OK, so what do I do to raise the Ph but not the ALK?
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Alkalinity issue, need advice!
- Thread starter IrradiatedReef
- Start date
I myself would stop using the B-Ionic in your situation and start a kalk drip. The kalk drip will substantially help with your pH problem and will also help raise your calcium and alkalinity. Keep in mind the biggest change you will see is in the pH.
Ideally you would want to drip the kalk at night when the pH is the lowest but you can also drip all day if needed if it doesn't put your calcium and alk levels over the top. Calcium is normally not going to be a problem but your alk levels might be.
While getting used to the amount you can drip keep in mind you need to test the alk levels as much as the pH. If you alkalinity levels hit 12dKh then you need to back off on the drip a bit. 11dKh on the alk is about as optimal as it gets and anything over that will start to cause other problems.
The kalk will also help with your calcium but most likely will not be enough. You will want to use some other form of calcium supplement (ie.e Kent Turbo Calcium) to boost the calcium levels to at least 380. I normally try and shoot for 400 on the nose but don't like my calcium higher then that. You will also want to test your Mag levels and supplement them as well if needed. The rule is 3 times the calcium level for your Mag so if you shoot for 400 on calcium then 1200 is perfect for the Mag levels.
Once you get your kalk setup and running with the right drip rate you'll have a lot more stable pH in your system and will be able to determine what other additives to use. Depending on how things test out you can probably go back to the B-Ionic (at least the calcium part). Try using the calculator webpage I gave earlier to figure out how much of what product to use.
Carlo
Ideally you would want to drip the kalk at night when the pH is the lowest but you can also drip all day if needed if it doesn't put your calcium and alk levels over the top. Calcium is normally not going to be a problem but your alk levels might be.
While getting used to the amount you can drip keep in mind you need to test the alk levels as much as the pH. If you alkalinity levels hit 12dKh then you need to back off on the drip a bit. 11dKh on the alk is about as optimal as it gets and anything over that will start to cause other problems.
The kalk will also help with your calcium but most likely will not be enough. You will want to use some other form of calcium supplement (ie.e Kent Turbo Calcium) to boost the calcium levels to at least 380. I normally try and shoot for 400 on the nose but don't like my calcium higher then that. You will also want to test your Mag levels and supplement them as well if needed. The rule is 3 times the calcium level for your Mag so if you shoot for 400 on calcium then 1200 is perfect for the Mag levels.
Once you get your kalk setup and running with the right drip rate you'll have a lot more stable pH in your system and will be able to determine what other additives to use. Depending on how things test out you can probably go back to the B-Ionic (at least the calcium part). Try using the calculator webpage I gave earlier to figure out how much of what product to use.
Carlo
Thanks for the info! You never posted the website for the calculator...
WOW! Awesome calculator!!
Yea, that calc is pretty darn handy. It's pretty hard to mess up if you use it. The only recommendation I'd make is a general one: Even when you know the "proper" amount to dose to bring something up do it in moderation. It's far better to spread a dose out over 2 days then to dose it all at once.
Carlo
Carlo
Oh of cource. I couldn't imagine dumping in 750ml of part 2 bionic at once lol. Luckily, I did not have to do this. I am now at 450 cal. 10 Dkh alk. Ph still 8.0 daytime, 7.8 nighttime though.
Everything is looking good except your pH at this point. The pH is borderline low and could use a lift.
Do you have the refugium up and running with Cheato now? Are you running the lights on 24hrs or on an opposite light schedule from your display?
It looks like a Kalk/Limewater drip will help you a lot with the pH. When you get the chance pick up a small amount of it. Mix 2 tsp kalk per gallon of RO/DI water (not salt water). For testing just use any type of open top container that you can put a lid on (easy to get to solution when playing). Mix up the solution and let it sit with the cover on for an hour or so until the top of the solution becomes clear (always keep the lid on as much as possible so the air doesn't "destroy" the kalk mix. Once the top of the solution is clear experiment by adding a shotglass of the clear liquid to your tank/sump area (high circ area). Let it circulate for an hour or so and retest your pH and alk. You can get an idea of the usefullness of the kalk by doing the shotglass routine before you take the time to setup the drip. If possible "play" during your night time period when pH is the lowest.
According to the calculator at 20 gallons (took a guess) of water it will take 22.4 fluid ounces of this solution to raise your alk by 1 dKh. With each shotglass amount of Kalk solution added you should see the pH rise but also see a minimum rise in alk. Again like anything else go slow and take your time and before you know it you'll have it "dialed" in. When ever adjusting pH in your tank you want to try and make sure you don't change it more then 0.20 at a time so you don't shock the system.
You may find you don't need to setup a drip but can just add a shotglass amount of solution a couple of times a day (if this isn't too much trouble). The Kalk drip/addition will also help your calcium and alk levels besides the pH issue so once the kalk is "dialed in" you'll need to adjust the amount of other supplements down a little bit.
Note: besides a kalk drop there is another easy/cheap way of raising pH and alk (not calcium) using Arm and Hammer Baking Powder (grocery store) or Baking (in the oven) Baking Soda (to create baking powder). Running this through the same calculator using 20 gallons of water comes up with an addition of 0.3 tsp of baking powder mixed with RO/DI water. As you can see this is much more potent and with your size system would be wise to dilute a lot more with RO/DI water so you don't overdose it.
The Kalk drip is the way to go if possible but we may find out you can't dose enough of it per day (not enough evap) so then you can add in very little amounts of diluted baking powder to make up what you can't kalk drip.
I hope this was clear enough. If not just ask and I'll clarify it for you.
Keep us posted on your progress,
Carlo
Do you have the refugium up and running with Cheato now? Are you running the lights on 24hrs or on an opposite light schedule from your display?
It looks like a Kalk/Limewater drip will help you a lot with the pH. When you get the chance pick up a small amount of it. Mix 2 tsp kalk per gallon of RO/DI water (not salt water). For testing just use any type of open top container that you can put a lid on (easy to get to solution when playing). Mix up the solution and let it sit with the cover on for an hour or so until the top of the solution becomes clear (always keep the lid on as much as possible so the air doesn't "destroy" the kalk mix. Once the top of the solution is clear experiment by adding a shotglass of the clear liquid to your tank/sump area (high circ area). Let it circulate for an hour or so and retest your pH and alk. You can get an idea of the usefullness of the kalk by doing the shotglass routine before you take the time to setup the drip. If possible "play" during your night time period when pH is the lowest.
According to the calculator at 20 gallons (took a guess) of water it will take 22.4 fluid ounces of this solution to raise your alk by 1 dKh. With each shotglass amount of Kalk solution added you should see the pH rise but also see a minimum rise in alk. Again like anything else go slow and take your time and before you know it you'll have it "dialed" in. When ever adjusting pH in your tank you want to try and make sure you don't change it more then 0.20 at a time so you don't shock the system.
You may find you don't need to setup a drip but can just add a shotglass amount of solution a couple of times a day (if this isn't too much trouble). The Kalk drip/addition will also help your calcium and alk levels besides the pH issue so once the kalk is "dialed in" you'll need to adjust the amount of other supplements down a little bit.
Note: besides a kalk drop there is another easy/cheap way of raising pH and alk (not calcium) using Arm and Hammer Baking Powder (grocery store) or Baking (in the oven) Baking Soda (to create baking powder). Running this through the same calculator using 20 gallons of water comes up with an addition of 0.3 tsp of baking powder mixed with RO/DI water. As you can see this is much more potent and with your size system would be wise to dilute a lot more with RO/DI water so you don't overdose it.
The Kalk drip is the way to go if possible but we may find out you can't dose enough of it per day (not enough evap) so then you can add in very little amounts of diluted baking powder to make up what you can't kalk drip.
I hope this was clear enough. If not just ask and I'll clarify it for you.
Keep us posted on your progress,
Carlo
Yes. Cheato has been in the Fuge for a week now with 24 hour 10 watt PC over it. The little self ballasting bulb, kinda pinkish light. Has a lot of Pods in it already.
I am going to pick up the Kalk tomorrow and work with it over the weekend and I will give you updates. If I can get away with say a shot in the AM and a Shot in the PM doing it that way will work out fine for me. What is the shelf life of mixed/prepared Kalk BTW?
I am going to pick up the Kalk tomorrow and work with it over the weekend and I will give you updates. If I can get away with say a shot in the AM and a Shot in the PM doing it that way will work out fine for me. What is the shelf life of mixed/prepared Kalk BTW?
The main thing to keeping the Kalk mix useable is to keep it airtight as much as possible. The more it is exposed to air the quicker it degrades. If left open it will be useless in a day or so. You can mix it up for about a weeks worth at a time.
To give you an idea. Most of us who run kalk reactors just mix up a slurry (small jar or portion of jar) amount of kalk with RO/DI water mixed and dump it into the kalk reactor. Then you just add RO/DI top off water to the kalk reactor and stir it every day or other day. You can then just continue to add RO/DI water to the kalk reactor until there isn't enough kalk solution left (you know because the pH of your tank slowly starts to drop). You can do this for months. Then every few months I clean out the reactor and get rid of any powder that has settled to the bottom and start over. The stuff that settles to the bottom will be impurities and kalk that has gone bad due to air exposure. It basically will not mix with the water anymore. It's pretty easy and low maintenance overall. The key is really just keeping it covered.
You verywell might be able to get away with a 2 or 3 shot per day addition of Kalk to the system. Just make sure the addition doesn't change your system more then 0.2 at a time. In your case this is just about the target you want to add anyway so it appears you'll be a good candidate for this. It might take 3 or 4 shotglass amounts at each addition to raise it 0.20 but play "slow" to get the feel for it.
Carlo
To give you an idea. Most of us who run kalk reactors just mix up a slurry (small jar or portion of jar) amount of kalk with RO/DI water mixed and dump it into the kalk reactor. Then you just add RO/DI top off water to the kalk reactor and stir it every day or other day. You can then just continue to add RO/DI water to the kalk reactor until there isn't enough kalk solution left (you know because the pH of your tank slowly starts to drop). You can do this for months. Then every few months I clean out the reactor and get rid of any powder that has settled to the bottom and start over. The stuff that settles to the bottom will be impurities and kalk that has gone bad due to air exposure. It basically will not mix with the water anymore. It's pretty easy and low maintenance overall. The key is really just keeping it covered.
You verywell might be able to get away with a 2 or 3 shot per day addition of Kalk to the system. Just make sure the addition doesn't change your system more then 0.2 at a time. In your case this is just about the target you want to add anyway so it appears you'll be a good candidate for this. It might take 3 or 4 shotglass amounts at each addition to raise it 0.20 but play "slow" to get the feel for it.
Carlo