How much Calc/Alk Are You Dosing?

[viperfish]

Originally Posted by christyf5

I dose what you said first. The 1 and 1/8c for alk is if you're using sodium bicarbonate (ie,UNbaked baking soda). I can't be bothered to bake mine and it seems to get the job done regardless.

Currently I think I'm up to dosing about 250ml Ca and 275ml Alk on 200gal total water volume. I was struggling a bit with the alk levels but I think I've got it mostly figured out.

I've been baking mine mainly due to my low PH. I found that bicarbonate drove my PH down.

[christyf5]

Originally Posted by medhatreefguy

I've been baking mine mainly due to my low PH. I found that bicarbonate drove my PH down.

Yes it does lower the pH a bit, my tank currently runs at about 7.9-8.0 but prior to dosing I was using a calcium reactor that kept the tank at about 7.8 with no problems. I'm not as hung up on pH as I am with low alk so unbaked it is. I was also getting a ton of precipitate (like small mountains of it) in the sump with the baked stuff. No problems with the unbaked. I'm not sure if I was doing something wrong or what but the precipitate was really annoying.

[viperfish]

I do have precipitate in the sump. My PH has been dipping 7.7-7.8 at night and never above 8.1 during the day. I have been dosing Aquavitro Stability the last couple of days, it's supposed to stabilize PH without affecting Calc or Alk.