Increasing pH

[cb684]

I am fighting dinoflagellates for about a month now. Lights out (for 60 hours) helped but my corals did not like. Hydrogen peroxide slowed it down, but still growing. Now I was thinking to increase the pH. How do I calculate how much saturated kalkwasser I will ned to increase the pH by 0.2 (I was thinking to increase 0.2 / day up to 8.6)? I also understand that for each 1 mL of saturated kalkwasser I add I need to decrease by 20 uL each of my 2 part dosing to keep the same Alkalinity and Calcium concentration. Is that correct?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

My guess is that you'll be hard pressed to get the pH high enough by replacing all evaporated water with saturated limewater. It will rise substantially when first added, but then drops back as the tank pulls in CO2 from the air. So a few hours later, it is close to where it was unless the addition was quite large.

Adding 1.25% of the tank volume in saturated limewater will instantly boost the pH by about 0.6 pH units (more or less, depending on the actual alkalinity). That will also boost alkalinity by 0.5 meq/L (1.4 dKH).

What two part are you using?

 

[cb684]

Thanks Randy.

 

[cb684]

I am using BRS salts, and I understand that that is similar to your 2 part recipe, right?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I am using BRS salts, and I understand that that is similar to your 2 part recipe, right?

Yes.

Limewater is 46 times less potent, so if you add 1 L (1000 mL) of limewater, then reduce the two part by 1000/46 = 21.5 mL.