Help with pH control through kalk on Apex

[BornHandy]

I have just added a dosing pump to the Apex, and want to set up automatic dosing to keep pH high, but I am not sure how the Apex will behave. I have set it to dose if the pH is below 8.1, and to stop dosing at 8.25 - just as a test run.

The problem is, the Apex is reading ph from the ph probe (as it should), and I am also getting a reading from the pH/ORP probe connection, even though no probe is connected.

I assume it ignores the pH/ORP port, and bases the operation off of the dedicated pH port, but I want to make sure.

Any takers on this one?

Apex classic is the model I have, and I attached a couple of screen shots below.

 

[HotRocks]

#reefsquad, any apex gurus that can help here?

 

[Chad3407]

Just remember if your dosing kalk for pH it will also raise alkalinity. And it may take a lot of kslk to get pH where you want it and it may in turn raise alkalinity way too high. Most use kalk to rsise ALK and calcium a small bump in pH is a side affect.

 

[Brew12]

I have just added a dosing pump to the Apex, and want to set up automatic dosing to keep pH high, but I am not sure how the Apex will behave. I have set it to dose if the pH is below 8.1, and to stop dosing at 8.25 - just as a test run.

The problem is, the Apex is reading ph from the ph probe (as it should), and I am also getting a reading from the pH/ORP probe connection, even though no probe is connected.

I assume it ignores the pH/ORP port, and bases the operation off of the dedicated pH port, but I want to make sure.

Any takers on this one?

Apex classic is the model I have, and I attached a couple of screen shots below.

I am going to recommend against trying to control pH via Kalk dosing.

Unless you have very high alk demand, you will likely drive your alk too high trying to do this. I would recommend figuring out how much fully saturated kalkwasser your tank needs each day and set it for many small doses during your low pH periods.

Alkalinity is much more important to keep constant than pH imo.

 

[ihavecrabs]

A couple suggestions..

Agree completely with @Chad3407 here that you should not dose for pH.. Dose for Alkalinity, but get your pH boost at the time you need it most by dosing during the times the lights are not on.

Do you have two pH probes? If not, only reference the one that has the probe. If dosing Kalk, the only recommended pH programming would be shutting off dosing and sending alert if the pH gets too high (to precent an alkalinty spike) and only an alert when it gets too low (run out of kalk, something died, etc)

 

[ca1ore]

I think it is generally unwise to trigger/control anything based on probe values (heating excepted) unless you use redundant probes ...... even than I still wouldn't do it. Trigger alerts, but leave the actions to an OI.