What is a good way to raise you Alk levels?

[jasno999]

What is a good way to raise you Alk levels?

 

[TCTFish]

Dose the tank with an alkaline additive for reef. Usually sold as a two bottle system with calcium being the other bottle.

http://www.kentmarine.com/saltwater/tcbab.html

 

[steve-s]

What is the alk of your display tank and newly mixed SW?

Cheers
Steve

 

[jasno999]

Not sure need to purchase a kit for ALK I only have ones for PH/nitrate/nitrite/calcium/phosphate/amonia

 

[melosu58]

Why do you want to raise alk if you dont know what it is. If you get tests for it you might be OK. That is why they say never dose anything unless you test for it.

 

[jasno999]

I don't. I need to get a test kit but was asking some of the questions up fron so that I knowwhat t ouse if my Alk is low.

 

[melosu58]

Oh OK.

 

[Brenden]

There are lots of different things you can dose to increase your alk. Even baking soda will work. Invest in the test and see if you even have a problem first. What fish/corals do you have in your tank?

 

[steve-s]

Agreed!!

At least it the beginning, the tanks need for supplimentation will be minimal. The best place I recommend you start is with the water you use for water changes. More commonly, regular weekly water changes will do what's needed to maintain chemistry/trace elemnts. Correcting the chemistry if needed in the new SW also gives you a "save zone" to experiment with chemical aditions like the baking soda Brenden mentioned as well as other two part liquids or stand alone chloride/buffer products.

Once you get the appropriate test kits, test the tank and the new SW used for water changes. If the new SW and the tank are relatively the same but low, it will be far easier to tweek the SW mix and less chances for errors or disasters. At least in the interim while you learn the basics.

Cheers
Steve

 

[revhtree]

I have been using baking soda successfully for a few months now. It's cheap and really brings the levels up easy.

 

[jasno999]

YEs need to invest. GOign to have to wait about 2-3 mroe weeks. Thanks for the input guys.


I have a bubble coral, sand polyups and mushrooms