Dosing kalk (only) durning pH troughs?

[chaostactics]

TL: DR I'm thinking about using kalk only during pH troughs to even out tank chemistry. Looking for input on how to do it and at what point (time start/time end) in the trough I should initiate.

So I run a tank with no aragonite (black sand bed) and limited buffering capacity via rocks (Caribsea life rock).

I have distinct troughs during certain parts of the day.

I have an ATO vessel with dual pumps with the intention of running some sort of scheme of pH dependant dosing of Kalk. I.e. during low points running a pump that goes through the reactor. And during times of higher pH running just FW top off. I'd also utilize a shut down of the Kalk ATO route with a sudden OD indicated by an aggressive pH spike.

I have no stoney coral whatsoever so it's not particularly critical I'm just trying to chase a slightly more stable pH and justify the money I spent on the Kalk reactor I bought 3 years ago and only ran for a week or so.

 

[Cory]

Ive actually been successful so far doing this recently. The first thing i did was plumb a 1.5" diameter abs pipe to an outside window. My skimmer and air pump are connected to the outside pipe drawing in fresh outside air. The skimmer helps equilibriate the air and the air pump pumps air into my overflow box which is sealed from allowing most inside air from the house entering the tank and lowering ph. The air pump also pumps air into my aquarium lid which is also sealed from home air entering it and lowering ph. Now i noticed my ph change from lows of 7.6 to 7.8 at night (from gas oven and breathing) to a steady 8.0 to 8.2 at night. But i wasn't satisfied with drop to 8.0. So durring the dips in ph at night, i started dosing my daily limewater. For me it was around 430pm. And i dose all the way until 9am when the lights turn on. This has given me mostly 8.1 at night and a high 8.2 durring the day. Alkalinity is maintained around 8.6 dkh. Around nov 8-9th was the setup made this way. I also have an ats on 24hours a day.

 

[Cory]

Here is my ph now and before. Im pretty excited about it!

 

[arking_mark]

The main issue you will have is that Kalk is for balanced calcium/alkalinity dosing with a pH perk. As long as you are not adding more than is being consumed, your fine.

Howevery, if you are over dosing Alk/Ca, you'll eventually cause a precipitation event that will crash your Alk and Ca.

Tanks are successful with pH between 7.8 and 8.6 with daily swings of 0.5.

If you have a kalk reactor, I suggest using a dosing pump to drip kalkwasser to replace Alk/Ca consumption.

 

[mdb_talon]

I think its fine to use kalk to help stabilize and keep an overall higher PH if you need the alk and calc it will be dosing, but that is not what it sounds like? Stabilizing ph while sending alk/calc through the roof will do much more harm than good.