Kalkwasser question

[Brad Coughlan]

I am struggling with low pH, I am planning on getting a co2 scrubber and also am looking at kalkwasser. I have a question about it, since it is dosed via the ATO, what happens when the rate of evaporation is higher. For example, when it is hot I put a desk fan over the tank, that increses evaporstion substantially. Would doing this cause more kalkwasser to be dosed?

 

[Reefer Brent]

I mix my kalkwasser very light and use daily water changes to supplement loss of alk and Calc. To me, this or dosing what is missing is the safest way for kalk in an ATO so you run less risk of over saturation. If you hook a kalk container to a dosing pump you get more bang for your buck I hear but I havent wanted to take up that real-estate in my cabinet or wallet yet.

 

[rc8t6353]

Yes it would. I've tried that method of dosing Kalkwasser and didn't like it due to the different amount of evaporation. I use a X1 doser that draws kalk from a one gallon container. Right now I'm dosing about 85ml a day. It's split up for 12 doses thru out the day. Using a doser will allow you to control how much is going in your tank

 

[Brad Coughlan]

Yes it would. I've tried that method of dosing Kalkwasser and didn't like it due to the different amount of evaporation. I use a X1 doser that draws kalk from a one gallon container. Right now I'm dosing about 85ml a day. It's split up for 12 doses thru out the day. Using a doser will allow you to control how much is going in your tank

I currently don't own any dosing pump, could manual dosing work?

 

[rc8t6353]

You can manually dose anything. The only drawback with manually dosing kalk is depending on how much is needed to accomplish what you are trying to do. There are some reefers that use gallons of Kalkwasser per day for their tanks needs, so manually dosing that much wouldn't be that practical I think.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Dosing of kalkwasser to offset low pH requires a substantial dose. 0.2 dKh per day is not effective. Do you know your daily demand?

But then if you need a higher dose, you will likely need to spread out the dosing to many doses per day.

i used it by ATO for 20 years and did not have a problem that I associated with it, but dosing more regularly will lead to more stable alkalinity.

 

[BiggestE22]

I am struggling with low pH, I am planning on getting a co2 scrubber and also am looking at kalkwasser. I have a question about it, since it is dosed via the ATO, what happens when the rate of evaporation is higher. For example, when it is hot I put a desk fan over the tank, that increses evaporstion substantially. Would doing this cause more kalkwasser to be dosed?

Better to dose with a ecotech versa or Neptune dos type pump. Controlling to rate of fluid is essential.

 

[Brad Coughlan]

You can manually dose anything. The only drawback with manually dosing kalk is depending on how much is needed to accomplish what you are trying to do. There are some reefers that use gallons of Kalkwasser per day for their tanks needs, so manually dosing that much wouldn't be that practical I think.

I have an 20g nano with a few montis and birdsnest and lps

 

[Salty_Northerner]

Better to dose with a ecotech versa or Neptune dos type pump. Controlling to rate of fluid is essential.

Yup that's what I use. Versa pump dosing 727 ml 24/7. I can do just over 1.1 liter a day but didn't see much benefit besides it raising the alkalinity. That took me to 9.3 and I'm fine with that but ideally I'd like to sit about 8.3 dkh. I'm either going to have to turn the Versa off and let the dkh fall or something since backing it down the alkalinity has sat at 9.3 the past 3 days. And my system isn't very large. It's just the 35.2 water box.

 

[Brad Coughlan]

Yup that's what I use. Versa pump dosing 727 ml 24/7. I can do just over 1.1 liter a day but didn't see much benefit besides it raising the alkalinity. That took me to 9.3 and I'm fine with that but ideally I'd like to sit about 8.3 dkh. I'm either going to have to turn the Versa off and let the dkh fall or something since backing it down the alkalinity has sat at 9.3 the past 3 days. And my system isn't very large. It's just the 35.2 water box.

Do you find that kalk keeps your pH nice and high? That is the main reason I want to start using it, as coral growth has been slow and I am pretty certain it is pH related.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Do you find that kalk keeps your pH nice and high? That is the main reason I want to start using it, as coral growth has been slow and I am pretty certain it is pH related.

The pH effect depends entirely on how much is dosed, and how much it has to fight against aeration (tank top and skimmers) of the water with high CO2 air.

 

[Brad Coughlan]

The pH effect depends entirely on how much is dosed, and how much it has to fight against aeration (tank top and skimmers) of the water with high CO2 air.

So essentially, more aeration would mean less kalk efficient at raising pH? I was thinking of getting a co2 scrubber as well would that effect it?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

So essentially, more aeration would mean less kalk efficient at raising pH? I was thinking of getting a co2 scrubber as well would that effect it?

Yes, and yes that also helps raise pH.

 

[exnisstech]

Brs 1ml a minute dosing pump and a cheap digital timer is how I dosed kalk in my 180g. Less than $100 and your set. I dosed 7200 ml daily 24/7. I did it to maintain alk and calcium but I can't comment on pH since it's not something I watch. I did start in the ATO but found the doser more consistent.

 

[Brad Coughlan]

Yes, and yes that also helps raise pH.

Thanks
pH is currently 7.8 so am I right in saying this could be the main reason of slow growth

 

[Brad Coughlan]

Dosing of kalkwasser to offset low pH requires a substantial dose. 0.2 dKh per day is not effective. Do you know your daily demand?

But then if you need a higher dose, you will likely need to spread out the dosing to many doses per day.

i used it by ATO for 20 years and did not have a problem that I associated with it, but dosing more regularly will lead to more stable alkalinity.

Daily demand is unknown, but I can confirm that it is very low. Probably less than 0.2dKh.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Thanks
pH is currently 7.8 so am I right in saying this could be the main reason of slow growth

You are right that higher pH can give faster growth of some hard corals, but I cannot say what else might be impacting it (nutrients, flow, etc.).

 

[Brad Coughlan]

You are right that higher pH can give faster growth of some hard corals, but I cannot say what else might be impacting it (nutrients, flow, etc.).

Nutrients are currently 8ppm nitrate 0.07 phos but they have never been stable, always been up and down.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Daily demand is unknown, but I can confirm that it is very low. Probably less than 0.2dKh.

Then I'd look for other methods for pH boosting. Even added all at once, that pH effect would be only about 0.1 pH unit or less, and it will quickly fall back to the start as the tank pulls in more CO2.

 

[Brad Coughlan]

Then I'd look for other methods for pH boosting. Even added all at once, that pH effect would be only about 0.1 pH unit or less, and it will quickly fall back to the start as the tank pulls in more CO2.

Thanks

What other methods would you suggest?