Top off buffering etc question....

[dougers31]

So I was thinking about ways to buffer my ro/di topoff water. What do you folks think about adding cal. reactor media or aragonite to my top off bucket? I currently am using a small amount of kalk to get the ph up to around 9, but I am manually topping off untill I get a doser set up.

I would think with a lower ph the ro/di water would absorb the minerals out of the media(etc) and help to add to the cal/alk levels as well as maybe raise the ph to around 8 or so.... What say you?

 

[Scummy]

Ph at 9 is a bit high. You should be aiming for 8.2-8.3

 

[dougers31]

Ph at 9 is a bit high. You should be aiming for 8.2-8.3

That would be the top off ph, not tank ph. When added to the tank it would be diluted and hopefully help keep the tank ph at 8+. Normal kalk ph is at least 12+ if I recall so 9 should be fine IMO.

 

[AZDesertRat]

RO/DI is not low pH, its basically neutral and has little effect if any on the tank when added. It is almost impossible to accurately measure the pH of RO/DI since there are too few ions to measure. Since the pH isn't really low it will not readily dissolve aragonite or reactor media

 

[TJM]

Dougers,
I have a five gallon vessel that I use for ATO. About every five days I fill the container back up with ro and then add a product by Natureef called reeformer concentrate. It is a liquid form of calcium hydroxide slurry with a strontium additive. I have thought about what you are pondering but the ro would not break down the substrate to make any difference. As always IMHO.
T.J.