Alk mixing problems

[jason604]

I mix my alk in a 2L bottle by floating it in a boiling pot and using a mini hand held egg beater kind of thing. But i can never seem to fully mix it. By the next day its already deposited in the bottom. Am i supposed to shake the bottle daily ? I use an auto doser

[gregzz4]

What powder and how much are you using ?

[freezetyle]

I mix my alk in a 2L bottle by floating it in a boiling pot and using a mini hand held egg beater kind of thing. But i can never seem to fully mix it. By the next day its already deposited in the bottom. Am i supposed to shake the bottle daily ? I use an auto doser

you probably have it fully saturated, when it cools some of the all comes out of solution. using the balling recipe you only put 500g in 4 litres of water and i believe you still get some precipitate/un-dissolvedsolids

[reefme]

If it is a baking soda you need to bake it at 350F for two hours in the oven then mix it.

[MMAX]

I used to have the same problem, your water is fully saturated. Just add more water or don't add as much powder next time you mix up a batch.

[gregzz4]

If it is a baking soda you need to bake it at 350F for two hours in the oven then mix it.
300F for 1 hour is enough ... save some pennies

[mark]

I'll mix my solutions in a ice pail using a immersion (stick) blender and still get some solids. I'll pour the solutions into jugs and little left in the bottom of pail gets tossed.

If it is a baking soda you need to bake it at 350F for two hours in the oven then mix it.

can use without heating first (recipe #2 (http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/rhf/#11)). If baking first, it's 1hr @300°.

[Craigdillman]

Cooking up some meth are we.... nope i swear its fish tank dosing.....

[hillegom]

Cooking up some meth are we.... nope i swear its fish tank dosing.....

lol

[jason604]

Cooking up some meth are we.... nope i swear its fish tank dosing.....

lol

anyways i use 5 teaspoon of seachem reef builder. I got a few more corals lately and they been sucking my alk out like crazy so i increase the amount from 4 teaspoon to 5. I dont dump out the bottom muck each time i make more i just add to it.

[randallino]

I fine that Seachem reefbuilder doesn't mix well even in less concentrated solutions like 10ml - 1L water. I manually dose.

[gregzz4]

anyways i use 5 teaspoon of seachem reef builder. I got a few more corals lately and they been sucking my alk out like crazy so i increase the amount from 4 teaspoon to 5. I dont dump out the bottom muck each time i make more i just add to it.
This is why I asked you in the first place what you are using
I was using Seachem Reef Builder and had to use 8 TBSP per 2L every month or so
I found it would not fully dissolve so I made stirring equipment

I don't worry about it anymore now that I use Randy's 2-Part stuff
It dissolves fully and is about 20% the cost

[jason604]

This is why I asked you in the first place what you are using
I was using Seachem Reef Builder and had to use 8 TBSP per 2L every month or so
I found it would not fully dissolve so I made stirring equipment

I don't worry about it anymore now that I use Randy's 2-Part stuff
It dissolves fully and is about 20% the cost

How did u get 2L to last a whole month! It lasts me less than a week. U must dose a very teeny tiny amount. I bought the seachem when I was still a totally new this hobby. I bought some sodium carbonate from Kelly a while back but was planning to finish the seachem first before I use it. Plus I'll have to adjust the whole amt again n I'm so lazy unless they raise the same lvl of alk with the same amt?.

[denny_C]

How did u get 2L to last a whole month! It lasts me less than a week. U must dose a very teeny tiny amount. I bought the seachem when I was still a totally new this hobby. I bought some sodium carbonate from Kelly a while back but was planning to finish the seachem first before I use it. Plus I'll have to adjust the whole amt again n I'm so lazy unless they raise the same lvl of alk with the same amt?.

no they wont , reefbuilder uses alot less than bulk carbonate and is alot stronger, but also costs alot more.

[gregzz4]

I was dosing just over 100ml per day
With the baked baking soda I am down to less than 80ml per day already so I am finding the bulk stuff is stronger than the packaged stuff