Kalk raising Alk to much

WVReefJunkie · Jan 13, 2018

I was two part dosing about everyday, so I decided to put Kalk reactor back online. The problem is that the Kalk is raising my Alk levels higher than what I want to keep. I thought Kalk was supposed to help with maintaining your levels? I was at 9 dkh and my reactor has took it to 10.3 dkh. I took the reactor offline this morning to bring the levels back down. I don't like this swing in dkh, any ideas go address this issue? Thanks.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jan 13, 2018

WVReefJunkie said:
I I thought Kalk was supposed to help with maintaining your levels?

lol

Limewater (kalkwasser) adds calcium and alkalinity, and if you add more than the demand, it will rise. The only tiny nugget of truth in the statement is that if pH rises, demand may also rise.

One reason I do not like limewater reactors is that it is hard to control the dose (unlike a settled reservoir). But stirring less often would allow you to dose less.

WVReefJunkie · Jan 13, 2018

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
lol

Limewater (kalkwasser) adds calcium and alkalinity, and if you add more than the demand, it will rise. The only tiny nugget of truth in the statement is that if pH rises, demand may also rise.

One reason I do not like limewater reactors is that it is hard to control the dose (unlike a settled reservoir). But stirring less often would allow you to dose less.

I was stirring fifteen minutes every hour, I took the reactor offline temporary and set the apex to stir three minutes every hour. Thanks Randy

Danny Venditti · Jan 13, 2018

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
lol

Limewater (kalkwasser) adds calcium and alkalinity, and if you add more than the demand, it will rise. The only tiny nugget of truth in the statement is that if pH rises, demand may also rise.

One reason I do not like limewater reactors is that it is hard to control the dose (unlike a settled reservoir). But stirring less often would allow you to dose less.

So Randy, I am having sort of the same issue. Could use a bit of advice.

Current set up: Reefer 350 with 27 gal frag tank (hard plumbed to the same sump)
I am dosing Aquaforest 1,2,3 about 50 ml twice a day (once just before daylights and once just after all lights go off)
I am running a Co2 scrubber on my skimmer & a chaeto reactor.

Apex shows:
ORP between 339 & 373
Conductivity is 32.4 - 33.3
PH max is 8.14 and drops to about 7.88 at night. This is my issue
Current test as of this morning:
ALK (Hanna)- 7.9
MG- 1260
CA-440

what is your take?
increase the dose a bit or something else?

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jan 13, 2018

Danny Venditti said:
So Randy, I am having sort of the same issue. Could use a bit of advice.

Current set up: Reefer 350 with 27 gal frag tank (hard plumbed to the same sump)
I am dosing Aquaforest 1,2,3 about 50 ml twice a day (once just before daylights and once just after all lights go off)
I am running a Co2 scrubber on my skimmer & a chaeto reactor.

Apex shows:
ORP between 339 & 373
Conductivity is 32.4 - 33.3
PH max is 8.14 and drops to about 7.88 at night. This is my issue
Current test as of this morning:
ALK (Hanna)- 7.9
MG- 1260
CA-440

what is your take?
increase the dose a bit or something else?

The Aquaforest systems uses the least possible pH raising way to boost alkalinity: sodium bicarbonate.

Switching to a sodium carbonate method (some DIY two parts, regular ESV B-ionic, and most commercial two parts), or a hydroxide method (DIY two part, or limewater) willr esult in a higher pH.

Danny Venditti · Jan 13, 2018

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
The Aquaforest systems uses the least possible pH raising way to boost alkalinity: sodium bicarbonate.

Switching to a sodium carbonate method (some DIY two parts, regular ESV B-ionic, and most commercial two parts), or a hydroxide method (DIY two part, or limewater) willr esult in a higher pH.

Thanks I was thinking of just a 1/4 dose of Kalk through T/O and increase from there to see but I wasn't to check with the Chem-expert first lol. I get nervous with dosing additional things because of unintended consequences.

Danny Venditti · Jan 13, 2018

I added 1 tsp to my ATO. now watching the apex PH graph like a HAWK!!!!!;Watching

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jan 13, 2018

Let us know what you find.

Danny Venditti · Jan 13, 2018

I am going to switch to the Aquaforest dry DIY mix after this batch of 1,2,3 is gone with only a 1/2 dose of the components strong (advice from a friend with very successful tanks) to the mix to prevent buildup of certain trace elements. While I think the Aquaforest is good I think certain trace elements tend to build up over time. especially the heavy metals. I have also been thinking of going to ESV salt 4 part mix but its just so hard to get sometimes.

Danny Venditti · Jan 13, 2018

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
Let us know what you find.

so the immediate answer is
Yesterday at 4:30pm PH was at 8.09
Today at the same time 8.17

need to monitor it over several day to really see the benefit though. so far so good.

Danny Venditti · Jan 16, 2018

Randy,
Thought's?
I just got this this morning. sample was taken on the 3rd.
I can not figure out the Tin reference, there is none in the RODI and I have checked everything in the tank nothing metal.

http://lab.atiaquaristik.com/share/3316e4ab606868125704

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jan 16, 2018

The salinity is very low! Bear in mind their recommendations seem corrected for salinity, which is not at all easy for most people to interpret.

Raising it will greatly help many issues, such as low potassium.

Are you adding trace element supplements? They seem high (copper, zinc, tin). Might be from a metal part in the water. Tin might also be from some types of PVC.

Danny Venditti · Jan 16, 2018

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
The salinity is very low! Bear in mind their recommendations seem corrected for salinity, which is not at all easy for most people to interpret.

Raising it will greatly help many issues, such as low potassium.

Are you adding trace element supplements? They seem high (copper, zinc, tin). Might be from a metal part in the water. Tin might also be from some types of PVC.

ok this is what I don't get.
Apex shows Conductivity at 31.4- 32.7 range throughout a 24 hour period ( I get that doesn't translate completely to salinity) and I also back that up with my refractometer which reads at 1.025. I checked the calibration also.

I am using Aquaforest 1,2,3 & mostly food grade PVC with the exception of my frag tank. that being said I had that issue before I used any of that or installed the PVC. I was using the stock parts from the reefer along with flex tubing until a few weeks ago.

Danny Venditti · Jan 16, 2018

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
The salinity is very low! Bear in mind their recommendations seem corrected for salinity, which is not at all easy for most people to interpret.

Raising it will greatly help many issues, such as low potassium.

Are you adding trace element supplements? They seem high (copper, zinc, tin). Might be from a metal part in the water. Tin might also be from some types of PVC.

I checked everywhere for metal in the water. I tore the whole tank apart about 2 months ago and also put a poly pad to try to remove it. RODI test shows 0.

Nothing else goes into the tank except food for fish which I am using Rods.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jan 16, 2018

Danny Venditti said:
ok this is what I don't get.
Apex shows Conductivity at 31.4- 32.7 range throughout a 24 hour period ( I get that doesn't translate completely to salinity) and I also back that up with my refractometer which reads at 1.025. I checked the calibration also.

I am using Aquaforest 1,2,3 & mostly food grade PVC with the exception of my frag tank. that being said I had that issue before I used any of that or installed the PVC. I was using the stock parts from the reefer along with flex tubing until a few weeks ago.

They may have had an error of some sort, or you may have, but the values are not consistent between you and them.

Maybe it isn't even your sample, but the individual values for chloride, sodium, sulfate, etc are all consistent at ATI with low salinity.