Higher PH from Kalwasser dosing makes a difference!!

BiggestE222

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I started dosing Kalwasser due to the apparent fact that you get healthier and faster growing corals when in the 8.2-8.5 PH level. So with my 200 liter tank I am currently dosing 30 ml of Kalwasser top off water per hour. Been doing it just 3 days. Tested this morning and PH has increased from 7.9 to 8.25. I have not tested this evening yet but the corals tell me plenty. Fast growth and more polyp extension than before.

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Aldrinlights

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Thats awesome! I just ran an air hose from my skimmer to the outside which I've been wanting to do for years and it truly did boost my Ph. I was getting 7-8 variable all the time but now its 8.4 and locked in.
 

Dkmoo

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Welcome to the pH fanclub. I've been a firm believer that pH is just important if not more so than alk for coral health but conventional wisdom seems to be of the camp "dont worry about your pH as long as alk is good". Imo in home aquariums that's simply not true due to the above avg co2 concentrations in current homes.
 

nukemdanno

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Long story short...5 people 3 dogs small house, closed up in winter. I was having huge PH issues being too low. I then routed the skimmer air intake outside...the wifey didn't dig that and bought me a CO2 scrubber. Ph has gone from low 7's to 8.5ish. Coral growth has taken off.
 
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BiggestE222

BiggestE222

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Long story short...5 people 3 dogs small house, closed up in winter. I was having huge PH issues being too low. I then routed the skimmer air intake outside...the wifey didn't dig that and bought me a CO2 scrubber. Ph has gone from low 7's to 8.5ish. Coral growth has taken off.
There is popular belief that corals are simply struggling to survive when PH is too low. There are many that would disagree. I just see a difference. Polyp extension and growth rates have increased just a week after raising PH. That is all the evidence I need
 

elorablue

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very interesting . My ph is stuck at 7.8 and my few Corals are surviving but certainly not thriving. My alk is steady at 8.8 Going to look into this. Thanks.
 

nukemdanno

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There is popular belief that corals are simply struggling to survive when PH is too low. There are many that would disagree. I just see a difference. Polyp extension and growth rates have increased just a week after raising PH. That is all the evidence I need
I totally agree with you on this. I had pretty much zero growth rate over the winter while trying to address the PH issues.
Edit; Instead of the big three it should be the big four ;)
 

14 foot reef

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very interesting . My ph is stuck at 7.8 and my few Corals are surviving but certainly not thriving. My alk is steady at 8.8 Going to look into this. Thanks.

Try this....
 

Alchameth

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You really should test your ALK and CA, those will shoot up big time... I recently put a Y on my kalk stirrer so half my ATO bypasses it because while my PH was 8.3 my CA was pushing 500 and my ALK would swing too much
 
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BiggestE222

BiggestE222

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OP, you are also testing for alk, correct?
Yes. I keep it a little high. Because my calcium and alkalinity can drop quicker not I keep it between 10-11. I am replacing all for reef for 2 part as the SPS corals are sucking up calcium at a much faster rate. I just used Kalwasser over the weekend and my calcium dropped from 420 to 340 in 2.5 days
 

Randy Holmes-Farley

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FWIW, those wanting the pH boost without the complications of a limited solubility product like calcium hydroxide can use a very high pH two part:


 

nereefpat

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Yes. I keep it a little high. Because my calcium and alkalinity can drop quicker not I keep it between 10-11. I am replacing all for reef for 2 part as the SPS corals are sucking up calcium at a much faster rate. I just used Kalwasser over the weekend and my calcium dropped from 420 to 340 in 2.5 days
It's possible that some of the 420-340 is testing noise. That would equate to about 11.5 dKH of alk use, and even more since you were dosing with kalk at the time.
 
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BiggestE222

BiggestE222

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I thought so. I also went to my guy at the LFS. He knows his stuff and he tested my Cal and his tests showed 320. He had tested it about 3 days earlier and showed 400. He also tested the ALK at 12.5. Today after dosing about 20 ml of Calcium for the last 3 days from the Brightwell 2 part I tested about 440 calcium. 12.5 ALK. PH 8.3. I have been keeping the patio door open every day and dosing about 900 ML of Kalk. I lose an equivalent amount to evaporation. I have taken the osmolator offline and just fusing the dosed Kalwasser for top off. Kinda dialed in. Doing 15% water changes per week. No hair algae. Good SPS growth. Patches of coral one algae growing. I’m doing good for a slightly less than 3 month opd tank old tank
 
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