Using Kalk, what pH is too high?

[Lousybreed]

So we all talk about low pH and how it is bed for the tank. At what pH does it become too high? Right now my tanks are at between 8.1-8.3.....I could go higher but I stop dosing kalk when my sump gets to 8.41

I know my sump is always a bit higher than my tanks since this is where my kalk is dosed. I don’t want to have the dreaded mass precipitation events.

I am just guessing a pH of 8.5 is getting too high? Thoughts?

 

[Rmckoy]

What’s your daily alk consumption to be dosing kalk daily ?

 

[Garf]

So we all talk about low pH and how it is bed for the tank. At what pH does it become too high? Right now my tanks are at between 8.1-8.3.....I could go higher but I stop dosing kalk when my sump gets to 8.41

I know my sump is always a bit higher than my tanks since this is where my kalk is dosed. I don’t want to have the dreaded mass precipitation events.

I am just guessing a pH of 8.5 is getting too high? Thoughts?

8.5 is ok as long as your pH probe is calibrated properly.i don’t think you want it to get to 8.6/7 but I don’t remember anything specifically that sais even that is bad. Mine goes close to 8.5.

 

[Lousybreed]

What’s your daily alk consumption to be dosing kalk daily ?

I have a big sps system. I am dosing 22 gallons of kalk daily, and a big calcium reactor!

 

[Lousybreed]

8.5 is ok as long as your pH probe is calibrated properly.i don’t think you want it to get to 8.6/7 but I don’t remember anything specifically that sais even that is bad. Mine goes close to 8.5.

Thank you. Yeah my probe is calibrated with NIST certified 7.0 and 10 pH reference buffers. I get to 8.46 if I don’t turn off my kalk during the daily peak. Right now I have my kalk doser turn off at 8.41

 

[jimk60]

I have a big sps system. I am dosing 22 gallons of kalk daily, and a big calcium reactor!

I think a big sps system is an understatement! Sounds huge!

 

[Lousybreed]

I think a big sps system is an understatement! Sounds huge!

700 gallons!!!! Wall to wall sticks!

 

[RobB'z Reef]

I have a big sps system. I am dosing 22 gallons of kalk daily, and a big calcium reactor!

I'd love to see that system... With all that evap does it rain occasionally indoors at your house?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

IMO, the concern with pH above about 8.6 is that abiotic precipitation of calcium carbonate becomes faster and faster as pH rises.

 

[Cbones1979]

IMO, the concern with pH above about 8.6 is that abiotic precipitation of calcium carbonate becomes faster and faster as pH rises.

Just had calk dump in sump. Ph up to 8.6. I’m running airatones to try to lower it. It’s usually 8.0.

I water changed and my ato w kalk kicked on and I didn’t notice. That’s how we got here
Think ph will drop with c02 from stone or should I do water changes?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Just had calk dump in sump. Ph up to 8.6. I’m running airatones to try to lower it. It’s usually 8.0.

I water changed and my ato w kalk kicked on and I didn’t notice. That’s how we got here
Think ph will drop with c02 from stone or should I do water changes?

Here's my limewater overdose advice:

What is that Precipitate in My Reef Aquarium? by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com

The following important points should help in dealing with a limewater overdose:

1. Don't panic! These overdoses do not usually cause a tank to crash.

2. The primary concern is pH. If the pH is 8.6 or lower, you need not do anything. If the pH is above 8.6, then reducing the pH is the priority. Direct addition of vinegar or soda water is a good way to accomplish this goal. Either one mL of distilled white vinegar, or six mL of soda water, per gallon of tank water will give an initial pH drop of about 0.3 pH units. Add either to a high flow area that is away from organisms (e.g., a sump).

3. Do not bother to measure calcium or alkalinity while the tank is cloudy. The solid calcium carbonate particles will dissolve in an alkalinity test, and all of the carbonate in them will be counted as if it were in solution and part of "alkalinity." The same may happen to some extent with calcium tests. Wait until the water clears, and at that point, alkalinity is more likely to be low than high. Calcium will likely be mostly unchanged.

4. The particles themselves will typically settle out and disappear from view over a period of 1-4 days. They do not appear to cause long term detrimental effects to tank organisms.

5. Water changes are not necessarily beneficial or needed in response to a limewater overdose.

 

[Cbones1979]

Here's my limewater overdose advice:

What is that Precipitate in My Reef Aquarium? by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com

The following important points should help in dealing with a limewater overdose:

1. Don't panic! These overdoses do not usually cause a tank to crash.

2. The primary concern is pH. If the pH is 8.6 or lower, you need not do anything. If the pH is above 8.6, then reducing the pH is the priority. Direct addition of vinegar or soda water is a good way to accomplish this goal. Either one mL of distilled white vinegar, or six mL of soda water, per gallon of tank water will give an initial pH drop of about 0.3 pH units. Add either to a high flow area that is away from organisms (e.g., a sump).

3. Do not bother to measure calcium or alkalinity while the tank is cloudy. The solid calcium carbonate particles will dissolve in an alkalinity test, and all of the carbonate in them will be counted as if it were in solution and part of "alkalinity." The same may happen to some extent with calcium tests. Wait until the water clears, and at that point, alkalinity is more likely to be low than high. Calcium will likely be mostly unchanged.

4. The particles themselves will typically settle out and disappear from view over a period of 1-4 days. They do not appear to cause long term detrimental effects to tank organisms.

5. Water changes are not necessarily beneficial or needed in response to a limewater overdose.

Thanks man!

 

[Lousybreed]

I have found that keeping your tank pH below 8.5 seems to make most things happy. In the sump this translates to a pH of 8.7 and I have not observed any precipitation as of yet.

 

[Deep]

I have found that keeping your tank pH below 8.5 seems to make most things happy. In the sump this translates to a pH of 8.7 and I have not observed any precipitation as of yet.

I have had a number of Apex PH probes over the years and all of them read consistently wrong after some time even after being freshly calibrated.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I have found that keeping your tank pH below 8.5 seems to make most things happy. In the sump this translates to a pH of 8.7 and I have not observed any precipitation as of yet.

IMO, if you do not have any precipitation at pH 8.7, the pH measurement is likely inaccurate.

Water with an alkalinity of 7 dKH and pH of 8.7 has the same likelihood of precipitation as a tank at pH 8.1 and an alkalinity of 28 dKH (which is high).

 

[Lousybreed]

IMO, if you do not have any precipitation at pH 8.7, the pH measurement is likely inaccurate.

Water with an alkalinity of 7 dKH and pH of 8.7 has the same likelihood of precipitation as a tank at pH 8.1 and an alkalinity of 28 dKH (which is high).

I can check my pH probe however it’s been at 8.7 for months and there isn’t any precipitation or anything observed!

 

[Lousybreed]

@Randy Holmes-Farley I should add I have done Alk tests n of three using the sump water at 8.7 using raw tank water and filtered tank water and I could not see any difference between the two. Probably the alk test isn’t accurate enough. But I am now trying to keep my sump pH below 8.65 so either way I am hoping no precipitation!!
If I dose to keep my alk at 8.3 my pH only gets up to 8.6ish so that works for me!