Alkalinity down

B

buyitjody

[Ok, my alkalinity isn't near where it should be. How can I boost it? My Ph is also low. I can't remember my exact reading for alkalinity...I believe it was about 70 using the hagen test. My Ph is around 8 (it may be a little below :shocked: - my Ph meter was acting a little weird and needs to be recalibrated-will do that tonight before checking it again) . I put some of the seachem reef buffer that is supposed to raise both Ph and alkalinity and will test those two again tonight and add buffer again once daily until my readings are back to normal range. Is this what I should do? All my other readings are fine...

Ammonia: 0
Nitrite: 0
Nitrate: 0 (first time EVER...I usually have around 10)
Phosphate: 0
Calcium: 375 (a little down, but much better than my 280 reading in the past)

I dose only 2 part (A&B) Warner Marine Calcium & buffer.]



Edited By buyitjody on 1087221263
 
[Hey there,
I may be the only one that does this BUT what I did to increase my alk was to add baking soda to 1 gal of top off water.I added 1 teaspoon to 1 gallon RO water and introduced it very slowely since baking soad's ph is like 12.I just slowely pured it into my 55 gal over a 2-3 min time frame. Dripping Kalk/Pickling Lime afterwards helped me maintain my PH/Cal/Alk at near perfect levels.I can test my water almost anytime of day and it usually the same:

PH 8.1
alk 4.0 Meq/l
cal 400

HTH

Andy]
 
@buyitjody wrote:
[I can't remember my exact reading for alkalinity...I believe it was about 70 using the hagen test. (from Maldivan) introduced it very slowely since baking soad's ph is like 12.] said:
[I have never heard of a ALK reading of 70. Usually it is read in meq/l (2.5-5 is good) or DKH (7-14, is good). My original ALK test read low, high, or good, so at least yours is reading something :oops: Maybe should try to get a better test kit.


You can use Baking Soda to raise it. "To raise 50 gallons of tank water by 1 meq/L will require about 16 grams of baking soda " IT DOES NOT HAVE A PH OF 12,(that is kalk) it will actually lower your PH for a bit becasue it contains CO2. Your PH should "bounce" back after an hour.]
Click to expand...
 
[Multiply by .02 to figure out the meq/l. (i.e. 70 = 1.4 meq/l).

You can pour the baking soda on a cookie sheet and bake it in the oven at 280 deg. for an hour. This turns it into washing soda, which will raise your pH (and has the same alkalinity raising effect as baking soda). It does even out after a day though, like baking soda. Dissolve 1 tsp of it in fresh water and pour it in.

I was doing this for a while. I added 1 tsp in the morning, and 1 at night. It kept it up around 3.3 meq/l.]
 
[Thanks, folks! I will read up on those articles, etc. Tonight I will calibrate my Ph meter, test Ph, and test Alkalinity again and see where I stand. Unfortunately, I hadn't checked all my parameters in a while...shame on me! :uhoh: I used to be really good about it. How come life never gets more relaxed? It always seems to get busier and busier! Again, thanks, and anyone else that has more suggestions, feel free to post 'em.]
 
[Add 2 teaspoons of baking soda (unscented) and let it cycle around the tank for an hour or 2, and test your alk again. You may even want to let it go til tomorrow before testing just to be sure its well mixed in and distributed.

Washing soda will raise pH along with Alk. A pH of 8.0 isn't bad, 7.8 is pushing bad on the nose though. Theres a chance your pH may bounce back some once your Alk is corrected.

Anyways 2 tsp of baking soda should raise 50 gallons of water by .8 meq/l. Do this and see what your alk raises to, It should put you around 2.5 meq/l. Once there, with a CA of 380 you still have room for your alk to raise if you need to raise pH still with a little washing soda (start with 1/4 tsp to be safe)

You may want to just go ahead and add 1/4 tsp of washing soda, and 2 tsp of backing soda at the same time, the initial adding of baking soda may lower your pH initially after dosing.]
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top