Second New DIY Two Part Recipe with Higher pH Boost

[Miami Reef]

Alk part

Add 283 grams of sodium hydroxide to 1 gallon of fresh water. It will get quite warm. Make sure it doesn't soften your container. This solution will contain about 1,900 meq/L of alkalinity (5,300 dKH). BE CAREFUL WITH THIS SOLUTION: IT HAS A pH ABOVE 14. Do not get it in your eyes or on your skin.

Calcium part

Dissolve 500 grams (about 2 ½ cups) of calcium chloride dihydrate (such as Dowflake 77-80% calcium chloride or ESV calcium chloride; see below for substitutes and sources) in enough water to make 1 gallon of total volume. You can dissolve it in about ½ gallon of water, and then pour that into the 1 gallon container and fill it to the top with more freshwater. This solution has about 37,000 ppm calcium.

Magnesium part

Dissolve Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate heptahydrate (3 cups) and magnesium chloride hexahydrate (5 cups) in enough purified freshwater to make 1 gallon total volume. There will likely be a precipitate that forms even if you fully dissolve both ingredients separately. That precipitate is calcium sulfate (calcium as an impurity in the magnesium chloride and sulfate from the Epsom salts). It is fine and appropriate to dose the precipitate along with the remainder of the fluid by shaking it up before dosing.

I am going to follow these 3 parts to my 260 gallon tank.

I also plan on using balling part C. So does that mean it will be a 4 part? I read balling (by tropic Marin) contains very little magnesium? I just wanted to know because I thought you mentioned all I needed was 3 parts?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I am going to follow these 3 parts to my 260 gallon tank.

I also plan on using balling part C. So does that mean it will be a 4 part? I read balling (by tropic Marin) contains very little magnesium? I just wanted to know because I thought you mentioned all I needed was 3 parts?

There's lots of magnesium in Balling Part C. More than anything else except chloride and sulfate (and possibly sodium, depending on how they formulated it).

That said, it's not a perfect solution for magnesium because it doesn't add magnesium to offset consumption, just to offset the effect of dilution by the two part sodium and chloride additions.

I'd use the Part C for routine dosing, and then if magnesium starts to get low, give occasional corrections with a magnesium additive.

 

[Miami Reef]

give occasional corrections with a magnesium additive.

First of all, thank you very much.

When you say magnesium additive, are you implying the mix of magnesium sulfate and chloride, or should I opt for only one of them? This is to maintain proper salt balance.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

First of all, thank you very much.

When you say magnesium additive, are you implying the mix of magnesium sulfate and chloride, or should I opt for only one of them? This is to maintain proper salt balance.

Yes but if you want to be as perfect as possible, it's a different mix. 11:1 chloride to sulfate.

 

[Miami Reef]

Yes but if you want to be as perfect as possible, it's a different mix. 11:1 chloride to sulfate.

Thanks, but how much in a gallon water mix? Sorry for newb question.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Thanks, but how much in a gallon water mix? Sorry for newb question.

Do-It-Yourself Magnesium Supplements for the Reef Aquarium by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com

3. Using both Epsom salts and MAG flake, dissolve 7¼ cups MAG flake and ¾ cup Epsom salts in one gallon of water, and use that to supplement magnesium in amounts determined using this linked online calculator, with the entry "Randy's Recipes 1 and 2 Versions A and B," and ignore for this purpose what those designations mean. This recipe is preferred, but its advantage over recipe #2 is minimal in most cases.


Note also that this recipe (#3) is different from that given in my DIY two-part recipe, because in that case more magnesium sulfate is necessary to offset the rise in chloride that is provided by both the calcium chloride and the magnesium chloride.

 

[Miami Reef]

Do-It-Yourself Magnesium Supplements for the Reef Aquarium by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com

3. Using both Epsom salts and MAG flake, dissolve 7¼ cups MAG flake and ¾ cup Epsom salts in one gallon of water, and use that to supplement magnesium in amounts determined using this linked online calculator, with the entry "Randy's Recipes 1 and 2 Versions A and B," and ignore for this purpose what those designations mean. This recipe is preferred, but its advantage over recipe #2 is minimal in most cases.


Note also that this recipe (#3) is different from that given in my DIY two-part recipe, because in that case more magnesium sulfate is necessary to offset the rise in chloride that is provided by both the calcium chloride and the magnesium chloride.

Thank you Randy!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Thank you Randy!

You’re welcome.

Happy Reefing!

 

[Miami Reef]

Last question @Randy Holmes-Farley

I know with kalkwasser we get a calcium carbonate layer that prevents CO2 from further entering and depleting the potency, but with Sodium hydroxide, it’s just the OH.

I can seal my NaOH container using plastic seran cling wrap , but I think an air escape valve is needed when using any dosing pump (I use BRS 1.1mL ).

 

[BoneDoc]

With such a high pH how will it affect our dosing pump?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Last question @Randy Holmes-Farley

I know with kalkwasser we get a calcium carbonate layer that prevents CO2 from further entering and depleting the potency, but with Sodium hydroxide, it’s just the OH.

I can seal my NaOH container using plastic seran cling wrap , but I think an air escape valve is needed when using any dosing pump (I use BRS 1.1mL ).

CO2 can enter, but it does not reduce the potency. It just converts some of the OH- to carbonate. That reduces the pH bump, but not the alk potency.

In kalkwasser the same happens, but then the carbonate precipitates with the calcium to form insoluble calcium carbonate, lowering the potency.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

With such a high pH how will it affect our dosing pump?

Depends on what sort of materials contact the fluid. There are tables of what materials can take high pH and which cannot.

This is an example. Anything in the row for sodium hydroxide 25% that has an A will be fine.

https://www.hollandapt.com/Documents/Ctrl_Hyperlink/Masterflex_Tubing_Chemcial_Compatability_uid172010827381.pdf

 

[Miami Reef]

Bulk Reef Dosing pumps come with 2 of these tubings, one is Rauclair E and the other is LLDPE

I did some research and it seems like the Rauclair is a PVC is fine with sodium hydroxide, searching for the LLDPE lead to some results of LDPE showing that sodium hydroxide is extremely incompatible.

I’m thinking of just buying sentrophene tubing, but I’d like your advice if my assumption on the 2 tubings sound accurate?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

LDPE, low density polyethylene is perfectly compatible with high pH. Chemically, nothing is better. Where did you read that it wasn’t?

 

[Miami Reef]

LDPE, low density polyethylene is perfectly compatible with high pH. Chemically, nothing is better. Where did you read that it wasn’t?

LDPE Chemical Compatibility Chart

www.calpaclab.com

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

LDPE Chemical Compatibility Chart

www.calpaclab.com

That is wrong. It makes no chemical sense and here’s the correct answer:

https://www.professionalplastics.com/professionalplastics/HDPE-LDPEChemicalResistanceChart.pdf

 

[Miami Reef]

That is wrong. It makes no chemical sense and here’s the correct answer:

https://www.professionalplastics.com/professionalplastics/HDPE-LDPEChemicalResistanceChart.pdf

Thanks, but the tubing says LLDPE, there’s an extra L. Is that the same thing?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Thanks, but the tubing says LLDPE, there’s an extra L. Is that the same thing?

All types of polyethylene are chemically inert to high pH solutions. The other L stands for linear low density polyethylene, and while it impacts physical strength and temperature capabilities, it has no impact on aqueous hydroxide stability.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Here’s one that calls out lldpe:

General Chemical Resistance Chart | U.S. Plastic

A guide for evaluating the suitability of our products with various chemical agents.

www.usplastic.com

It gets an A for concentrated sodium hydroxide.

 

[BoneDoc]

All types of polyethylene are chemically inert to high pH solutions. The other L stands for linear low density polyethylene, and while it impacts physical strength and temperature capabilities, it has no impact on aqueous hydroxide stability.

I assume RO tubing would work well too then ?