Two Part or Kalkwasser

kdtorgy

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 11, 2020
Messages
183
Reaction score
75
Location
Prescott
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I'm fairly new to reefing and have a 30 month old mixed reef tank with some softies, a few LPS and a few SPS. I'm dosing BRS two part (soda ash and calcium chloride) along with magnesium with a Red Sea auto-dose which is working fine but I can't get pH above 7.9 to 8.0, even with a small chaeto fuge and a CO2 scrubber on the skimmer intake. I live in the midwest so opening windows is not an option for about 9 months a year. Tank is in the basement of a new house with 5 people, 2 cats and a dog. I can't run an outside air line due to the location of the tank. I'm wondering if switching from two-part to kalkwasser with the auto doser would be a good idea.
 
OP
OP
kdtorgy

kdtorgy

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 11, 2020
Messages
183
Reaction score
75
Location
Prescott
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
seems a little low. From what I’ve read 8.3 is optimal but I could be chasing numbers which I know is not a good idea.
 

stoney7713

10K Club member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 30, 2022
Messages
10,663
Reaction score
18,456
Location
Salem
Rating - 100%
11   0   0
seems a little low. From what I’ve read 8.3 is optimal but I could be chasing numbers which I know is not a good idea.
Kalk could give you a bit of a boost, but no guarantee, I went from 7.9 to 8.1 with a little bit of Kalk but I have to watch it doesn't boost alkalinity too much, but my tank is still very young.

There are a lot of tanks that sit at 7.9 8.0, they thrive, if what you have works let it ride.
 
OP
OP
kdtorgy

kdtorgy

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 11, 2020
Messages
183
Reaction score
75
Location
Prescott
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
There are a lot of recipes I found by him. I’m guessing the alkalinity recipe using sodium hydroxide instead of baking soda is the one to which you are referring?
 

Randy Holmes-Farley

Reef Chemist
View Badges
Joined
Sep 5, 2014
Messages
66,553
Reaction score
62,861
Location
Arlington, Massachusetts, United States
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I'm fairly new to reefing and have a 30 month old mixed reef tank with some softies, a few LPS and a few SPS. I'm dosing BRS two part (soda ash and calcium chloride) along with magnesium with a Red Sea auto-dose which is working fine but I can't get pH above 7.9 to 8.0, even with a small chaeto fuge and a CO2 scrubber on the skimmer intake. I live in the midwest so opening windows is not an option for about 9 months a year. Tank is in the basement of a new house with 5 people, 2 cats and a dog. I can't run an outside air line due to the location of the tank. I'm wondering if switching from two-part to kalkwasser with the auto doser would be a good idea.

Yes, switching to slow dosed kalkwasser or the sodium hydroxide two part will help with pH a bit. :)
 
OP
OP
kdtorgy

kdtorgy

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Nov 11, 2020
Messages
183
Reaction score
75
Location
Prescott
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Yes, switching to slow dosed kalkwasser or the sodium hydroxide two part will help with pH a bit. :)
Hi Randy, thanks for your input. Someone referred me to your dosing recipes. I'm assuming you are referring to the recipe that uses 283 grams of sodium hydroxide in 1 gallon of water for the alkalinity part and 500 grams of calcium chloride dihydrate for the calcium part?
 

Hal3134

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
Mar 26, 2018
Messages
466
Reaction score
305
Location
Longmont, CO
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
What is your Alk? your pH is within normal range, so I wouldn’t worry if your alk, ca, and mag are all normal.
 

Randy Holmes-Farley

Reef Chemist
View Badges
Joined
Sep 5, 2014
Messages
66,553
Reaction score
62,861
Location
Arlington, Massachusetts, United States
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Hi Randy, thanks for your input. Someone referred me to your dosing recipes. I'm assuming you are referring to the recipe that uses 283 grams of sodium hydroxide in 1 gallon of water for the alkalinity part and 500 grams of calcium chloride dihydrate for the calcium part?

Yes, this recipe:

 

Mastering the art of locking and unlocking water pathways: What type of valves do you have on your aquarium plumbing?

  • Ball valves.

    Votes: 68 52.3%
  • Gate valves.

    Votes: 67 51.5%
  • Check valves.

    Votes: 33 25.4%
  • None.

    Votes: 29 22.3%
  • Other.

    Votes: 9 6.9%
Back
Top