KalkWasser making Alk too high

[Mkkari]

Your alk will drop down to 8 in several days not months, and why let it drop all the way to 6 before you bring it back up to 8?

My thought process behind that was due the way my ALK reacted when I dosed KALK.

Before Dose:
PH 7.6, ALK 6.5
After Dose:
PH 8.3, ALK 18

I was thinking I could probably find an equilibrium but I think it might work in theory but not practice. Hence, I dropped that plan.

 

[Mkkari]

I'd try to validate the alk result, if you can, by testing it is some new salt water or a standard of some sort.

That said, obviously if alk is higher than you want using any alk additive system, using less is needed. This result (if real) is exactly why it is, IMO, inappropriate to follow the method some suggest of adding kalkwasser to attain a specific pH without monitoring alk.

Sorry for the late response, I wanted to calibrate my Tridents and verify through multiple methods in order to find an average so I was not wasting your time.

Turns out to be that my Trident was off by 3 dkh.
Trident 14.8 DKH (recalibrated and ended up being 11.4 DKH).
Hannah 11.3 DKH
Salifert 11 - 12 Approx
Redsea 11 Approx

I think I will dose at night only and check it out from there.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Sorry for the late response, I wanted to calibrate my Tridents and verify through multiple methods in order to find an average so I was not wasting your time.

Turns out to be that my Trident was off by 3 dkh.
Trident 14.8 DKH (recalibrated and ended up being 11.4 DKH).
Hannah 11.3 DKH
Salifert 11 - 12 Approx
Redsea 11 Approx

I think I will dose at night only and check it out from there.

Sounds good.

 

[14 foot reef]

Not that I would say Chris's methods are perfect and scientific, I have been doing a modified version of Meckleys 12 hour reverse Kalk dose for well over a year, the alk will rise, then as pH rises, in theory coral growth does rise also, coral growth will increase alk demand, and the alk will be consumed. His theory is, after time the alk will come down and system will stabilize somewhere in the 8-9 dkh area.

It has proved true for my 1000 gallon system. But this may be in part to other factors that his theories can't scientifically prove out. It is a great way to use Kalk, but you have to be patient and let his theory run the course.