Kalkwasser question

[Salty_Northerner]

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

I was tired of my Apex alerting my phone that my pH was below 7.8 in the middle of the night so I started to dose kalk and now my pH is a lot better. Like yesterday at topped out at 8.22 and as of right now sitting at 8.05 and the lights won't come on for another 30 minutes.

As for pointing powerheads to the surface to do oxygen exchange that didn't work for me. You have a high CO2 reading in the room so all you're doing is rolling that CO2 into the water. Some will argue the fact but that's what I've been seeing. Search Chris Meckley. Reef dudes has a video talking with him and melevsreef has an interview with him as well. He gives a lot of their useful information for even the simplest of people to understand which includes me LOL.. but the one with Reef dudes was really good.

 

[Brad Coughlan]

I was tired of my Apex alerting my phone that my pH was below 7.8 in the middle of the night so I started to dose kalk and now my pH is a lot better. Like yesterday at topped out at 8.22 and as of right now sitting at 8.05 and the lights won't come on for another 30 minutes.

As for pointing powerheads to the surface to do oxygen exchange that didn't work for me. You have a high CO2 reading in the room so all you're doing is rolling that CO2 into the water. Some will argue the fact but that's what I've been seeing. Search Chris Meckley. Reef dudes has a video talking with him and melevsreef has an interview with him as well. He gives a lot of their useful information for even the simplest of people to understand which includes me LOL.. but the one with Reef dudes was really good.

Thanks for the info

Yeah the tank is in a bedroom, so the co2 in the room is quite high. Should a co2 scrubber help fix this? This is a nano tank with a nano skimmer in the rear chamber, so the small form factor skimmer makes me wonder if it'll be effective.

 

[Brad Coughlan]

After looking at co2 scrubbers, I am unsure whether my skimmer would be compatible with any. My skimmer has an intake, and that's it. How would I connect one up to it?

 

[Salty_Northerner]

Thanks for the info

Yeah the tank is in a bedroom, so the co2 in the room is quite high. Should a co2 scrubber help fix this? This is a nano tank with a nano skimmer in the rear chamber, so the small form factor skimmer makes me wonder if it'll be effective.

Even if you could adopt away into the CO2 scrubber you could buy a versa dose pump it would pay for itself in no time at all compared to as if you were buying CO2 media all the time. Heck if it's just a nano tank BRS cell small gravity fed kalk dozers for cheap. Or you can make one yourself.

 

[Brad Coughlan]

Even if you could adopt away into the CO2 scrubber you could buy a versa dose pump it would pay for itself in no time at all compared to as if you were buying CO2 media all the time. Heck if it's just a nano tank BRS cell small gravity fed kalk dozers for cheap. Or you can make one yourself.

Thanks

only downside for me with kalk would be the lack of kh uptake as Randy said, meaning I'd be barely increasing ph with it

 

[Salty_Northerner]

Thanks

only downside for me with kalk would be the lack of kh uptake as Randy said, meaning I'd be barely increasing ph with it

How big is the tank? What's in it as well?

 

[Brad Coughlan]

How big is the tank? What's in it as well?

20gallon
montis, birdsnesst, torche hammer and frogspawn, candy cane, gsp, mushrooms, duncan, gorgonian

 

[rc8t6353]

Are you dosing anything currently?

 

[Salty_Northerner]

Thanks

only downside for me with kalk would be the lack of kh uptake as

20gallon
montis, birdsnesst, torche hammer and frogspawn, candy cane, gsp, mushrooms, duncan, gorgonian

Someone is being a little vague in this thread, you know what! Start dosing kalk and watch your pH rise and don't concern yourself when the dkh rises as well. Like Chris says until a person can get alkalinity out of their head and just strictly focus on ph life will be so much easier. Sure higher ph raises alkalinity and your Coral will start to consume more dkh because it's growing from the increase of pH. I really got to bite my tongue here..

If you can dose kalk to evaporation then go for it! You can mix kalk to supplement pH or you can mix it the supplement calcium and alkalinity with the pH lift.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Someone is being a little vague in this thread, you know what! Start dosing kalk and watch your pH rise and don't concern yourself when the dkh rises as well. Like Chris says until a person can get alkalinity out of their head and just strictly focus on ph life will be so much easier. Sure higher ph raises alkalinity and your Coral will start to consume more dkh because it's growing from the increase of pH. I really got to bite my tongue here..

If you can dose kalk to evaporation then go for it! You can mix kalk to supplement pH or you can mix it the supplement calcium and alkalinity with the pH lift.

That is advice based on an opinion I do not share.

There are plenty of examples of low pH, low demand tanks that get excessive alk when trying to raise pH this way without monitoring alk.

He has already indicated his alk demand is too low to get much pH boost. Less than 0.2 dKH per day. Do you think the demand by corals will rise ten fold in order to keep alk from rising when he increases dosing of kalkwasser?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Maybe Chris and Claude need to have a meeting of the minds. To Claude at FM, hydroxide is always bad and to be avoided. To Chris it is always good and should be dosed without concern for alk.

The reality, IMO, is that it has places and amounts where it makes good sense, and others where it is still useful, but isn’t going to solve all low pH issues.

 

[Brad Coughlan]

Are you dosing anything currently?

Just calcium and mag, as my alkalinity barely drops as my coral growth is extremely slow. Very rare AFR dose if kH seems low, which is rare. It sits at about 7.5dkh and water changes seems to keep it there

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

That is advice based on an opinion I do not share.

There are plenty of examples of low pH, low demand tanks that get excessive alk when trying to raise pH this way without monitoring alk.

He has already indicated his alk demand is too low to get much pH boost. Less than 0.2 dKH per day. Do you think the demand by corals will rise ten fold in order to keep alk from rising when he increases dosing of kalkwasser?

Here’s an example of what I am talking about:

Just started Kalkwasser... Alk 11.4

Just as the title says I recently started dosing Kalkwasser in my ato. 2tsp per 5 gallons. I go through about 5 gallons a week, In a 50 gallon aio peninsula waterbox mixed Reef. I'm concerned that the level may be too high? I started dosing because my ph was hovering around 7.8 and my...

www.reef2reef.com

Just as the title says I recently started dosing Kalkwasser in my ato. 2tsp per 5 gallons. I go through about 5 gallons a week, In a 50 gallon aio peninsula waterbox mixed Reef. I'm concerned that the level may be too high? I started dosing because my ph was hovering around 7.8 and my alkalinity around 6 to 7. Started off with one tsp per 5 gallons 2 weeks ago. My ph is still only barely 8, but the alk shot way up. Any suggestions?

 

[Brad Coughlan]

It seems like I won't be able to fit a co2 scrubber onto my skimmer, as it only has an intake and that's it. Any suggestions? Could I make a DIY scrubber, or are there any that will work with a skimmer like this?

 

[SDchris]

To Chris it is always good and should be dosed without concern for alk.

I think part of that may come from a misconception of kalk.
From this video: Reef Agriscience, Kalkwasser part 3 @ 1:18min

the calcium that's contributed does combine with CO2 to yield calcium carbonate. The hydroxides contribute to increase the pH of the system water and neutralise weak acids that are produced in biological reactions.

 

[Salty_Northerner]

That is advice based on an opinion I do not share.

There are plenty of examples of low pH, low demand tanks that get excessive alk when trying to raise pH this way without monitoring alk.

He has already indicated his alk demand is too low to get much pH boost. Less than 0.2 dKH per day. Do you think the demand by corals will rise ten fold in order to keep alk from rising when he increases dosing of kalkwasser?

Why do you not want to share? I've in the past asked simple questions and you give such odd answers that make no sense to this simple mind. I've just come to the realization that why should I entertain a second question just to have me guessing and or try to comprehend what you said? It's not the first time Randy. I've brought it to your attention before and yes you were easier on us. Giving more simplistic, detailed info. Just saying, and not trying to undermine what your doing in this community, but you got to remember none of us have a chemist degree and at times you do need to sit back and put the shoe on the other foot as if you were the one asking a question. Cool?

Could you enlighten us a little bit on a few different ways of dosing? I mean there is a couple different ways, one way just to boost pH, and then there's another way where you're going to maintain calcium and alkalinity. Brad can use kalk to boost pH to a point without affecting his alkalinity correct? He may not get the results he wants or expects, but at least he's getting a bump in the right direction. I honestly don't think that he would have an issue using lime water to raise his pH, and even at that he can adjust it after a few days of testing to see where his alkalinity lands. I think he said he runs his at 7.5 so if adding lime water to the mix takes him up to 8.5 which is better in my opinion, then why shouldn't he do it? Even though he doesn't have a high demand he can certainly peg the alkalinity while boosting the pH am I wrong? He can also just dose after lights out to help hold a higher overall nightly pH and then off when lights on and the photosynthesis kicks in and starts to consume the access CO2.

Brad also has bird's nest Coral and a few other SPS and with only having a .2 consumption rate seems very odd to me. It's possible he doesn't have his lights anywhere near where they should be set for the corals to be growing properly. I honestly don't think he would be an issue and I think it would be a fun little science project for him to do overnight. Something as simple as doing a gravity fed slow drip overnight with a non-saturated solution might be something he could try without messing with the chemistry of the tank.

Heck I did it myself and when I seen the benefits I ordered everything so I could do a controlled dose and I've chosen to do 24/7 and haven't regretted it one bit.

 

[Salty_Northerner]

It seems like I won't be able to fit a co2 scrubber onto my skimmer, as it only has an intake and that's it. Any suggestions? Could I make a DIY scrubber, or are there any that will work with a skimmer like this?

Why would you not be able to use a CO2 scrubber? It's pretty simple, just plug your air intake line into the scrubber and away you go. Doesn't get much simpler than this.

 

[SDchris]

Why do you not want to share?

I think you have misinterpreted the reply.

Like Chris says until a person can get alkalinity out of their head and just strictly focus on ph

That is advice based on an opinion I do not share.

Randy simply said he does not share the same opinion as Chris, the person you referenced.
And then in post #33 gave you an example as to why.

 

[Brad Coughlan]

Why would you not be able to use a CO2 scrubber? It's pretty simple, just plug your air intake line into the scrubber and away you go. Doesn't get much simpler than this.

My skimmer is a nano skimmer and uses an external air pump, meaning it goes from an external air pump outside and into the skimmer, air is pusbed into my skimmer and not pulled by it

 

[Brad Coughlan]

Why do you not want to share? I've in the past asked simple questions and you give such odd answers that make no sense to this simple mind. I've just come to the realization that why should I entertain a second question just to have me guessing and or try to comprehend what you said? It's not the first time Randy. I've brought it to your attention before and yes you were easier on us. Giving more simplistic, detailed info. Just saying, and not trying to undermine what your doing in this community, but you got to remember none of us have a chemist degree and at times you do need to sit back and put the shoe on the other foot as if you were the one asking a question. Cool?

Could you enlighten us a little bit on a few different ways of dosing? I mean there is a couple different ways, one way just to boost pH, and then there's another way where you're going to maintain calcium and alkalinity. Brad can use kalk to boost pH to a point without affecting his alkalinity correct? He may not get the results he wants or expects, but at least he's getting a bump in the right direction. I honestly don't think that he would have an issue using lime water to raise his pH, and even at that he can adjust it after a few days of testing to see where his alkalinity lands. I think he said he runs his at 7.5 so if adding lime water to the mix takes him up to 8.5 which is better in my opinion, then why shouldn't he do it? Even though he doesn't have a high demand he can certainly peg the alkalinity while boosting the pH am I wrong? He can also just dose after lights out to help hold a higher overall nightly pH and then off when lights on and the photosynthesis kicks in and starts to consume the access CO2.

Brad also has bird's nest Coral and a few other SPS and with only having a .2 consumption rate seems very odd to me. It's possible he doesn't have his lights anywhere near where they should be set for the corals to be growing properly. I honestly don't think he would be an issue and I think it would be a fun little science project for him to do overnight. Something as simple as doing a gravity fed slow drip overnight with a non-saturated solution might be something he could try without messing with the chemistry of the tank.

Heck I did it myself and when I seen the benefits I ordered everything so I could do a controlled dose and I've chosen to do 24/7 and haven't regretted it one bit.

0.2dKh daily uptake is less than what it uses, it is probably less. And you're right in saying lighting is the issue. I do have another thread on this, but to give an example I moved a stellata to see the back side of the coral that was oriontated at an angle such that it was quite shaded completely dead and bleached. I still see growth on it, but only on the base where it is encrusting onto the rock. My plating monti also has grown a decent amount, but it seems to grow then stop growing, then waits a while and grows again, repeat. There is no constant rate of growth, the same can be said for my other corals including GSP. Except for most of the SPS, my other corals are doing fine and look good, but just grow extremely slow. It's just demotivating to be honest, as this hobby takes up a fair amount of time just to have prettymuch stagnent growth. I have 4 things I have my eyes on to help improve it, kalk (which the efficieny of that seems to be being debated on here), some form of co2 scrubber, aminos for corals and maybe an AI prime light.