I just needed to get my alk up from 6.4. After dosing the ALK part only at 10ml daily for the last 3 days, today it's now at 7 so I'm pleased. My Ca is at 440 and my Mag is at 1320. I'm now dosing Mag at 20ml daily. Will get it up to where ya'll sugguest 1400-1500. My Alk should reach 8 within the next 3 days. Then I'll continue with regular dosing per directions on the bottle at 1ml per 4g's of water. Which I estimate this to be around 7.5ml daily. Does this sound about right..or should I go a little higher in the dosing?
I keep mine at 7. There are some who say 11 or 12 but when asked why, no one has ever been able to give an actual real response, everyone just beats around the bush with no coherent answer. If I remember correctly, it's like 7 in the ocean and I personally see no point in keeping it higher. I still get good growth
I've always managed to keep my alk around 8 so that's what I'm shooting for...but then again this was per the API test LOL~so for all I know it's could have been at 6.4 for the last 9 months. Everything is doing great though. I'm just wondering if the low alk has anything to do with the lack of colors in 2 of my 3 acros...1 looks pretty dang good color wise. All in all my main priority is balance!!!
I'd like to chime in on the ocean level thing.First a definiton of what Alk and Ph is.Alkalinty is essentaly waters ability to neutralize acids and it's buffering capacity.Ph is the measurement of the concatration of hydrogen ions in water.How are these related is best discribed by the ranges.Pure water has a Ph level of 7.If the sample has a level of 1 to 7 it is considered acidic if the levels are between 7 and 14 it is refered to being basic or alkaline.Water with a high Ph but a low alkalinty is considered unstable.In this situation the Ph will quickly decline with the natural accumalation of organic acids.We use calcium chloride and sodium bicarbonate to adjust the calcium and alk levels via two part.Magnesium is a natural elment that keeps them from bonding together(we use magnisum chloride amd magnisum solfate as reefers) and allows for easier absorbtion of calcium by your corals and is also benifical for the color pigments in the skin of corals and has been found to help control nuisance algaes. OK,so now we are talking the oceans ability to buffer is normally read in a measurement of Alk in the range of 7 to 8 dkh and a Ph of 8.2 to 8.4 PH(this depends on the source) right? This is how it was explained to me by someone much smarter then me at Britewell.We use a synthetic salt mix that does it's best to match the oceans very complex mix of trace elements,buffers,nutrients and the list goes on.We have a a very limited voulme of water that does have a limited eco system to replenish these essential things so we need to supply foods,nutrients and trace elements by way of feeding,doaseing and water changes.So this leads to the alk answer that I personaly try to use which does not mean I'm a guru or even correct ( my offical disclaimer).It just make sense to me and have noticed better coloring and growth.The salt you use is an engineered chemical mix that when at it's best has the levels that are provided by the manufacter either by printed version on the bucket,box,bag or on their web site.I try to match the levels provided by them for this reason but do maintain higher levels of mag for other reasons as stated above.I like to keep to 8.2 Ph and an Alk of 10 dkh first because that's my salt manufactuer's preffered level for best performance and it is also the sweet spot for the levels discussed above.It's also important to note that raising the alk should be done slowly with a careful attention to your Ph levels.A jump in Ph of just 0.10 is a major change and very stressful to the inhabitants.I try to look at alk and Ph as simese twins who really need each other to survive. My fingers hurt now from typeing this much and my head hurts from trying to sound smart so I'm jumping off the soap box now. LOL Have a good holiday I hope this helps and makes sense to someone other then me
Last edited by binford4000; 12-12-2011 at 04:49 AM.
Reason: very poor typing skills and spelling
Well put Binford!! That sums up the interaction of Alk and Ph pretty well. I for one don't believe it's a good idea to try and manipulate ph, it's a transient, ever changing number based on alkalinity and ambient co2 levels. Generally your far better off to manage the alk properly and let ph do it's thing. Miz your right to keep an eye on ph while raising alk, typically if you raise alk you'll see a short term rise in ph. People get into high alk issues when they chase ph because they raise alk, and the ph goes up, but 12hrs later ph has slipped back down so they dose again. So ph goes back up for a period of hours and then slips again, and so on. But the alk just keeps getting higher and higher because it's no where near as rapidly changing as ph.
Well I've never actually paid attention to my Ph only started doing it due to me raising my alk and knowing this can cause a ph swing...just didn't want it to swing to much. So far it's all good
Alk=7.6~Ca=440~Mag=1320 Today I will once again start dosing equal amounts of 2 part at 7.5ml daily. The directions say 1ml per 4g of water. The Mag I think I'll just do 20ml weekly see how that goes. I just don't know my actual total water volume so I'm guesstimating here at 25g. How do they expect you to know the actual total water volume of your tank?
Anyways this is all a learning process for me. Thanks for all your help guys. I do believe I'm beginning to get the gist of it all. Slow and steady wins TOTM
Well put Binford!! That sums up the interaction of Alk and Ph pretty well. I for one don't believe it's a good idea to try and manipulate ph, it's a transient, ever changing number based on alkalinity and ambient co2 levels. Generally your far better off to manage the alk properly and let ph do it's thing. Miz your right to keep an eye on ph while raising alk, typically if you raise alk you'll see a short term rise in ph. People get into high alk issues when they chase ph because they raise alk, and the ph goes up, but 12hrs later ph has slipped back down so they dose again. So ph goes back up for a period of hours and then slips again, and so on. But the alk just keeps getting higher and higher because it's no where near as rapidly changing as ph.
Thanks and you also make a very valid point also.I also do not try to adjust levels by Ph but it's important to understand the relationship of alk,cal which will effect Ph.To much of one and not enough of the other will get you a very unstable water column.Slow and easy always pay's as Miz say's.She brings a good point up about the total water volume,I personaly have weighed my rock then divided by 8 which is what water weighs and subtract that from my total water volume.It would be more accurate to calculate total volume but who really thinks of that when ya set up your new tank LOL Once things get leveled out is when it's time to really pay attention to the Ph.Keep doing what your doing Jamie it's all working good.
I know I'm getting into the $$ end of dosing but...is there a simpler way to daily dosing then using the cup supplied? Those pumps are expensive
I'm also noticing (I believe this is the reason) that due to me adding the additives via in front of one of my Koralias (highest flow area available) that it seems to be affecting the coraline growth on the end of my LR, farthest away from the pump, it's actually turning white Could the whiteness be the result of the additives coming into constant contact with the LR?
Hopefully sometime in the near future I'll be able to just add the 2part to my topoff water. I just bought a small aqualifter pump in hopes of making an ato No I don't know WTH I'm doing but I'm gonna try
There's nothing like being a Reefer!
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I hope this helps and makes sense to someone other then me
Originally Posted by MizTanks
only started doing it due to me raising my alk and knowing this can cause a ph swing...just didn't want it to swing to much. So far it's all good 
Could the whiteness be the result of the additives coming into constant contact with the LR? 
No I don't know WTH I'm doing but I'm gonna try 
