Dosing Method

[Jake007]

I been reading allot of posts on dosing and it seems like many folks are dosing 130ml and up. I have a 120G and am still figuring out my dosage. I am still at 65ml but checking...my parameters are still way low on alk...

Q. What method are you using for dosing? Fill up cup and slowly add into sump with return pump mixing into tank? Fill cup and add into tank directly (burning coral)? Dosing pump (what brand /model)? Gravity drip /time? Other?

[HighlandReefer]

Assuming your are talking about two-part, which alk supplement are you using, sodium carbonate (baked baking soda) or sodium bicarbonate (baking soda)? Perhaps a mix of the two?

[Jake007]

Randy's two part recipe 1 (edited..sorry had wrong number orig post). Baked baking soda, and turbo calc mixed per recipe.... also my pH is typically low 8.0 or lower.

[HighlandReefer]

Recipe #1 uses baked baking soda. Recipe #2 uses baking soda. Edit on my part.

If you have not diluted Randy's reciepe number 2, then it will take for 120 g of total water volume, about 171.4 ml of it to raise your alk level about 1 dKH. If your tank level is low you can use the calculator to determine how much it will take for your given actual water volume (minus rock & sand) to raise your level where you want it.

Reef Chemistry Calculator:
http://reef.diesyst.com/chemcalc/chemcalc.html

[HighlandReefer]

If you are using Recipe #1 (baked baking soda) then it will take 85.7 ml to increase your alk level 1 dKH. ;)

[Jake007]

Thank for the link. I am down almost 2dkh (6.5). What is the max you should increase dkh per day?

Also, any feedback on dosing methods used?

[HighlandReefer]

Dosing baking soda is not as much a concern as is dosing baked baking soda. The baked baking soda has a high pH and can increase your pH level too high if too much is added at once. Also the local pH where baked baking soda is added can raise too much and cause calcium carbonate precipitation, which is not good. If you use baked baking soda, I woudl drip it. You don't want to raise your tank pH by more than 0.2 per dose.

If you use baking soda, then there is not much concern except to keep your daily alk increase below 2 dKH as is recommend. If you alk consumption increases to 2 dkH per day then braking up the doses would be desirable.

[Jake007]

I am using baked baking soda. I dosed directly in the tank last week with 65ml twice day/night and managed to burn/bleach the edges of a few corals (superman, digitata, and blastos...err). Went back to dosing into the sump prior to the baffles for slower mixing. Looking at my pH graph it increase pH by .2 during the addition period.

[HighlandReefer]

I would drip the baked baking soda, to prevent problems as you mentioned.

FWIW, using kalk water will give you a greater pH boost then baked baking soda and additional safe guards are necessary as with baked baking soda to prevent overdose. Dripping these high pH alk supplement is always better. ;)

[Jake007]

I was dripping Kalc with my prior tank (75g) through the auto top off. I was thinking the same thing with going back to Kalc in my auto top bucket so it is slowly added throughout the day (Toms aqualifter pump) and then supplement with lower quantity of 2 part manually added to match consumption.

[HighlandReefer]

For low pH problems using the kalk with proper safeguards to prevent overdose is the best option. You will get about double the pH boost from using saturated kalk water. That's what I use since I have low pH problems as do most hobbyists. ;)

[Jake007]

Well I made a drip for my 2 part tonight. I used two small 0.5 cup tubberware containers. I drilled a hole in the bottom and inserted an air tube with a valve on each. Works good. Now I just measure and pour my ALK into the ALK dripper and 10 min later it is empty. Then one min later do the same for the CA into the CA cup. Nice and slow addition and I don't have to worry about pouring too much at once. I am guessing that even though they are dripping in I should still separate the additions by at least a minute.