Kalkwasser what is the best way to dose?

[Ross Petersen]

And yet, it is almost certainly incorrect, IMO.

That pH is low enough that rock and sand would be dissolving , and if simple aeration did not raise it, your home air would likely be getting close to the OSHA limit for CO2 in a workplace for an 8 hour work exposure (5,000 ppm).

If true, for your own sake, open a window!

Hey Randy et al.,

I'm in the same boat: 40 gallon tank with an apex running at pH from 7.6 (night) to 7.8 (day) using the Red Sea Blue Bucket salt. I recently used fluconazole (to kill bryopsis) and the tank is now hovering between pH 7.3 - 7.6... despite lots of water changes and activated carbon to remove the drug. I'm going to check the pH probe (using Red Sea test kits, and calibration fluids).

I'm currently dosing all-for-reef but weekly testing has revealed I don't really need it. I do ~15% weekly water changes (mixed reef with lots of sticks) but hoping to transition to water changes every 2 weeks. I'm thinking about dosing kalkwasser instead (using a single Kamoer pump) to maintain and perhaps raise the pH a bit.

What are your thoughts on this approach? Any real downsides dosing kalkwasser at a slow rate, using a reservoir that lasts a good 4-6 weeks or so? Do I need a special tubing for this? I'm thinking a saturated solution would be best to prolong the kalkwasser reservoir?

Thanks

 

[Mywifeisgunnakillme]

I just want to know if the ph was really 7.3?

 

[Mark Novack]

My experience was little effect on Ph, quickly irritating to maintain and cumbersome to install with elegance. My Ph stayed 7.9 mostly. Yes, alk shot up to 14 or 16 but that had no adverse effects on the corals. I'll see this time. I'm in the process of setting up a sterile tank for SPS dominant. It will be ready for a fish about 2 months so this is going to be a long process.

 

[Dav2996]

My avg high is 7.3 all year round I am even running a Co2 scrubber on my skimmer the highest ph that tank ever saw was 7.8

Are you using carbon? Like nopox or vinegar stop using that

 

[calanprc]

I never understood why people think stirrers are easier than still reservoirs. I dump some kalk into the Brute once a month when I fill it up, that's it. It never needs to be cleaned.

Hi,
What ratio of kalk to gallons of rodi water do you mix in the brute container? What size is your brute container? Thank you!! Your method seems like a good approach for me.

 

[Midrats]

I just throw a couple of cups into a 32g Brute. Only so much will dissolve, any surplus will settle on the bottom. If you don't want saturated kalkwasser more careful measurement will be required.