kalkwasser dosing

[Yanir34]

Hello everyone.
my tank just finished full cycle. it will be SPS dominate tank (500 liters) + frag tank (120 liters) + sump (200 liters) .
Total volume is 820 liters.
Balling method 3 parts ,by tropic marin will be the way to dose main elements to the system.

I want to add kalkwasser reactor with step motor pump , and dosing it during the night.
I also have a refujium .

1.What is your recommendation about the dosing of kalk ?
2. How can I avoid overdosing of Alk and Cal to the system ?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

If it was my system, I’d first dial in kalkwasser full strength for most of the daily evaporation, and if alk is stable, stop there.

if alk rises over a few days, reduce the concentration of the kalkwasser.

If alk falls, then use as much of the Balling as needed to stabilize the alk. Dose all parts of the Balling.

Ignore calcium measurements during this time. They are too variable for close tracking, but watch them longer term to see if the calcium part of Balling needs to be adjusted. The most likely needed adjustment is dialing it down a bit.

 

[Yanir34]

If it was my system, I’d first dial in kalkwasser full strength for most of the daily evaporation, and if alk is stable, stop there.

if alk rises over a few days, reduce the concentration of the kalkwasser.

If alk falls, then use as much of the Balling as needed to stabilize the alk. Dose all parts of the Balling.

Ignore calcium measurements during this time. They are too variable for close tracking, but watch them longer term to see if the calcium part of Balling needs to be adjusted. The most likely needed adjustment is dialing it down a bit.

Thanks a lot !

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Thanks a lot !

You're welcome.

Happy reefing.

 

[ReefStable Verified Sponsor]

I know this is mildly contradicting, but I would dose to maintain a pH value and let alkalinity shift with the seasons. If alkalinity (pH Buffer) and pH have a direct relationship with CO2 being an offset, then in the home, CO2 is the most common variable to change. As such, maintaining pH would allow alkalinity to shift as needed to compensate for the change in CO2.

In open air, I would assume that maintaining alkalinity would be fine as CO2 is not changing as much.

The only think I can see that would change this is that coral consume the bicarbonate and reduces alkalinity. In theory, the kalkwasser being added would make up for that in the home because the CO2 will likely reduce pH as this happens, but another alk buffer could be added if pH is stable and alk is low.

@Randy Holmes-Farley Is this thinking far off? Am I missing something?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I know this is mildly contradicting, but I would dose to maintain a pH value and let alkalinity shift with the seasons. If alkalinity (pH Buffer) and pH have a direct relationship with CO2 being an offset, then in the home, CO2 is the most common variable to change. As such, maintaining pH would allow alkalinity to shift as needed to compensate for the change in CO2.

In open air, I would assume that maintaining alkalinity would be fine as CO2 is not changing as much.

The only think I can see that would change this is that coral consume the bicarbonate and reduces alkalinity. In theory, the kalkwasser being added would make up for that in the home because the CO2 will likely reduce pH as this happens, but another alk buffer could be added if pH is stable and alk is low.

@Randy Holmes-Farley Is this thinking far off? Am I missing something?

What you are suggesting is prioritizing pH stability over alk stability.

That's a complex question that I try to address here:

Alkalinity stability? pH stability? Are they even different?

It is currently the dogma of the reef aquarium hobby to say that alkalinity stability is very important for SPS corals, and that pH is not. Often, the very idea of someone trying to optimize pH is called “chasing numbers” as if that statement by itself shows it to be foolish. Since I have...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[ReefStable Verified Sponsor]

Okay, I have read that thread. I mainly ask as I wrote an article about maintaining pH and some of my reference include an article you wrote in 2002 about the direct relationship between alkalinity and pH. So if this was proven incorrect, I want to update my article.

https://reefstable.com/blog/stabilize-reef-tank-ph-kalkwasser