Second New DIY Two Part Recipe with Higher pH Boost

[WWIII]

Have you noticed a PH boost with it? My PH is more stable and it may be my ATS in combination with this but I didnt see a boost.

Yeah, my ph went from 7.9-8.2 to 8.2-8.5. Dosing 120 ml to a 250 gallon system.

stupid question... as this recipe is more caustic, do I need to worry about using different lines on my dosing pumps or anything else?

I've been using it for almost a year. The lines have held up well. Both using acrylic and silicone hose. They do seem to be a little slicker on the inside, I had one come off the dosing head. Maybe it wasn't from the lye, but it seemed to be? I also was using thin water bottle containers at first. The solution melted right through those, so I switched to a thicker plastic dosing container.

 

[Shinister]

Yeah, my ph went from 7.9-8.2 to 8.2-8.5. Dosing 120 ml to a 250 gallon system.

I must have a lot of CO2 in the room. Im dosing 58ml of each on a 120g system and ph ranges from 8 at night to 8.1 during the day time.

 

[chk4tix]

I think I read all the pages, but now I don’t specifically remember if someone already asked. If I am currently dosing BRS 2-part, can I just switch the BRS alk part to Randy’s alk or would I need to change the alk, calc, and mag as well?

 

[Tautog]

Not necessary to change everything, watch for a change in consumption in all three

 

[drawman]

Curious how everyone is liking this over time. @WWIII and @Myka

 

[Val Shebeko]

Wait, wait. I’m nor seeing the thread. What reciepe ?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Wait, wait. I’m nor seeing the thread. What reciepe ?

You can’t see the first post of this thread?

 

[Val Shebeko]

You can’t see the first post of this thread?

Sorry for the bother, had to reboot and then it came up again.
Thanks again.

val

 

[Hwsreef]

@Randy Holmes-Farley Can I use just the sodium hydroxide alkalinity part , as a complement to a calcium reactor to rise my ph? or it would cause a imbalance with the ca reactor?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

@Randy Holmes-Farley Can I use just the sodium hydroxide alkalinity part , as a complement to a calcium reactor to rise my ph? or it would cause a imbalance with the ca reactor?

It adds alkalinity. If you are happy with the alkalinity boost as well as the pH boost, it is fine.

But long term you will need to add an equivalent amount of calcium.

 

[Hwsreef]

@Randy Holmes-Farley I have more dumb questions.
1. does the sodium hydroxide binds phosphates like calcium hydroxide?
2. Won’t it be dangerous in large doses like 500 ml 24 times a day in a 400 gallons tank ?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

@Randy Holmes-Farley I have more dumb questions.
1. does the sodium hydroxide binds phosphates like calcium hydroxide?
2. Won’t it be dangerous in large doses like 500 ml 24 times a day in a 400 gallons tank ?

I hope you mean 500 mL spread out over 24 doses, not 500 dosed 24 times.

The spread out 500 mL (21 mL per dose) is fine. The pH will rise locally where it is added, like other high pH additives but about twice as big of a boost.

Added all at once, 500 mL would boost 400 gallons instantly by about 0.7 pH units (depends on the alk and the starting pH). Same effect as kalkwasser.

But spread out over 24 doses, that 500 mL will boost pH less than 0.05 pH units each time and is fine once mixed in.

Before it fully mixes in, of course, the local pH is higher and it is important to mix it in well before it encounters organisms.

Sodium phosphate is fully soluble. Does calcium phosphate or magnesium phosphate precipitate locally where sodium hydroxide is added to aquarium water? Maybe.

 

[chipmunkofdoom2]

Yes. CO2 will try to enter the alk part from the air, so keep it tightly closed.

Hi Randy, thinking about using this recipe. I'd like to make it in 5 gallon batches. Will a standard 5 gallon hardware store bucket with a lid seal tightly enough to prevent CO2 from entering? By the same token, if I put a 1/4" bulkhead in the top for standard RO tubing, will the seal be too tight and cause a vacuum?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Hi Randy, thinking about using this recipe. I'd like to make it in 5 gallon batches. Will a standard 5 gallon hardware store bucket with a lid seal tightly enough to prevent CO2 from entering? By the same token, if I put a 1/4" bulkhead in the top for standard RO tubing, will the seal be too tight and cause a vacuum?

A little CO2 entering is not a concern. If the bucket has a rubber gasket it might seal tight enough to cause back pressure. If it is just a snap lid (like a brute trash can)., I think that's no concern. If it would not hold water upside down (i.e., it leaks), with you folding the lid on, then air will get in fine.

 

[chipmunkofdoom2]

A little CO2 entering is not a concern. If the bucket has a rubber gasket it might seal tight enough to cause back pressure. If it is just a snap lid (like a brute trash can)., I think that's no concern. If it would not hold water upside down (i.e., it leaks), with you folding the lid on, then air will get in fine.

Thanks Randy. I recall in your limewater article, you mentioned that you observed no significant loss in potentcy over the course of 3 weeks in Brute trashcan with a lid. Does this NaOH solution remain potent as long as limewater assuming the solution is sealed in the same way?

As far as containers, would used HDPE vinegar jugs be a suitable material for the NaOH solution? I have a lot laying around from cleaning and dosing vinegar that I could easily repurpose for dosing this solution.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Thanks Randy. I recall in your limewater article, you mentioned that you observed no significant loss in potentcy over the course of 3 weeks in Brute trashcan with a lid. Does this NaOH solution remain potent as long as limewater assuming the solution is sealed in the same way?

As far as containers, would used HDPE vinegar jugs be a suitable material for the NaOH solution? I have a lot laying around from cleaning and dosing vinegar that I could easily repurpose for dosing this solution.

Limewater can lose potency because the CO2 enters, becomes carbonate, and precipitates as calcium carbonate.

There's no calcium here, so the worst that can happen is if you generate so much carbonate that you are over the solubility limit of sodium carbonate, which is far higher than calcium carbonate. Potency will be like a two part alk potency plus the remaining hydroxide potency, so still very potent.

HDPE is a good choice.

 

[Big C]

@Randy Holmes-Farley

I get some lower pH swings and after reading this post was looking at using sodium hydroxide to help a little (I've tried other methods like opening windows which isn't feasible year round, CO2 scrubber and outside air on skimmer).

I currently mix my own Aquaforest 123. Could I replace the KH Buffer (which is sodium bicarbonate) with sodium hydroxide at 60.4 grams? Any other concerns in regards to the other components? Below is the recipe (couldn't find the English on their website yet). Looking to boost pH a little and cheaper easier to find buffer component if it's as simple as swapping out. Thanks so much!

 

[Big C]

Found a sheet h2so4hurts put together and shamelessly robbed it and goal seeked to find how much of each component I would have to come up with for Alk solutions I could replace the AF KH Buffer (NaHCO3) with.

		Valence	g	g/mol	mol	meq	L	meq/L	dKH/L	KH Raise/mL
Sodium Bicarbonate	NaHCO3	1​	80​	84​	0.773​	952.3809524​	1​	952.380952​	2666.6667​	2.66666667
Sodium Carbonate	Na2CO3	2​	50.47619​	106​	0.613​	952.3809521​	1​	952.380952​	2666.6667​	2.66666667
Sodium Hydroxide	NaOH	1​	38.095238​	40​	0.95238095​	952.3809524​	1​	952.380952​	2666.6667​	2.66666667
						meq=(g*1000*valence)/(g/mol)			1meq = 2.8dKH

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I'm confused. You can already use calculators for these recipes.

The thing I do not know for your previous question is the alkalinity of the aquaforest solution, and whether there is anything in it that wouldnt play well with hydroxide (though that is unlikely).

 

[Big C]

Thanks, I doubled check against some of those to make sure . The question I had was really around the other side reactions with the Strong C that is mixed in.

The other component is Strong C which is made of iodide and fluoride per AF. It states is raises the potassium my guess its made from potassium iodide and potassium fluoride.