• Why not take a moment to introduce yourself to our members?

vanceny

Senior Member
Location
Woodside, Queens
Rating - 100%
17   0   0
I've been dosing Kalk with my top-off, does anyone do this as well? The problem that I'm having is my pH is 8.5. Is this too high? I add vinegar to the limewater to help with the pH issues but this sometimes causes algea to bloom. Is there a technique to keep the pH down while using limewater?

Also I've read most of the articles concerning limewater but nothing really addresses the issue.
 

meschaefer

One to Ignore
Location
Astoria
Rating - 100%
30   0   0
I don't think that 8.5 is that high. Worse than high PH is large PH swings. Take multiple PH readings throughout the day to see how much of a swing you have. If your tank is staying somwhat steady at 8.5 I would not worry about it, I also wouldn't let it get much higher than that.

If you want to "fix" it you could put your ATO on a timer, and only dose at night when your PH is naturally depressed.
 

lazibonez

Senior Newbie
Location
JH Queens
Rating - 100%
379   0   0
if you put your ATO on a timer, wouldn't your salinity rise during the day and drop back down when its topped off? That would cause a salinity swing.

I just started using Kalk with top off via ATO, I mix a batch of kalk with about 10 gallon reserve rodi top off water, it lasts me about a week and its loosely covered with a lid. Do you think mixing too much kalk top off water is a bad idea, since the potency should drop with time. Also I noticed that I got lots of white power floating around in my display after using kalk. What is the correct way to mix and use?
 

meschaefer

One to Ignore
Location
Astoria
Rating - 100%
30   0   0
Its pretty stable at that pH. I just thought it was too high. I would like to stop adding the vinegar but then the pH would really shoot up.

I think that you are fine, as long as it remains stable. Adding vinegar is not that hard, and it is fairly inexpensive.
 

meschaefer

One to Ignore
Location
Astoria
Rating - 100%
30   0   0
if you put your ATO on a timer, wouldn't your salinity rise during the day and drop back down when its topped off? That would cause a salinity swing.

I just started using Kalk with top off via ATO, I mix a batch of kalk with about 10 gallon reserve rodi top off water, it lasts me about a week and its loosely covered with a lid. Do you think mixing too much kalk top off water is a bad idea, since the potency should drop with time. Also I noticed that I got lots of white power floating around in my display after using kalk. What is the correct way to mix and use?


START HERE
 

VJ&POOPS

Member-MR Best Reef Site
Rating - 100%
83   0   0
Vance, dosing w/ your top-off may not be a good idea depending on our rate of evaporation.

Also pH at 8.5 is generally ok http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php

____________________________________________________________________

My method is reverse to yours, I used dosing as a means of top-off, then again I don't really have a high rate of evaporation. 1 gallon mix of each: Kalk, Strotium & Turbo Calcium, [3 separate containers]
 

sapseven

Advanced Reefer
Location
Brooklyn
Rating - 100%
27   0   0
check yur ph hour or 2 after your lights go out .. it should drop

if its the same in the day time .. try getting a small fan to blow air over the waters surface. seems to elevate ph
 

Sponsor Reefs

We're a FREE website, and we exist because of hobbyists like YOU who help us run this community.

Click here to sponsor $10:


Top