Higher PH from Kalwasser dosing makes a difference!!

[BiggestE222]

I started dosing Kalwasser due to the apparent fact that you get healthier and faster growing corals when in the 8.2-8.5 PH level. So with my 200 liter tank I am currently dosing 30 ml of Kalwasser top off water per hour. Been doing it just 3 days. Tested this morning and PH has increased from 7.9 to 8.25. I have not tested this evening yet but the corals tell me plenty. Fast growth and more polyp extension than before.

 

[Aldrinlights]

Thats awesome! I just ran an air hose from my skimmer to the outside which I've been wanting to do for years and it truly did boost my Ph. I was getting 7-8 variable all the time but now its 8.4 and locked in.

 

[Dkmoo]

Welcome to the pH fanclub. I've been a firm believer that pH is just important if not more so than alk for coral health but conventional wisdom seems to be of the camp "dont worry about your pH as long as alk is good". Imo in home aquariums that's simply not true due to the above avg co2 concentrations in current homes.

 

[nukemdanno]

Long story short...5 people 3 dogs small house, closed up in winter. I was having huge PH issues being too low. I then routed the skimmer air intake outside...the wifey didn't dig that and bought me a CO2 scrubber. Ph has gone from low 7's to 8.5ish. Coral growth has taken off.

 

[BiggestE222]

Long story short...5 people 3 dogs small house, closed up in winter. I was having huge PH issues being too low. I then routed the skimmer air intake outside...the wifey didn't dig that and bought me a CO2 scrubber. Ph has gone from low 7's to 8.5ish. Coral growth has taken off.

There is popular belief that corals are simply struggling to survive when PH is too low. There are many that would disagree. I just see a difference. Polyp extension and growth rates have increased just a week after raising PH. That is all the evidence I need

 

[elorablue]

very interesting . My ph is stuck at 7.8 and my few Corals are surviving but certainly not thriving. My alk is steady at 8.8 Going to look into this. Thanks.

 

[nukemdanno]

There is popular belief that corals are simply struggling to survive when PH is too low. There are many that would disagree. I just see a difference. Polyp extension and growth rates have increased just a week after raising PH. That is all the evidence I need

I totally agree with you on this. I had pretty much zero growth rate over the winter while trying to address the PH issues.
Edit; Instead of the big three it should be the big four

 

[nereefpat]

OP, you are also testing for alk, correct?

 

[14 foot reef]

very interesting . My ph is stuck at 7.8 and my few Corals are surviving but certainly not thriving. My alk is steady at 8.8 Going to look into this. Thanks.

BRStv Investigates: Can high pH increase your coral growth rate?

Today on BRStv, we are back with more BRStv Investigates! In this series, we explore popular reefing theories, products, methods, and what the manuals are missing, with a focus on putting them to the test! Ryan is back with pH testing and how it can affect coral growth. There are many different...

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Try this....

 

[Alchameth]

You really should test your ALK and CA, those will shoot up big time... I recently put a Y on my kalk stirrer so half my ATO bypasses it because while my PH was 8.3 my CA was pushing 500 and my ALK would swing too much

 

[BiggestE222]

OP, you are also testing for alk, correct?

Yes. I keep it a little high. Because my calcium and alkalinity can drop quicker not I keep it between 10-11. I am replacing all for reef for 2 part as the SPS corals are sucking up calcium at a much faster rate. I just used Kalwasser over the weekend and my calcium dropped from 420 to 340 in 2.5 days

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

FWIW, those wanting the pH boost without the complications of a limited solubility product like calcium hydroxide can use a very high pH two part:

Second New DIY Two Part Recipe with Higher pH Boost

In a previous thread, I posted a true two part DIY recipe: https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/new-diy-two-part-recipes-with-higher-ph-boost.344500/ But some folks may want to just swap the new ingredient into my 2/3 part recipe (as used by BRS, for example). Here's the original recipe link...

www.reef2reef.com

New DIY Two Part Recipes with Higher pH Boost

Here's a first crack at what may end up being multiple possible recipes for a DIY two part that either has a higher pH or can be made more concentrated than traditional two part recipes. This one has about twice the pH raising effect compared to a carbonate based two part, per unit of...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[nereefpat]

Yes. I keep it a little high. Because my calcium and alkalinity can drop quicker not I keep it between 10-11. I am replacing all for reef for 2 part as the SPS corals are sucking up calcium at a much faster rate. I just used Kalwasser over the weekend and my calcium dropped from 420 to 340 in 2.5 days

It's possible that some of the 420-340 is testing noise. That would equate to about 11.5 dKH of alk use, and even more since you were dosing with kalk at the time.

 

[BiggestE222]

I thought so. I also went to my guy at the LFS. He knows his stuff and he tested my Cal and his tests showed 320. He had tested it about 3 days earlier and showed 400. He also tested the ALK at 12.5. Today after dosing about 20 ml of Calcium for the last 3 days from the Brightwell 2 part I tested about 440 calcium. 12.5 ALK. PH 8.3. I have been keeping the patio door open every day and dosing about 900 ML of Kalk. I lose an equivalent amount to evaporation. I have taken the osmolator offline and just fusing the dosed Kalwasser for top off. Kinda dialed in. Doing 15% water changes per week. No hair algae. Good SPS growth. Patches of coral one algae growing. I’m doing good for a slightly less than 3 month opd tank old tank