CARBONATE REEF 4 L

Reef Carbonate ™ 4L SEACHEM

- Increases carbonate alkalinity (KH)
- Concentrated (4000 meq / L)
- Made with a blend of carbonate and bicarbonate salts

Overview

Reef Carbonate ™ is a concentrated blend (4,000 meq / L) optimized with carbonate and bicarbonate salts designed to restore and maintain alkalinity in the reef aquarium. Calcium and carbonates are essential for all coral growth. If either becomes deficient, coral growth will cease, followed by a rapid decline in coral health. To prevent this, you need to provide carbonates (Reef Carbonate ™) and calcium (Reef Advantage Calcium ™ or Reef Complete®).

While competing products simply use sodium bicarbonate, Reef Carbonate ™ is made with a blend of carbonate and bicarbonate salts. This blend of salts gives Reef Carbonate ™ a yield of around 9.0 pK in saltwater (higher than competing products). In a closed reef system, the multitude of organic materials produced by reef inhabitants tends to lower the pH, but the advantage of the higher Reef Carbonate ™ pK is a stabilization of pH around 8.3-8.4. The formulations of competing products make them incapable of such a claim, so the pH will always fall below desirable levels for a reef aquarium.

When used as directed, Reef Carbonate ™ does not deplete calcium, magnesium, or strontium, which generally tend to precipitate with increasing alkalinity. Reef alkalinity should be maintained at 3–6 meq / L (8–17 dKH). Alkalinity should not drop below 2 meq / L.

Sizes: 100 ml, 250 ml, 500 ml, 2 L, 4 L

Instructions

Beginner

Use 1 cap (5 mL) per 80 L (20 US gallons) twice a week.

Better diluted in a cup of freshwater, then added.

Check alkalinity every 2 weeks and adjust quantity or frequency accordingly.

Advanced

Check alkalinity (use the MultiTest ™ Marine pH and Alkalinity to test alkalinity levels), then follow the addition pattern above until alkalinity is adjusted to 4–5 meq / L.

Each mL contains a minimum of 4 meq of alkalinity.

Each 5 mL / 80 L will increase alkalinity by approximately 0.25 meq / L.

The quantity or frequency can be adjusted, but do not exceed 20 mL / 80 L per day.

Then use as needed to maintain alkalinity.

Expert

After determining the alkalinity consumption rate, set up a continuous drip system.

Use the following formula (or skip the calculations and use our dosage calculator) to determine the amount to add to your top-off water: m = va / 4 (m = mL of product to add to top-off water, v = tank volume in liters, a = amount to increase alkalinity in meq / L).

For example, if you want to increase alkalinity by 1 meq / L in a 200-liter tank, you would add (200x1) / 4 = 50 mL into the top-off water.

[For reference: 1 gallon = 3.8 L].

Notes:

Better to pour gradually near strong water movement. Do not add to a sump or other slow water exchange area. Use MultiTest: ™ Marine pH & Alkalinity to measure total alkalinity or Reef Status ™ Magnesium, Carbonate & Borate to measure carbonate alkalinity.

DO NOT OVERDOSE: Excessive alkalinity may increase the loss of calcium, magnesium, and strontium. Do not mix directly with a calcium, magnesium, or strontium supplement. Ideally, calcium and carbonate additives should be added every other day or at least 30 minutes apart.

Considerations

Use MultiTest: ™ Marine pH & Alkalinity to measure total alkalinity or Reef Status ™ Magnesium, Carbonate & Borate to measure carbonate alkalinity.

Reef alkalinity should ideally be maintained at 3–6 meq / L (8–17 dKH). It is advised to make large adjustments slowly to avoid exceeding the intended level or shocking the corals and inverts. Each dose will increase alkalinity by approximately 0.25 meq / L.

FAQ

My bottle of Reef Carbonate™ has crystals at the bottom of the bottle. It was cold when I received the shipment. Should I be concerned? Do I need to wait for the crystals to dissolve before dosing in the aquarium?

The white crystals you see are normal for this product when exposed to cold temperatures. Once the product warms up, you should be able to shake the bottle and dissolve it again. If you have trouble dissolving the crystals, try heating some (warm) water on the stove and placing the bottle in the water for a few minutes before shaking.

What is the difference between Reef Carbonate™ and Reef Builder™?

Reef Builder™ is the powder version of Reef Carbonate™. They are mostly identical products. There is a slightly different mix of salts used to make Reef Carbonate™ compared to the salts used in Reef Builder™. We do this to make Reef Carbonate™ (liquid) as concentrated as possible. The end result is the same regardless of which product you choose.

Do I need to turn off my canister filter and protein skimmer when adding Reef Carbonate™?

No, Reef Carbonate™ will not be impacted by a canister or protein skimmer. It is perfectly acceptable to leave this equipment running while dosing this supplement.