PH 7.2

[bubbgee]

Dear Randy Holmes Farley, I know this is an post and I don't have an Apex controller. I just tested my water and using a Hannah Alkalinity checker my KH is 7.2 and using the API my PH is 7.6. @ 11:00 A.M. EST. It's the middle of winter here in Cincinnati OH and extremely cold outside so opening the windows is not an option. I have an Avast Kalk stirrer and I had previously hooked it up to my ATO and it was a disaster KH rose to 15 and melted my zoas just frags but not good. The aquarium is an Innovative Marine 100-gallon Reef Complete system. A friend said that I should possibly use a dosing pump to raise KH and PH? Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

I am using the same setup. I bought a Kamoer X1 to dose it but I haven't dialled it in yet. I am following Inappropriate Reefer's setup.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Dear Randy Holmes Farley, I know this is an post and I don't have an Apex controller. I just tested my water and using a Hannah Alkalinity checker my KH is 7.2 and using the API my PH is 7.6. @ 11:00 A.M. EST. It's the middle of winter here in Cincinnati OH and extremely cold outside so opening the windows is not an option. I have an Avast Kalk stirrer and I had previously hooked it up to my ATO and it was a disaster KH rose to 15 and melted my zoas just frags but not good. The aquarium is an Innovative Marine 100-gallon Reef Complete system. A friend said that I should possibly use a dosing pump to raise KH and PH? Any help or advice would be greatly appreciated.

The best you can do with an additive is to use hydroxide in some form for any alk needed (and no more than needed).

That could be sodium hydroxide, which can be made very strong so low volumes are dosed) or limewater/kalkwasser, which is necessarily quite dilute.

Your reactor on a dosing pump that controls how much was delivered could do that for kalkwasser. Or you can use sodium hydroxide on the doser.

 

[bubbgee]

The best you can do with an additive is to use hydroxide in some form for any alk needed (and no more than needed).

That could be sodium hydroxide, which can be made very strong so low volumes are dosed) or limewater/kalkwasser, which is necessarily quite dilute.

Your reactor on a dosing pump that controls how much was delivered could do that for kalkwasser. Or you can use sodium hydroxide on the doser.

Hi Randy,

What's a safe vessel for Sodium Hydroxide? I am following your formula and ended up with an HDPE protein powder cylinder (which is too large). I had a rookie mistake melting what I intended as my container but I am not sure what kind of plastic jug I can use for the solution.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Hi Randy,

What's a safe vessel for Sodium Hydroxide? I am following your formula and ended up with an HDPE protein powder cylinder (which is too large). I had a rookie mistake melting what I intended as my container but I am not sure what kind of plastic jug I can use for the solution.

Melting can be avoided by going slow or precooling the water, and HDPE is a good chemical choice.

 

[BryanM]

fwiw mine looks like this:

 

[reefer2/19/24]

The best you can do with an additive is to use hydroxide in some form for any alk needed (and no more than needed).

That could be sodium hydroxide, which can be made very strong so low volumes are dosed) or limewater/kalkwasser, which is necessarily quite dilute.

Your reactor on a dosing pump that controls how much was delivered could do that for kalkwasser. Or you can use sodium hydroxide on the doser.

Ordered All for Reef as suggested by a friend in the hobby. Thoughts?
I really appreciate your time and help with this matter.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Ordered All for Reef as suggested by a friend in the hobby. Thoughts?
I really appreciate your time and help with this matter.

AFR is a fine way to supplement calcium and alkalinity, but it won’t help low pH issues.

This has more:

https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/pros-and-cons-of-alkalinity-and-calcium-dosing-methods.1069/

 

[reefer2/19/24]

AFR is a fine way to supplement calcium and alkalinity, but it won’t help low pH issues.

This has more:

https://www.reef2reef.com/ams/pros-and-cons-of-alkalinity-and-calcium-dosing-methods.1069/

Well I guess I will have to accept the PH issue for now I am in Cincinnati OH and it's not an option to open the windows right now. I truly appreciate your insight. Thank you brother.

 

[reefer2/19/24]

I am using the same setup. I bought a Kamoer X1 to dose it but I haven't dialled it in yet. I am following Inappropriate Reefer's setup.

After nuking my tank I would advise you to go extremely slow I'm talking a couple months.

 

[Justdrew]

After nuking my tank I would advise you to go extremely slow I'm talking a couple months.

You nuked it because it was on your ATO. The stirrer needs to be connected to a dosing pump so you can control how much is going in based off your need.

 

[reefer2/19/24]

You nuked it because it was on your ATO. The stirrer needs to be connected to a dosing pump so you can control how much is going in based off your need.

Agreed! Learned the lesson the hard way.