Help with experiences of letting the KH directors waste going back to the aquarium

[Lasse]

Hi

I am experimenting with automatically adjusting of my Core 7 dosing according to the KH value from the KH director. I know that it is possible to let the waste going back (the reagent is only an acid) but I hesitate to do that way because of that it can lower the pH. It is 2.2 ml acid in each test and for the moment I test 4 times a day. Have any one experiences with 4 to 8 tests a day and letting the waste go back?

Sincerely Lasse

 

[Robinson]

Im using the Sulfuric Acid 0.1N from amazon as custom reagent on my Akatronic. Four test per day here and waste goes back to the tank, no issues observed up to this point. Tank is 90% acros and everything looks good so no concerns here.

I think KH director and Alkatronic can share same type of acid for reagent. so this can give you an idea.

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[wmb0003]

I test 6 times a day using a similar acid, waste water goes back to tank. () This is 1M, I dilute it down to .1M. No adverse side effects noted.

 

[BeanAnimal]

What is the pH of the effluent?

The acid starts at 0 and and the tank water at ~8
It has to be somewhere in the 3-4 range right?

I can't think it would have that much effect.

 

[Lasse]

Each measurement will ad around 2.1 ml 0.1 N of chosen acid (for HCL its 0.1M and H2SO4 is 0.05 M)

Sincerely Lasse

 

[TigerReef]

@Lasse - I have tested 6, even 8 times a day using the KH Reagent with waste returned to the sump (before the skimmer) with no apparent issue. Currently, I am testing 2 x day.

 

[BeanAnimal]

@Lasse - I have tested 6, even 8 times a day using the KH Reagent with waste returned to the sump (before the skimmer) with no apparent issue. Currently, I am testing 2 x day.

what is total system volume?

 

[dwest]

Each measurement will ad around 2.1 ml 0.1 N of chosen acid (for HCL its 0.1M and H2SO4 is 0.05 M)

Sincerely Lasse

But the carbonate ion (or bicarbonate ion) is consuming most of the acid in the titration.

I have used the alkatronic for several years with the waste going back into the the tank. I test 2 times per day when home but 6-8 times per day when I travel (which can be a lot). I have done trials every 2 hours as well.

My tank is 180 gallons.

 

[TigerReef]

what is total system volume?

My tank is 165 gallons total, approx. 130 net water volume.

 

[Vinny@GHLUSA]

I've run this test for over a couple years now and everything in the tank continues to do well. FWIW, I test 4x per day and my total system volume is about 110 gallons.

As long as the user understands the risks, it can be done. Of course, it shouldn't be done on a nano tank that's getting a high number of tests per day because that's when one may notice a larger pH change.

 

[SaltCreepReef]

I test 6 times a day using a similar acid, waste water goes back to tank. () This is 1M, I dilute it down to .1M. No adverse side effects noted.

What do you use to dilute your solution to .1M? Just RODI? Thanks.

 

[wmb0003]

What do you use to dilute your solution to .1M? Just RODI? Thanks.

Yes. Just rodi. Made a new batch this weekend; a gallon of it instead of 1000ml so it will last longer

 

[SoNap]

Hi everyone,

this is also a topic that I'm currently trying to better understand what the impact might be if the waste water is simply going back. It would be of course more convinient to send the waste back to the sump. This way also the salinity will be not impacted.

I'm currently running six tests per day on a 200 gallons tank.

I'm wondering what will happen in this case over time if you also don't do for example any water changes?
Won't this reduce the pH noticeably sooner or later?

 

[Lasse]

I'm wondering what will happen in this case over time if you also don't do for example any water changes?
Won't this reduce the pH noticeably sooner or later?

It will reduce your alkalinity a little but if you dose alkalinity every day - You can compensate this with a little (little) higher dose/day - if needed.

I run it back for a while but I figure out that I could use the fact that I lose water to replace it with new salt water. I let my conductive meter manage a dose pump with fresh salt water

Yesterday - the meter show 32.3 PSU but its a little bit off - the real is around 34.5 PSU. Blue - new water in/ red old water out. Tank 80 G

Sincerely Lasse


Sincerely Lasse

 

[GARRIGA]

Perhaps compare pH and dkh values for three days returning the effluent vs dumping it to see if it has a real world affect? Guessing those running auto testers also run controllers that track these results. Although tank volume might skew these results.