kalkwasser dosing question

Mike Arnold

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Just curious about the amount of kalkwasser that I'm dosing

This is a new tank (2 months cycled after 4 month fish cycle)

Waterbox 135.4 (maybe 120gallons of total water volume)

I'm dosing 157.7 ml/hour of saturated brs pharma kalk with a Kamor X1 Pro (about 1 gallon/day of saturated kalk, 2 tsp/gallon)

I want to increase the dose to try and raise my PH, but seems like I'm already dosing a lot of kalk for a tank that just has a few fish and no corals. I'm just now starting to see some coralline algae.

current parameters:

Ca: 453
dKH: 9.7
PO4: 0.0
NO3: 22.9 (over feeding via AFS) its turned off now
PH: 7.8 to 8.15
1649719312725.png


Here's what my tank looks like now. IMG_2881.jpg
 

HuduVudu

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Just curious about the amount of kalkwasser that I'm dosing

This is a new tank (2 months cycled after 4 month fish cycle)

Waterbox 135.4 (maybe 120gallons of total water volume)

I'm dosing 157.7 ml/hour of saturated brs pharma kalk with a Kamor X1 Pro (about 1 gallon/day of saturated kalk, 2 tsp/gallon)

I want to increase the dose to try and raise my PH, but seems like I'm already dosing a lot of kalk for a tank that just has a few fish and no corals. I'm just now starting to see some coralline algae.

current parameters:

Ca: 453
dKH: 9.7
PO4: 0.0
NO3: 22.9 (over feeding via AFS) its turned off now
PH: 7.8 to 8.15
1649719312725.png


Here's what my tank looks like now. IMG_2881.jpg
You need to know what your room CO2 is. If you don't you will forever be fighting windmills.
 
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Mike Arnold

Mike Arnold

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You need to know what your room CO2 is. If you don't you will forever be fighting windmills.
I forgot to mention that I'm running a canister of CO2 scrubbing material with a hose into the attic, and the weather is relatively nice here so the doors are open most of the day. I was planning on developing a better solution for Co2 scrubbing, but figured that I have a little time before it gets too hot this summer.

PH doesn't really change either way, wether I'm if I'm scrubbing the Co2 or not

How would I measure Co2?
 

HuduVudu

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I forgot to mention that I'm running a canister of CO2 scrubbing material with a hose into the attic, and the weather is relatively nice here so the doors are open most of the day. I was planning on developing a better solution for Co2 scrubbing, but figured that I have a little time before it gets too hot this summer.

PH doesn't really change either way, wether I'm if I'm scrubbing the Co2 or not

How would I measure Co2?
I wouldn't make assumptions about CO2 levels. It's better to test and be sure so that you can make decisions on solid information.

The testers can be had easily on EBay.

I have one sitting on my desk right now because it is that important. A quick note about my situation to maybe help you better understand why I am adamant about it. I leave both windows in my small apartment open all day. I see about 450ppm when this is happening. I close the windows for my sleep cycle and when I wake up in the morning the CO2 is 1600ppm. The apartment is small 1000ft2 with 2 people.

CO2 is real and IMO it is as important to know what it is as it is to know your alk and calcium.

My 2 cents.
 
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Mike Arnold

Mike Arnold

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I wouldn't make assumptions about CO2 levels. It's better to test and be sure so that you can make decisions on solid information.

The testers can be had easily on EBay.

I have one sitting on my desk right now because it is that important. A quick note about my situation to maybe help you better understand why I am adamant about it. I leave both windows in my small apartment open all day. I see about 450ppm when this is happening. I close the windows for my sleep cycle and when I wake up in the morning the CO2 is 1600ppm. The apartment is small 1000ft2 with 2 people.

CO2 is real and IMO it is as important to know what it is as it is to know your alk and calcium.

My 2 cents.
awesome, thanks for the clarification
 

tapeworm123

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You need photo synthesis to raise PH not kalk. Your alk is at 9.7 your at the max your system can take of kalk. Also sounds like your chasing ph, that a trend in the hobby right now. I think you will be more happy having a thriving reef instead of wasting time and money chasing thing that come along the way like PH. More corals more photosynthesis more stability and the higher ph will come.
 

dwest

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I would add enough kalk slowly throughout the day to match the alkalinity demand of your tank. Use kalk to control alkalinity, not pH.
 

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