Does anyone elses ALK turn brown?

[RW09903]

All,

 

I recently noticed that as I get closer to the bottom of my ALK mixture, the liquid has a slight clear brown coloration to it. I would have taken a pic but I tossed it out with about 50-100ml remaining. Does anyone else notice this with using the BRS 2part?

 

Thanks,

Ron

[AlanM]

never noticed that before in mine.  Weird.

[DCReefer1964]

Only when you cook it like crack.     

[RW09903]

Only when you cook it like crack.

Haha Haywood.

[gmerek2]

I use baking soda. Probably the same thing BRS uses but its clear when I'm finishing up. Somehow I do manage to get dirt in it and see some in bottom of bucket. I think the tube drags the ground and picks stuff up during refill.

[RW09903]

I use baking soda. Probably the same thing BRS uses but its clear when I'm finishing up. Somehow I do manage to get dirt in it and see some in bottom of bucket. I think the tube drags the ground and picks stuff up during refill.

 

I notice debris in after mixing on occasion. I wish I took a pic of the solution near the end of the bottle. Just checking to see if anyone else had this issue also and if it affected performance of the solution.

[mogurnda]

Just looked into my jug, and it's clear.  Used Arm&Hammer this time, though, not BRS.  Maybe the food grade stuff can't have impurities.  I can't imagine it having much effect.

[AlanM]

I know they're supposed to be the same effect, but I like dosing sodium carbonate instead of sodium bicarbonate.  I imagine that my corals do better and the pH is a little higher.  Also it's easier for me to get the carbonate to dissolve in DI water than it is to get the bicarbonate.  Do people dose bicarbonate because you can buy it at a grocery store instead of from a reef store?

[mogurnda]

I know they're supposed to be the same effect, but I like dosing sodium carbonate instead of sodium bicarbonate.  I imagine that my corals do better and the pH is a little higher.  Also it's easier for me to get the carbonate to dissolve in DI water than it is to get the bicarbonate.  Do people dose bicarbonate because you can buy it at a grocery store instead of from a reef store?

Bicarbonate is cheap, and my pH is high enough already (8.3 to 8.4), so I do not want it to go any higher.  This is for the macroalgae tanks, which consume CO2 and carbonate pretty rapidly (use a Ca reactor on the reef).  I used Arm&Hammer for the last batch because that's what was sitting around.  

[nextlevel808]

Lol it's that dirty PG county water. No I know you use RoDi just joking.

[RW09903]

Lol it's that dirty PG county water. No I know you use RoDi just joking.

 

haah, Too bad the RODI comes from the MoCo water systems.