.

 

[Guest]

Don't thank me - thank Randy Holmes Farley. I'm just regurgitating what I've read from his articles - no one does a better job of explaining reef chemistry.

 

[Guest]

Brandon, the Tropic Marin Bio-Calcium product will raise both calcium and alkalinity. I have been using it way back before Keith closed. David that worked for Keith is the one that got me hooked on the stuff. It works great and all I additionally do is drip kalk. My calcium in my 120g sps/clam tank is maintained at 460ppm and 12.6dKh.

I have excellent growth, color and the growth is on all frags/colonies not just some. Across board growth. I tried using lower levels and found this is the best for my corals.