what do you do to keep your alk levels stable?

[VonUberReefer]

using baking soda atm, but is there some way to help keep them level at a certain amount?
I know there's the seachem stuff, but I'm aiming for 8 not 8.3, and i just wonder how long the stuff really works..

seems that crushed coral and aragamax don't really do much until the ph drops low enough to dissolve the stuff? (hasn't worked for me anyways)

 

[jcmelski]

I think the seachem 8.3 is the ph not the alk.

 

[VonUberReefer]

Product Description: Item: 2753900 Safely raises and maintains aquarium pH to 8.3 while adjusting alkalinity. Contains a blend of bicarbonate, carbonate, and borate salts designed to raise pH and restore distrupted buffer systems to the proper balance.


the bicarbonate and carbonate is for alk and the borate is for immediate ph adjusts... i think, i know people who use a baking soda/borax mix as a cheap alternative...

 

[melosu58]

I just do frequent PWC`s and it keeps mine stable maybe a wee bit low.

 

[VonUberReefer]

well i'm talking more about alk levels of around 300, which my tap sure doesn't have.
if you use ro/di, how does pwc's do anything? or do you add something, to get your alk level up?

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

300? If you're talking 300 ppm CaCO3, then you're talking 6 meq/l or about 17 dKH. There is no reason to keep your alkalinity that high. You should be shooting for something more like 150-200 ppm CaCO3 (8-12 dKH).

Are you wanting to increase pH, or alkalinity?

 

[VonUberReefer]

alkalinity. it's hard to see the difference in colors, i only have the strips available here for alk tests...
but either way, even 150-200 my tap won't do, so pwc's are out of the question, and ro/di is 0... which i use since using tap is not the way to go.

 

[Kurt_Nelson]

Most salt mixes will mix up - even using RO/DI water - to something in the range of 8-12 dKH for alkalinity. Why are you wanting 300 ppm CaCO3 (17 dKH)?

 

[VonUberReefer]

heh, just realized i posted this in the sw, it's fw african cichlids (trying to spawn)
12-20dkh...

 

[thincat]

No problem I do that all the time...

 

[ccCapt]

heh, just realized i posted this in the sw, it's fw african cichlids (trying to spawn)
12-20dkh...

Moved to FW breeding forum