Switching to Kalk Question

[ThatPhillyReefer]

Right now I dose 2-part B-Ionic Alk & Cal. I've done a lot of reading and research and thinking of switching over, I'm just not sure how I should approach this. I'm trying to raise my PH, this is my last option before having to use buffers which I don't want to do. Any ideas on how I can make the change without risking killing my corals? How do I dose it?

Thank You

 

[Garf]

Right now I dose 2-part B-Ionic Alk & Cal. I've done a lot of reading and research and thinking of switching over, I'm just not sure how I should approach this. I'm trying to raise my PH, this is my last option before having to use buffers which I don't want to do. Any ideas on how I can make the change without risking killing my corals? How do I dose it?

Thank You

There’s a Kalkwasser contribution calculator to play with, if you can work out your two part consumption;

Kalk Contribution Calculator

Aquarium calculator; Estimate the contribution of a kalk solution towards the calcium and alkalinity of a system.

www.hamzasreef.com

How do I dose it

Dosing pump, frequent alkalinity testing.

 

[ThatPhillyReefer]

There’s a Kalkwasser contribution calculator to play with, if you can work out your two part consumption;

Kalk Contribution Calculator

Aquarium calculator; Estimate the contribution of a kalk solution towards the calcium and alkalinity of a system.

www.hamzasreef.com

Dosing pump, frequent alkalinity testing.

thank you!!

 

[nereefpat]

How many dKH is your tank consuming per day? Kalk can handle tanks that aren't much above 1 dKH.

How are you planning on dosing kalk?

If your alk usage isn't high, you could just start with full strength kalk for all evaporation, and test alk every day for a week to see how things go.

Another option, as far as pH, is to dose alk with NaOH instead of the typical baking soda based alk portion.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Right now I dose 2-part B-Ionic Alk & Cal. I've done a lot of reading and research and thinking of switching over, I'm just not sure how I should approach this. I'm trying to raise my PH, this is my last option before having to use buffers which I don't want to do. Any ideas on how I can make the change without risking killing my corals? How do I dose it?

Thank You

Not sure what you mean by “before having to use buffers.”There is no buffer that can help raise pH above what the ESV is doing.

You can dose alk using hydroxide as in kalkwasser or a diy two part.

 

[biecacka]

What is your current pH and what are you trying to raise it to? Any particular reason you want to raise it?


corey

 

[ThatPhillyReefer]

What is your current pH and what are you trying to raise it to? Any particular reason you want to raise it?


corey

8.05, i want to get it to at least 8.20. I want to raise it because i want to see better growth in my acros. ive had a few for over 4 months and have seen 2-3cm encrusting growth. All my other trace elements have been in check and stable. the ph is the only thing i can think is what’s causing slow growth

 

[vsolovyev]

I did the same exact thing a few months ago from Bionic 2 part to Kalk. I was dosing about 70ml of each per day. I didn't just go cold turkey though, i slowly backed off the bionic and increased Kalk day by day. Currently dosing 4000ml of kalk, PH ranging from 8.25-8.33. You can only dose as much as your evaporation rate allows, so eventually you will have to start dosing 2 part again to keep up with demand. Corals are definitely loving the PH though
(A good dosing unit like Neptune DOS makes this process WAY easier)

 

[exnisstech]

I did the same exact thing a few months ago from Bionic 2 part to Kalk. I was dosing about 70ml of each per day. I didn't just go cold turkey though, i slowly backed off the bionic and increased Kalk day by day. Currently dosing 4000ml of kalk, PH ranging from 8.25-8.33. You can only dose as much as your evaporation rate allows, so eventually you will have to start dosing 2 part again to keep up with demand. Corals are definitely loving the PH though
(A good dosing unit like Neptune DOS makes this process WAY easier)

What was your pH before you started Kalk? I drip kalk 24/7 (1200ml daily) on one tank and have two other tanks that I use 2part and pH is the same on all 3 tanks. I keep reading over and over about kalk helping raise pH but I just don't get it because it does nothing to my pH. Which I'm fine with as that's not why I use it but I don't understand why one tank that gets kalk has the same pH as two that don't

 

[vsolovyev]

What was your pH before you started Kalk? I drip kalk 24/7 (1200ml daily) on one tank and have two other tanks that I use 2part and pH is the same on all 3 tanks. I keep reading over and over about kalk helping raise pH but I just don't get it because it does nothing to my pH. Which I'm fine with as that's not why I use it but I don't understand why one tank that gets kalk has the same pH as two that don't

My Ph was always low, 7.7-7.9 max. I dose it all at night, and during the day I let the PH take care of itself.

 

[exnisstech]

My Ph was always low, 7.7-7.9 max. I dose it all at night, and during the day I let the PH take care of itself.

Interesting. Mine is 8.3 in the morning running chaeto on a reverse schedule on all three tanks. Maybe mine is high enough that kalk can not raise it any higher

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

but I don't understand why one tank that gets kalk has the same pH as two that don't

Different size tanks with different degrees of aeration and CO2 production in tanks exposed to different levels of CO2 in the air, and possibly getting different amounts of hydroxide delivered over different time periods.