pH, 2 part and Kalk dosing question.

[USMA36]

I have a 90 gallon reef tank. I was dosing 24ml a day of esv b ionic. My pH barely breaks 8.0 in the late afternoon. I bought a new lab grade pH probe for my apex and calibrated it. My pH this morning is reading 7.61 I have calibrated it twice. It reads 10.01 when placed in the 10.01 calibration solution and 6.99 in the 7.01 solution. I do not understand what would be making my pH so low. I have my skimmer set up with an airline to the outside of my house. I left the window next to my tank open all night. My first question is what could be making my pH so low? Can I add Kalk to help raise the pH? How do I calculate how much. I tested my alk this morning it is 7.8 using a hanna checker and my calcium is 380 using a salifert kit. My salinity 1.026 using the milwaukee digital refractometer. My alk and calcium are a tad low so I just now changed the 2 part to dose 32ml of each a day spread out every 6 hours.

 

[ReefHomieJon]

Do you have good surface agitation from powerheads? U have a skimmer drawing outside air so that’s good. Decaying matter in your tank or sump could lower it. Keeping alk stable helps too

 

[USMA36]

Do you have good surface agitation from powerheads? U have a skimmer drawing outside air so that’s good. Decaying matter in your tank or sump could lower it. Keeping alk stable helps too

I did notice one of my maxspect gyres had the paddles reversed. I just changed that. Must have done it when I cleaned them about 1 week ago. I run 2 xf230s horizontally on the ends on random with a max of 100% and 1 mp40 on the rear glass on reef crest max 30%

 

[ReefHomieJon]

I did notice one of my maxspect gyres had the paddles reversed. I just changed that. Must have done it when I cleaned them about 1 week ago. I run 2 xf230s horizontally on the ends on random with a max of 100% and 1 mp40 on the rear glass on reef crest max 30%

Do they break the surface constantly?

 

[ReefHomieJon]

And that decaying matter/dead fish/dead snail/detritus build up is really something to check out lol it will really lower PH especially if alk isn’t stable and if it’s dropping faster than normal then for sure something acidic is in your water

 

[USMA36]

My surface is agitated pretty well. N0 missing fish. Can't say if any snails are missing but I'd imagine I would need quite a few dead snails to make a difference.

 

[mitch91175]

Maybe slightly off topic, but since I switched to MH my pH is absolutely no longer a problem. No more CO2 scrubber media or scrubber or kalk needed to hit 8.4. It’s crazy how I see the sharp increase when the MH lights kick on.

Also my consumption has increased a good amount.So much that I am about to have to increase the amount of CO2 in CaRx to dissolve more media.

 

[mitch91175]

This is before I switched to MH

 

[ReefHomieJon]

Pretty

Maybe slightly off topic, but since I switched to MH my pH is absolutely no longer a problem. No more CO2 scrubber media or scrubber or kalk needed to hit 8.4. It’s crazy how I see the sharp increase when the MH lights kick on.

Also my consumption has increased a good amount.So much that I am about to have to increase the amount of CO2 in CaRx to dissolve more media.

Pretty interesting

 

[mitch91175]

Pretty
Pretty interesting

Even if the probe is "off", that's a noticeable difference AND I no longer replace the CO2 scrubber media at all (at least I haven't in a few months).

Wish I had something to test NO3/PO4 on a routine basis since I've change lighting. I do not test them much but from the looks of it, seems that switch has also improved nutrient uptake (this is more observational from knowing the history of my system as well as the increase KH consumption).

My last 30 days measurements dKH:

* every red dot is the Alkatronic dosing.
* black dot is a retest to confirm +/- 0.2dKH from last measurement
* pH peak I notice test around same time dKH drop


Also notice that my euphyllia are much happier since the switch. Montipora growth is totally insane. i will have to look for slower growing SPS because I do not like fragging unless I absolutely have to. Colors don't look like those of some of the pictures you see floating around (but what coral actually does when you saturate the image?)


Guess what I'm trying to say to the OP is you can:
1. Do nothing and live with the pH you have (most will say do not chase pH, but higher pH has its benefits)
2. Run skimmer intake outside (distance can become an issue).
3. Increase surface agitation (will help some)
4. Add a CO2 scrubber
5. Consider MH or review your current lighting schedule. Lighting to me plays a major part in pH. I've seen the difference.
6. Run kalk in ATO or kalk stirrer (can be a PITA to continually deal with kalk on a routine basis).

Ignore those pH buffer additives. You will only get the increase temporarily.

 

[ReefHomieJon]

Even if the probe is "off", that's a noticeable difference AND I no longer replace the CO2 scrubber media at all (at least I haven't in a few months).

Wish I had something to test NO3/PO4 on a routine basis since I've change lighting. I do not test them much but from the looks of it, seems that switch has also improved nutrient uptake (this is more observational from knowing the history of my system as well as the increase KH consumption).

My last 30 days measurements dKH:

* every red dot is the Alkatronic dosing.
* black dot is a retest to confirm +/- 0.2dKH from last measurement
* pH peak I notice test around same time dKH drop


Also notice that my euphyllia are much happier since the switch. Montipora growth is totally insane. i will have to look for slower growing SPS because I do not like fragging unless I absolutely have to. Colors don't look like those of some of the pictures you see floating around (but what coral actually does when you saturate the image?)


Guess what I'm trying to say to the OP is you can:
1. Do nothing and live with the pH you have (most will say do not chase pH, but higher pH has its benefits)
2. Run skimmer intake outside (distance can become an issue).
3. Increase surface agitation (will help some)
4. Add a CO2 scrubber
5. Consider MH or review your current lighting schedule. Lighting to me plays a major part in pH. I've seen the difference.
6. Run kalk in ATO or kalk stirrer (can be a PITA to continually deal with kalk on a routine basis).

Ignore those pH buffer additives. You will only get the increase temporarily.

Yea don’t chase PH but the generally acceptable range is 7.8-8.4
8.6 from your halides is excellent

 

[nereefpat]

Can I add Kalk to help raise the pH? How do I calculate how much.

Yes, you can always add kalk to your regimen. Using this calculator: http://reef.diesyst.com/chemcalc/chemcalc.html

It looks like your Alkalinity usage isn't terribly high. Are you currently using "ESV B-ionic Original Ca Buff pt 1," or "ESV B-ionic Bicarbonate system pt 1?" I can help you calculate how much limewater to use.

 

[USMA36]

Yes, you can always add kalk to your regimen. Using this calculator: http://reef.diesyst.com/chemcalc/chemcalc.html

It looks like your Alkalinity usage isn't terribly high. Are you currently using "ESV B-ionic Original Ca Buff pt 1," or "ESV B-ionic Bicarbonate system pt 1?" I can help you calculate how much limewater to use.

Awesome. Thank you. I'm using this one.

 

[nereefpat]

Awesome. Thank you. I'm using this one.

Great. So, playing around with the calculator:

It looks like on a 90 gallon using 24 mLs of that stuff ^, the tank's alk consumption is about 0.5 dKH. If you completely replaced the 2 part dosing with fully saturated limewater, it would take about 0.4 gallons (1.5 liters) a day.

Of course you don't have to go completely to limewater. And it would be wise to start with a fraction of the 0.4 gallons and test, and spread the doses out over the day.

 

[USMA36]

What's the math to figure out ml to ppm of esv alk and calcium?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

What's the math to figure out ml to ppm of esv alk and calcium?

Use the calculator above.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Carbonate based two parts raise pH by about 0.35 pH units per 1.4 dKH added, instantly. Then that rise drops back as the tank pulls in CO2 from the air.

Limewater (kalkwasser) and hydroxide based two parts will boost pH about twice as much per unit of alk added.

Bicarbonate based two parts do not raise pH.

 

[nereefpat]

Use the calculator above.

That's the easiest way.

What's the math to figure out ml to ppm of esv alk and calcium?

Yeah, I just punch in numbers until things line up.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I have a 90 gallon reef tank. I was dosing 24ml a day of esv b ionic. My pH barely breaks 8.0 in the late afternoon. I bought a new lab grade pH probe for my apex and calibrated it. My pH this morning is reading 7.61 I have calibrated it twice. It reads 10.01 when placed in the 10.01 calibration solution and 6.99 in the 7.01 solution. I do not understand what would be making my pH so low. I have my skimmer set up with an airline to the outside of my house. I left the window next to my tank open all night. My first question is what could be making my pH so low? Can I add Kalk to help raise the pH? How do I calculate how much. I tested my alk this morning it is 7.8 using a hanna checker and my calcium is 380 using a salifert kit. My salinity 1.026 using the milwaukee digital refractometer. My alk and calcium are a tad low so I just now changed the 2 part to dose 32ml of each a day spread out every 6 hours.

Excess CO2 in your home air is almost certainly the explanation. The only other possible explanations are excessively low alkalinity, or very poor aeration with your home air.

This has more:

pH And The Reef Aquarium
http://www.reefedition.com/ph-and-the-reef-aquarium/

 

[USMA36]

That's the easiest way.



Yeah, I just punch in numbers until things line up.

Lol. Thank you. I'd like to cut my 2 part dosing and suplament with kalk to raise my pH. Is it possible to do that through the my ato? I can't wrap my head around the math.