Kalk to raise alk and then maintain

[BAMatter]

This is fine, but I do it the way I described because I always assumed that alk consumption would be different at significantly different alkalinity levels. my guess is consumption is faster at 9 than 7.7, but again that’s just an assumption. You’ll need to make future adjustments anyway because consumption changes over time due to pH differences, nutrient differences, coral size, etc.

Several ways to skin a cat. Truth be told, there are going to be adjustments either way. May be easier to do it now before going down the rabbit hole with Kalk, which we all know has several methods in itself, especially with dosing less than fully saturated as this can leave a lot of variance in terms of consistency.

 

[rishma]

Several ways to skin a cat. Truth be told, there are going to be adjustments either way. May be easier to do it now before going down the rabbit hole with Kalk, which we all know has several methods in itself, especially with dosing less than fully saturated as this can leave a lot of variance in terms of consistency.

To your point, I periodically adjust my dosing rate and my tank is fairly stable and mature. It will take a while to dial in regardless. Cheers.

 

[alindell]

Lol I dose 5700 ml a day continuously in a 160 total gallon system

 

[reef’r]

K

Several ways to skin a cat. Truth be told, there are going to be adjustments either way. May be easier to do it now before going down the rabbit hole with Kalk, which we all know has several methods in itself, especially with dosing less than fully saturated as this can leave a lot of variance in terms of consistency.

To your point, I periodically adjust my dosing rate and my tank is fairly stable and mature. It will take a while to dial in regardless. Cheers.

So I’ll dump previous batch of kalk and mix up a new one at full saturation 2tsp per gallon. I’ll adjust pump to add 7.6ml an hour to get my DKH to 9 and then I’ll cut dosing test for a day and see where that lands me

 

[reef’r]

Lol I dose 5700 ml a day continuously in a 160 total gallon system

Okay?

 

[alindell]

Okay?

I've found that kalk is better for ph than it is for alk and cal. It doesn't add enough unless you have a very low need system

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

This is fine too, but I do it the way I described because I always assumed that alk consumption would be different at significantly different alkalinity levels. my guess is consumption is faster at 9 than 7.7,

I expect it will be. Also higher as the pH rises.

 

[BAMatter]

I've found that kalk is better for ph than it is for alk and cal. It doesn't add enough unless you have a very low need system

The main issue is maintaining demand without going over your evap. The ACI method aside, I landed on dosing about 1/2 my evap rate at night for a PH boost, and dose ESV 2 part 24/7.

 

[alindell]

The main issue is maintaining demand without going over your evap. The ACI method aside, I landed on dosing about 1/2 my evap rate at night for a PH boost, and dose ESV 2 part 24/7.

Why at night. Wouldn't it be better in the day

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I've found that kalk is better for ph than it is for alk and cal. It doesn't add enough unless you have a very low need system

Not sure why you say that, but of course it does depend on evaporation.

My tank got kalk only for 20 years, getting about 2 dKH per day.

 

[BAMatter]

My PH drops at night, so that’s when the kalk is most necessary, since I dose it for PH and not alk.

 

[reef’r]

I've found that kalk is better for ph than it is for alk and cal. It doesn't add enough unless you have a very low need system

Yes my system is low need. 8 month old tank with about 10 sps frags and another 8 or so lps with coralline growing. I’m not detecting big drops testing daily on salifert however I’ve gone from mid 8s now into mid 7s. I want to maintain alk at 9 or so that’s why I chose kalk, will eventually supplant with a 2 part on this system and my 112g

 

[alindell]

Not sure why you say that, but of course it does depend on evaporation.

My tank got kalk only for 20 years, getting about 2 dKH per day.

I'm pretty sps dominant in 160 gallons. I have a kalk stirrer dosing about 1 gallon and half a day continuously. That is not enough. Others reefers have said the same. It's just anecdotal, but systems SPS dominant will need more than kalk otherwise you may go over EVAP rate. I have to add all 4 reef and auto water changes to Keep up. Alk stays around 8.5

 

[reef’r]

Not sure why you say that, but of course it does depend on evaporation.

My tank got kalk only for 20 years, getting about 2 dKH per day.

Randy to reconfirm with you. I’m wanting to up alk from 7.7 to 9. It’s an addition of 1247ml that I’m going to break up over the course of 7 days, dosing hourly. That equates out to 7.6ml an hour or 182.4ml a day. In a weeks time, saving for consumption that should arrive me at 9dkh? Also will dump my 1/2tsp per gallon solution and go fully saturated at 2tsp per gallon. Sound square?

 

[rishma]

K


So I’ll dump previous batch of kalk and mix up a new one at full saturation 2tsp per gallon. I’ll adjust pump to add 7.6ml an hour to get my DKH to 9 and then I’ll cut dosing test for a day and see where that lands me

Due to inaccuracy in my testing and/or possibly changes in my consumption rate, I typically rely on 3 test data points to draw my consumption rate trend. Testing at least 24 hrs apart. I also test at the same time everyday, in the evening before my nightly Kalk dosing starts. This approach has been reliable for me. I know my alkalinity is a little higher in the morning, likely because Kalk doses over night.

Also, once you are dosing your maintenance rate, you can adjust up or down based on tests without stopping dosing, just change dose based on incremental alkalinity. I just like to do the initial rate based on consumption without no dosing. To Randy’s point, the higher pH from dosing will increase consumption, so you’ll likely need to tweak it after initially determining maintenance dose.

 

[rishma]

Why at night. Wouldn't it be better in the day

Assuming more stable pH is a good thing and most people have a pH drop at night, dosing at night helps mitigate the drop. I know in my system is keeps the day/night pH swing much less when I dose Kalk at night.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Yes my system is low need. 8 month old tank with about 10 sps frags and another 8 or so lps with coralline growing. I’m not detecting big drops testing daily on salifert however I’ve gone from mid 8s now into mid 7s. I want to maintain alk at 9 or so that’s why I chose kalk, will eventually supplant with a 2 part on this system and my 112g

That sounds like a fine plan to me.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I'm pretty sps dominant in 160 gallons. I have a kalk stirrer dosing about 1 gallon and half a day continuously. That is not enough. Others reefers have said the same. It's just anecdotal, but systems SPS dominant will need more than kalk otherwise you may go over EVAP rate. I have to add all 4 reef and auto water changes to Keep up. Alk stays around 8.5

That’s a fairly low evaporation rate, so I agree that it only adds about 1.1 dKH per day and would not be enough in many tanks.

I’m certainly not saying kalk meets demand in heavy sps tanks. It won’t. I was just pointing out that it need not be the low demand tank situation that you mentioned.

 

[rishma]

Oops, Nevermind

 

[reef’r]

so I mixed up a new batch at full saturation and adjusted dosage to 7.6ml an hour…. Now it looks like my dosing pump is acting up always something