Dosing

[gboduszek]

So over the past week or 2 I've started dosing alkalinity as my tank is well below where i would like it and water changes just don't seem to keep up. I've been using the aquavitro liquids to do so. Here are my tank params using salifert test kits:
20 long tank
Salinity 1.026 using reef crystals
Alk: 7.0
Calcium: 400/410
Mag: 1250

I've been dosing 5 mL of aquavitro eight.four each morning to try and raise the alk but the number never changes. When I test the check solution the kit is spot on and freshly mixed saltwater reads 11 dKH so I don't think the test kit is off. Am I going about something wrong?

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[gboduszek]

Also when I add the 5 mL of alk it turns white when it hits the tank water and then disperses throughout. Would this be precipitation occurring then? If so wouldn't I be seeing a drop in calcium? Any help is greatly appreciated as I've never physically had to dose before. I'm slightly familiar I guess with how the big 3 affect each other but physically dosing them is kind of a new realm

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[54seaweed]

your alk levels will always be lower in the morn and the eve check it during the mid day , also once you start opening windows in the summer you will also see changes ,

 

[gboduszek]

I checked both and the highest it's ever read was around 7.5.. I'd like to get it up to around 10 dKH gradually but obviously I'm doing something wrong it seems

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[bribo12]

I checked both and the highest it's ever read was around 7.5.. I'd like to get it up to around 10 dKH gradually but obviously I'm doing something wrong it seems

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Can I ask why you want to raise it? 7.5 dkh is fine. I've always run my tanks right around this level and had good sps growth


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[gboduszek]

Can I ask why you want to raise it? 7.5 dkh is fine. I've always run my tanks right around this level and had good sps growth


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In the past I had struggles with a ton of LPS due to my alk going below 7. I guess preferably I would like to get it to hover atleast around 8 dKh or so. More so I guess is I just want to understand what's going on with my dosing regimen and why I am not seeing an increase in alk at all. I want to be able to establish a dosing regimen I guess to keep things stable.

Back to a previous question tho, when I add the alk to the tank is it normal for it to turn white and then go away as its dispersed throughout the tank?

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[bribo12]

Yes it is normal. What calculator are you using for that measurement? I've always gone by this one to increase elements. http://reef.diesyst.com/chemcalc/chemcalc.html
Sometimes the bottles don't give the right measurements


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[Animal-Chin]

Yes all alk additives turn white, that's normal for sure.

I didn't like aquavitro 8.4 when I used it. Took way to much to make a change. Can you get some bulk sodium carbonate at the LFS? Its a white powder you just mix with RO water, works way better IMO and way cheaper.

7 is fine for LPS and most sps actually. I have run my sps tank at about 7.8 and its where all my coral are the happiest.

 

[gboduszek]

Yes it is normal. What calculator are you using for that measurement? I've always gone by this one to increase elements. http://reef.diesyst.com/chemcalc/chemcalc.html
Sometimes the bottles don't give the right measurements


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I wasn't using one and was using the initial amount suggestion on the bottle and then hoping to test and see how much it raised and go from there to establish a daily amount needed to keep things close to a set number.
Thanks for the link though. I will definitely start using that from now on.
Just did a water change also which took alk up to 7.5 but like I said before this always goes down to around 7 about 2 days later even with the daily 5 mL dose

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[gboduszek]

Yes all alk additives turn white, that's normal for sure.

I didn't like aquavitro 8.4 when I used it. Took way to much to make a change. Can you get some bulk sodium carbonate at the LFS? Its a white powder you just mix with RO water, works way better IMO and way cheaper.

7 is fine for LPS and most sps actually. I have run my sps tank at about 7.8 and its where all my coral are the happiest.

That's comforting to hear that it took a lot to make a change for someone else as well. I've been using the aquavitro line solely because I was give a free sample of the entire reef line so I figured I would give the eight.four, cacification, and ions a go since I had recently noticed in order to keep alk from dipping too low I was doing about 25% water change every 5-6 days or so.

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[gboduszek]

Yes it is normal. What calculator are you using for that measurement? I've always gone by this one to increase elements. http://reef.diesyst.com/chemcalc/chemcalc.html
Sometimes the bottles don't give the right measurements


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Hey bribo so I've been messing around with the calculator and when I enter desired alk around 8.0 it says balanced calcium is ~420. Does this mean I should be dosing a little calcium as well to raise mine from 400 ppm in order to hit my desired alkalinity of 8.0 dKH?

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