PH options (currently 7.69)

[lrasser]

I've never been someone to chase PH but now it's getting to that point. Ever since installing my calcium reactor I can't keep my PH up. I drip kalk all day at about a gallon per day. I've used Soda lime but gets expensive and only last a few days. Running a line to the outside is not an option. I'd be fine with letting it get to 7.8 but it doesn't stop there. I've found it all the way at 7.62. Yes I've re-calibrated the probe and every replaced it. I'm now starting to experience STN on the bottom of some of my Acropora. My house is tightly sealed so the only fix I can see is going back to dosing. I will not add the Kalk to my top off after my last experience. I would consider dripping more but it must me pump/apex controlled in some way.

Any suggestions are welcome.

 

[Skaters216]

Did you test your ph any other way beside what ur readings are on the apex?

 

[lrasser]

yes. My PH is accurate.

 

[sealtea116]

Pickling lime might be cheaper ms Wagner is what I use

 

[edd]

i know you said its not an option, but you should try to run skimmer intake to fresh air, it will make a differanse. and its safe.

 

[lrasser]

It's not an option for me with placement of the tank.

 

[qy7400]

Where is the pH probe in relation to the calcium reactor effluent? If they are close by you may be getting a false reading. Try moving the probe to the display and use a test kit to test the display water.

 

[JBNY]

hmm, something is not right, how much effluent are you dispensing in the tank? Have you tried to run all your top off as kalk? Fully saturated kalk should have a pH of around 12. So it should be more than capable of bringing your pH up a little to offset the low reactor effluent.

You could also have the effluent run into a small bucket and have an airstone in it to bring up the ph too.

 

[lrasser]

I'm only dosing limited kalk right now since I don't like the fact of dosing through the ATO. By doing so I'd be too worried about evaporation changes cause fluctuations in levels from day to day. Maybe I'm over thinking that the end game is stability. I've thought about adding it to my 15g ATO reservoir and just putting a pump to circulate it periodically to keep it stirred. I'm doing 50ml min at 6.5 ph.

 

[lrasser]

I've tried the airstone to no luck. Co2 in my house is the issue. House is 2 years old and energy star. It's sealed to tight.

 

[JBNY]

test the pH in the kalk, if it is not 12 (I think that 12.4 is fully saturated) you can add more kalk to the gallon, that should raise the pH of the tank more.

In the past I was dosing as much as 120ml with the internal pH of the reactor being 6.45 and effluent was about 6.8. With that much I was still able to keep the tank with a pH of over 8 when dosing kalk.

 

[lrasser]

Where you dosing the kalk just through the ATO? If so we're your parameters stable?

 

[JBNY]

My alk fluctuated from 7 to about 9 dKh at different times. At the time it did not cause me any issues even with a tank full of SPS, now I seem to have problems when the alk fluctuates so I am not doing all my top off via kalk anymore. But I evaporate about 5-7 gallons a day during the winter.

I still think you should be able to not have that low of pH. Measure the kalk you are dosing and see what the pH is.

 

[piranhapat]

I just ran into same trouble. I tested PH and was 7.4 My system is dosing soda Ash and Cal. I added one tea spoon of KAl to one gallon to be added to 10 gal ATO tank. But already had about 8 gal of plan RO/Di in 10 gal ATO tank. Everyday I added other gallon of KAl to ATO and tested after 5 gal. I notice ph went to 7.8. About 7th day I notice ph 8.1 . So now I only Add 1 gal of KAl every other day and in between just plan RO/DI water to ATO. Alk and Cal didn't change stood at 8.0 Alk cal 400. So now just making sure not to add to much KAl. Just enough to boost PH. So far it's working out.

 

[vio]

"My house is tightly sealed so the only fix I can see is going back to dosing "
"Co2 in my house is the issue. House is 2 years old and energy star. It's sealed to tight." C/P
that may be your problem CO2.
when i keep my tank (basement) at home i got 650 ppm CO2 , the reason my basement was NOT perfect seal, same house (second floor) i got perfect seal, new windows, double insulate ceiling etc. i got 1200 ppm CO2, keep windows open for few hours a day then monitor if PH change or some how to enter fresh air from outside (435 ppm in NY).

 

[lrasser]

If my windows are open it doesn't go below 7.85 at night. It's def a co2 issue. The kalk tested at 12.2 PH. I just split my ATO tank in half and filled half with kalk. That side will dose 1 gallon of kalk a day and the second will top off the remaining. this is raising my kalk usage. This should allow me to get my PH up but stay away from fluctuations since I'll be dosing small amounts every 15 minutes and the same each day. I also dialed back my calcium reactor to compensate. I'll have to see where I'm at in the morning.

 

[vio]

Just curios, what Calcium Reactor you have, i use MC (the big one ) great CR,smart design , i run 75% Cal.Reactor then Deltec Kalkwasser Stirrer also very smart design, i dose via Vertex Libra. Just try to avoid to much CO2 in my tank.

 

[lrasser]

I have the MRC minical with second chamber. I raised my PH in the reactor to 6.7 yesterday and added more kalk. Trying to keep the moves slow. Alk was dead on at 162 today. (My target is always 160). So no alk swing! PH this morning was 7.75 so it def improved a little. I'll keep making slowing shifts toward the kalk regulating it and see if i can get it over the lowest of 7.8 as my goal. Last thing I want to do is shift things to fast.

 

[wolfie2012]

Since you can't run a line to a source of fresh air, you could make yourself a CO2 scrubber with the output into the air intake of your skimmer. Largest expense is the Soda Lime. I use a simple one on my large system and I definitely noticed a difference in pH swings.

 

[Loose tenticle]

if you want to do it through the apex, get the apex doser and dose 2 part? its a bit pricey for a 2 channel doser though.