Reef Builder 600g**

Reef Builder raises carbonate alkalinity without immediately impacting on pH. With long term use there will be a tendency to stabilize at pH 8.3. Carbonates and calcium are essential to all coral growth. If either becomes deficient, coral growth will cease, followed by a rapid decline in coral health. Used as directed, Reef Builder will not deplete calcium, magnesium, or strontium which usually tend to precipitate with increasing alkalinity. Reef Builder and Reef Buffer may be used together. Use Reef Builder to raise carbonate alkalinity without affecting pH. Use Reef Buffer to raise carbonate alkalinity and pH.

500 g treats 32,000 L (8,000 gallons).

DIRECTIONS:

BEGINNER: Use half a level teaspoon per 150 L (40 gallons) twice a week. Dissolve in at least one cup of freshwater. Check alkalinity every 2 weeks and adjust dose or frequency accordingly.

ADVANCED: Check alkalinity, then follow dosing regimen above until alkalinity is adjusted to 4-5 meq/L. Each dose will raise alkalinity by about 0.25 meq/L. Size or frequency of dose can be adjusted, but do not exceed 1 meq/L per day. Thereafter, use as required to maintain alkalinity.

EXPERT: After determining the alkalinity consumption rate, set up a continuous drip system. Use the following formula to determine how much to add to your top-off water: t=0.05va (t=teaspoons to add to top off water, v=volume of tank in gallons, a=amount to raise alkalinity in meq/L). For example, if you want to raise your alkalinity by 1 meq/L in a 50 gallon tank, then you would add 0.05x50x1=2.5 teaspoons into the top-off water.

FAQ from Seachem
Q:When I dissolve Reef Builder at the prescribed 4 tsp per gallon in R.O. water the resulting solution is cloudy and does not clear upon standing. Also sometimes I find some of the material is very stubborn to dissolve. Is this normal?

A: When dissolving at the prescribed concentrations, it is normal for the solution to be somewhat cloudy. Add the Reef Builder to your RO water, and stir it for a few minutes or let it stand about 10 minutes, then add it to your tank and it will dissolve rapidly at this point. Predissolving the Reef Builder is recommended mainly as a more gentle delivery method (as opposed to just putting the dry product directly in the tank!) not as something you would dose with (in which case you would want it all dissolved). It is also normal for small amounts of the material to not be dissolved if you let the RO or DI water and Reef Builder solution sit overnight; small amounts of calcium carbonate can form sometimes within the bottle, and it is this material (chalk) which is very insoluble. It will eventually dissolve in the tank however since the amounts are very small and the volume of the tank is many times greater than the 1 gallon of RO or DI water.