Elevated PH, Elevated consumption. How much?

[Shinister]

Not what I was expecting... but if it's dropping while you aren't doing any additions, something is using it.

What do you think your actual water volume is?

So it couldn’t be precipitation?

 

[hart24601]

Thanks.
Hopefully I really don’t have to dose 200+ ml of alk. Dosing that much in a span of 12 hours will probably raise my ph too much

You nailed it. I love Randy's new 2 part, but it does seem to be more susceptible for precipitation because it does raise the pH so much. Even if that isn't the case with your tank it sure was with mine, once it starts which you might not notice right away you increase the dose more and more which really raises the pH with hydroxide and that pH increase makes the precipitation even worse.

 

[Shinister]

It’s hard to get a clean shot but this the heater. Not precipitation

 

[Brew12]

I believe it’s 120 total volume. When I plug that in to the reef chem calculator to raise values, 120 is pretty accurate.

Sounds reasonable.

So it couldn’t be precipitation?

It could be, it's just less likely. I need to give this more thought.

 

[Shinister]

You nailed it. I love Randy's new 2 part, but it does seem to be more susceptible for precipitation because it does raise the pH so much. Even if that isn't the case with your tank it sure was with mine, once it starts which you might not notice right away you increase the dose more and more which really raises the pH with hydroxide and that pH increase makes the precipitation even worse.

Are you dosing a lot?

 

[Billldg]

I have a 120 gal tank with a 30 gal sump and my actual water volume is around 110 gals.

 

[Shinister]

Sounds reasonable.


It could be, it's just less likely. I need to give this more thought.

Thank you for the help. And everyone contributing as well. This reefing business is tough!

 

[Shinister]

I have a 120 gal tank with a 30 gal sump and my actual water volume is around 110 gals.

That could be my volume as well. I just go by the calculator and at 120 I get very predictable numbers

 

[Billldg]

K, here is what we know, the BRS study was done at a 8.3 ph with an increase of 50 percent in alk and cal usage, now the question is what will a ph of 8.5 raise the consumption to?

Or will it just cause it to precipitate?

Low Mag will cause alk precipitation, but mag was tested at 1400.

High ph can cause kalk to precipitate as I found out when my sand started to turn to rock.

What else do we know?

 

[Brew12]

What is your calcium at now?

 

[Shinister]

K, here is what we know, the BRS study was done at a 8.3 ph with an increase of 50 percent in alk and cal usage, now the question is what will a ph of 8.5 raise the consumption to?

I’ve been trying to find out how much they were dosing but counldnt find the info. Also they do have nice size colonies so it’s not a good comparison

 

[hart24601]

Are you dosing a lot?

I was dosing a lot until I let alk settle down for a few days without dosing, but I started higher around 9dkh. I really didn't see a whole lot of precipitation, I think it was going on the rock.

 

[Shinister]

I was dosing a lot until I let alk settle down for a few days without dosing, but I started higher around 9dkh. I really didn't see a whole lot of precipitation, I think it was going on the rock.

You know....I thought about that. Didn’t read that anywhere. Funny you mention it.

 

[Shinister]

What is your calcium at now?

Will get that in just a few.

 

[Shinister]

Calcium at 420 ppm

 

[Brew12]

Calcium at 420 ppm

And it started at 430ppm, correct? Which seems to track along with a 1dKH drop.

Are you seeing a few inches of total growth per week on the frags?

 

[Shinister]

My calcium was at 460 after a water change on Saturday. Reef crystals apparently has high calcium. So it went down 40 ppm in just 2 days

 

[Shinister]

And it started at 430ppm, correct? Which seems to track along with a 1dKH drop.

Are you seeing a few inches of total growth per week on the frags?

Growth is visible. Almost on a daily basis. Especially my green digi and starry night acro. But not a few inches a week.

 

[Billldg]

So wouldn't that equate to a 2 dkh drop daily? Still a lot, but not 4 dkh.

 

[Brew12]

My calcium was at 460 after a water change on Saturday. Reef crystals apparently has high calcium. So it went down 40 ppm in just 2 days

Have you done any alk or calc dosing since the water change?