Alk and ph relationship to calcium?

[swiss1939]

Ive seen you mention in other posts that a 1dkh raise in alk equals about 7ppm raise in calcium.

I'm wondering if ph also plays into this? I've just started dosing my system to follow the dsr ez method about 6 days ago. Currently only dosing the ph/alk buffer and the carbon solution. Day 1 i tested my system at 7.3 dkh, 454ppm calcium and 8.1ph.

I dosed the alk/ph ez-buffer for 6 days, which i assume is just kalk or probably two part alk solution since you don't have to stir it,, trying to bring it up to 8.4dkh. today i tested everything again after all doses made i am at 7.9dkh and 8.2ph, assuming my results are off from deviations of total volume calculation and not knowing my daily consumption yet.

But now my calcium has raised to 466ppm without dosing any calcium or trace elements. With your estimation, i should be at 458ppm for calcium as a result of raising the alk through dosing. Is there something else like the extra 0.1ph raised that would also increase calcium without dosing? Or is this just within the range of accuracy for the hanna calcium checker? I'm assuming I'm slightly inaccurate with the digital checker because there is always the slightest amount of pigment dust that doesn't quite make it into the vial from the part b packet.

 

[dwest]

I don’t use the checker for calcium. I haven’t heard great stories about the calcium checker. I do like their alkalinity, ULR phosphorous, and high range copper checkers. But I would be surprised if the precision of the calcium checker was better than 20 ppm. So those numbers are the same in my book.

Also, I would try to understand that product. Is it an alkalinity booster or a 2 part or something else???

I don’t believe there is a relation between calcium and pH.

 

[swiss1939]

I don’t use the checker for calcium. I haven’t heard great stories about the calcium checker. I do like their alkalinity, ULR phosphorous, and high range copper checkers. But I would be surprised if the precision of the calcium checker was better than 20 ppm. So those numbers are the same in my book.

Also, I would try to understand that product. Is it an alkalinity booster or a 2 part or something else???

I don’t believe there is a relation between calcium and pH.

That's what I figured.. Hanna calcium checker is close enough around 25ppm and don't expect it to be any more accurate.

The EZ-Buffer is an Alk and pH buffer. Not sure what it is, but assuming its repackaged standard alk buffer stuff. The EZ-Carbon is basically just vinegar/sugar mixed with iron citrate. So I've gathered that DSR is essentially a system combining all of the various DIY dosing solutions to control all parameters.. but he's done the leg work of testing to create a simple instruction set with calculator so people like me don't have to go researching every individual diy dosing solution and test it out myself to figure out what works. Then the DSR EZ system is even further simplified.. combining multiple of the "DSR" solutions together into one with safe ratios so that you only have 4 solutions to dose instead of 8-12, because EZ-Carbon is a combination of the vinegar/sugar solution (CarbonVS.. get it.. V.S.) from DSR system, with the Phosphate controlling Iron solution (Fe+) from DSR, which I gather is just water with iron citrate.

The EZ-Buffer container ingredients I don't recognize. I don't have the bottles on hand, but I believe the ingredients are something like E500, E501 mixed with water. Assume those are some industrial terms for specific chemicals.

 

[swiss1939]

Here you go.. looked it up online to figure out what E numbers were... and they are just EU system for food additive solutions/compounds.

E number - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

E500	Sodium carbonates: (i) Sodium carbonate (ii) Sodium bicarbonate (Sodium hydrogen carbonate) (iii) Sodium sesquicarbonate (acidity regulator)	raising agent	Approved in the EU.[20]
E501	Potassium carbonates: (i) Potassium carbonate (ii) Potassium bicarbonate (Potassium hydrogen carbonate)	acidity regulator	Approved in the EU.[20]

I'll have to check when I get home exactly which numbers are listed on the bottle.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Ive seen you mention in other posts that a 1dkh raise in alk equals about 7ppm raise in calcium.

I'm wondering if ph also plays into this? I've just started dosing my system to follow the dsr ez method about 6 days ago. Currently only dosing the ph/alk buffer and the carbon solution. Day 1 i tested my system at 7.3 dkh, 454ppm calcium and 8.1ph.

I dosed the alk/ph ez-buffer for 6 days, which i assume is just kalk or probably two part alk solution since you don't have to stir it,, trying to bring it up to 8.4dkh. today i tested everything again after all doses made i am at 7.9dkh and 8.2ph, assuming my results are off from deviations of total volume calculation and not knowing my daily consumption yet.

But now my calcium has raised to 466ppm without dosing any calcium or trace elements. With your estimation, i should be at 458ppm for calcium as a result of raising the alk through dosing. Is there something else like the extra 0.1ph raised that would also increase calcium without dosing? Or is this just within the range of accuracy for the hanna calcium checker? I'm assuming I'm slightly inaccurate with the digital checker because there is always the slightest amount of pigment dust that doesn't quite make it into the vial from the part b packet.

That is just the ratio of calcium to carbonate (alkalinity) in calcium carbonate (skeletons, abiotic precipitation, etc.).

So that ratio only applies when adding them in that ratio, or removing them in that ratio, as by skeleton formation.

pH does not impact the ratio, but can raise or lower the demand for both.

Nothing you did would raise calcium. The 12 ppm rise is small and is likely test error.

 

[swiss1939]

That is just the ratio of calcium to carbonate (alkalinity) in calcium carbonate (skeletons, abiotic precipitation, etc.).

So that ratio only applies when adding them in that ratio, or removing them in that ratio, as by skeleton formation.

pH does not impact the ratio, but can raise or lower the demand for both.

Nothing you did would raise calcium. The 12 ppm rise is small and is likely test error.

Thanks for the simple layman's answer! I will use my hanna calcium checker to see and understand overall movement trends and not for a detailed accurate number.

 

[swiss1939]

EZ-Buffer ingredients are E500(i) Sodium Carbonate and E500(ii) Sodium Hydrogen Carbonate.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Yes, I had seen the description that before responding.