Split thread: alkalinity issue

[ricwilli]

I have the two part solution and having trouble raising the alk. The alk is at 7kh and I would like to raise it to 9kh. Would it be OK to start dosing baking powder and stop dosing the two part solution until the alk is at 9kh? My PH is currently high and the calcium is low. Every time I dose alk, I also experience the snow flake effect, but it disappears pretty quickly.

Cal = 350
Alk = 7
PH = 8.42

[bertoni]

I split this from the other thread for clarity.

If the precipitation is temporary, then it's likely just magnesium hydroxide, and can be ignored. Baking soda dissolved in RO-DI water should be okay with that pH. A calcium chloride product, like Kent Turbo Calcium, should be fine for raising Ca++. This calculator might help:

http://home.comcast.net/~jdieck1/chem_calc3.html

It should be fine to raise the alkalinity to 9 dKH in one dose, but the calculator requires a guess as to the actual water volume in the tank, so I'd be careful. You shouldn't need to stop the 2-part, and you can just dose more of the calcium part to raise that level, although the 2-parts are expensive for that purpose.

[ricwilli]

What would you recommend for me to dose other than the two part solution. I have a calcium reactor but need to get my paramaters correct before I start using it. I will open another thread for that on how to operate it.

[MCsaxmaster]

Have you measured magnesium? When it is difficult to maintain proper levels of calcium and alkalinity low magnesium is sometimes the culprit. I'd check that and report back.

[bertoni]

Kent Turbo Calcium is fine, as is SeaChem Reef Calcium. The ESV and Warner supplements are fine as well.

[ricwilli]

OK, readings are:

Cal = 400 (I dosed two part solution calcium to raise it)
Mag = 1350
PH = 8.29
KH = 7.5 (would like it to be 9)

Should I dose pure baking soda to raise the ALK?

[bertoni]

Yes, that's what I'd do. Dissolve it in RO-DI first, though.