Review: Aquaz Hydro Alkalinity Premium

[KaLiB]

Here's some information about the mentioned product for those who aren't sure what it is:
http://www.aquaz.org/hydro_pre_alk.htm

Tank volume: Approx. 567litres, Sump+Maintank Volume
Dosage instructions: 1capful(5ml) per 50litres of water
Amount to dose: 11.34 capfuls(56.7ml) required for the volume of water, so decided to round down to 11capfuls(55ml) for convenience.

Since i didn't know how much kH the product raises if i were to add the 55ml at one shot, i decided to add it in 3 batches(20ml, 20ml, 15ml) to be on the safe side. All 3 batches were added one after another on the same day. Each batch was added approximately 1-2minutes apart.

As instructed, the supplement was poured into a high flow area.

All kH readings are measured using Interpet kH testkit and volume measured using JBL test tube.

1st batch
Amount added: 20ml
kH before adding: 7(Measured using Interpet kH testkit)
kH after adding: 8

2nd batch
Amount added: 20ml
kH before adding: 8
kH after adding: 8

3rd batch
Amount added: 15ml
kH before adding: 8
kH after adding: 8

Conclusion:
Dosing 55ml in 3 batches that were added approximately 1-2minutes apart from each other will raise kH by 1.

If using the cap to measure amount dosed, if you fill it to the brim, it is equivalent to 10ml, not 5ml. This was measured using a test tube with markings for liquid volume.

Note: 4 days prior to use of product, Baking soda was added to raise tank kH. At time of dosing, no other additives were added together and in the 4 days prior to use of product, no other additives were used as well.

There will be a follow up on Tuesday, this time i will dose 55ml at 1 go.

[monsterz1975]

every day i dose KH buffer for my tank but it still mantain there cannot go up , so when i dise seachem reef builder my KH and PH will drop so now stop using seachem but use ocean free.

[bawater]

my volume is just above yours -ard 600ltr.
these volumes are too big to use liquid additives- its more economical if you use the powder version for big volumes. These liquids are for ease of use and for small tanks like 2ft or nano reefs. This applies to all brands.
I emptied a whole bottle of seachem liquid buffer in a day just to get a 1 or 2 rise in levels. Lazy i may be but rich i am not.

You can dose again, and it will raise by 1 again (not recommended to raise more than 1 a day)- but you will also need to know your magnesium and calcium levels to see how high your dkh can go. (and you can raise them one by one quite accurately)

My tank can swallow up a bottle of DT or a bottle of additive a week.
i use the Aquaz calcium premium(which is about as pure as you can get for a calcium chloride) to supplement my Kalk dosage and have the alk premium (powder form) as stanby to balance up the parameters if needed. These main parameters are the key ingredients for cacifying corals and are sucked up daily. (how fast depends on the corals you have)
At least it takes me a month or 2 to use up a tub of additive/buffer.
And since kalk is cheap, don't really matter how fast i use that hee hee(abt 4-5 kg a yr).
Strontium i guess can use liquid since its only needed in low levels.

my 2 cents.

[KaLiB]

Yup,i agree, not really practical for huge setups where you can empty 1 whole bottle in a few uses(slightly less than 5 uses in my case).

Since i got this bottle as a gift, so decided to try it out instead of using the usual baking soda to raise kH to see how it fares.

[woonming]

Using poor grade of baking soda may lead to high impurities and old tank syndrome.


Yup,i agree, not really practical for huge setups where you can empty 1 whole bottle in a few uses(slightly less than 5 uses in my case).

Since i got this bottle as a gift, so decided to try it out instead of using the usual baking soda to raise kH to see how it fares.

[KaLiB]

Using poor grade of baking soda may lead to high impurities and old tank syndrome.

I'm using food grade baking soda, is that alright? :confused:

Got the Arm&Hammer brand since people on Reefcentral.com use it also.

[KaLiB]

Dosed 55ml at one shot today.
kH before adding: 7
kH after adding: 8

Conclusion:
Dosing according to the recommended amount will only raise kH by 1 in my system.

Like what bro bawater has mentioned, it won't be practical for large systems which can literally consume 1 bottle a week as compared to powders which can last longer.

In just 2 dosings, i have already finished almost half a bottle. Which means if i keep this up, my tank consumes 1 bottle every week at the present rate which kH is falling.

[woonming]

It is just different school of teaching, as it is known that food grade chemicals is known to contain high impurities, which may lead to "OTS" but then again it is not proven to all.

I feel that a non china made brand of Kh buffer in this case right now is not too much of price tag different from "food grade"..Due to the current market price dropping.

Hope this helps.


I'm using food grade baking soda, is that alright? :confused:

Got the Arm&Hammer brand since people on Reefcentral.com use it also.

[KaLiB]

It is just different school of teaching, as it is known that food grade chemicals is known to contain high impurities, which may lead to "OTS" but then again it is not proven to all.


I did read a little on old tank syndrome, whereby stuff will slowly accumulate in the aquarium water over long periods of time if nothing is done to export them and eventually cause water parameters to go haywire and the system to crash. Example: Food you feed would remain in the tank and become building blocks in the fish's body or Nitrates will slowly accumulating if nothing is done to export or break it down.

If thats the case, i think anything we put into the tank can result in old tank syndrome overtime too, not just baking soda. Its just a matter of time.

[woonming]

It is more of heavy metals, if you can get a chemical COA and see what is in them you will understand :P

Not so much of decay food.

:P

I did read a little on old tank syndrome, whereby stuff will slowly accumulate in the aquarium water over long periods of time if nothing is done to export them and eventually cause water parameters to go haywire and the system to crash. Example: Food you feed would remain in the tank and become building blocks in the fish's body or Nitrates will slowly accumulating if nothing is done to export or break it down.

If thats the case, i think anything we put into the tank can result in old tank syndrome overtime too, not just baking soda. Its just a matter of time.

[KaLiB]

I was refering to the stuff that gets into the water along with addition of anything.

I get what you mean here, if i use normal baking soda i may risk introducing more impurites as compared to using aquarium supplements. Right?