Kalkwasser question and ph

Danny McElroy

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Nope, I have found Kalkwasser to be a great way to increase suppressed pH and it's also a very good cheap way to replace calcium and alkalinity, however you need enough corals in the tank taking them up or they will rise rapidly.
 
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Salty_Northerner

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Thanks, I was able to peg the alkalinity to 9.0 but the trace elements was the reason I stotand went back to AFR. I figured their might be a way to use a low mix solution of kalkwasser that didn't impact dkh or ca.

Any other product that could be recommended alongside all for reef to raise or help boost pH?

Tia
 

Randy Holmes-Farley

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Thanks, I was able to peg the alkalinity to 9.0 but the trace elements was the reason I stotand went back to AFR. I figured their might be a way to use a low mix solution of kalkwasser that didn't impact dkh or ca.

Any other product that could be recommended alongside all for reef to raise or help boost pH?

Tia

There is no product, even theoretically, that can be added to boost pH and not alk. :)
 
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Solo McReefer

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Thanks Randy and thanks to others for the answers. If only kalkwasser had all the trace elements like AFR.
Your salt mix has trace elements

And you can certainly by trace elements separately

I know of two companies that sell all the elements separately even

Red Sea and Korellenzucht have trace in 4 bottles

Tropic Marin has 2 bottles

Fauna Marin has trace elements, in I don’t know how many bottles

 
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Salty_Northerner

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Kalk doesn't always raise pH. Just saying.
It did for me but was limited. It would bottom out at a low of 8.03ish and some days hit 8.3 but I was in a doser to peg the ALK at 9 which was great but had to go back to AFR for the traces. Id kept dosing kalk but only have 2 versas and using TM A and k traces wouldn't work unless I had a 3rd doser.

pH now bottoms out at 7.83 over night and hits a high of 8.07-8.10 as long as we leave a window and door open or if we're away from the house for the day.
 

Randy Holmes-Farley

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Kalk doesn't always raise pH. Just saying.

I think that has to be clarified to say “noticeably”. It must raise pH some.

The degree always depends on a bunch of factors such as the amount added, the alk and pH in the tank, and the extent of aeration.
 

exnisstech

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How can you add Hydroxide ions

And pH doesn't go up?

That doesn't even make sense



Ah, if you add an acid at the same time. Figured it out
Like Randy said it may not “noticeably” raise it. I didn't notice it so in my feeble mind it didn't raise it. I don't monitor so I can't see graphs. I have 3 tanks running in single story home. One I was dosing 7200 ml fully saturated kalk daily over 24hrs. Any time I tested all 3 tanks had identical pH so in my mind kalk was not raising pH.
I should probably listen and not speak over here in the chemistry forum :face-with-hand-over-mouth:
 

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