Dosing for alk, but only PH is raising...

[fishdaddy0831]

Ive have never been big on dosing. I usually rely on frequent water changes, but lately my alk has been very low. 5dkh to be exact. Long story short Ive been dosing a very very low amount of Ms.Wages for the last week. Ive been putting it in my ATO water. Sense I never dose Ive been a little scared and have been watching my PH and alk daily. While my alk hasn't changed at all My ph has gone from 8.2 to tonights reading of 8.8! Ive tested it every night at the same time and all week it has been 8.2, but all of a sudden its 8.8.

 

Anyone got any reasons why?

 

Tomorrow is a water change day anyway so I moved it up to tonight. I only did 10%.

[youincolor]

Are you baking the soda ash?

 

oh sorry i thought you were using baking soda. thats what you need, bake some baking soda, that should increase alk but not ph.

 

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/april2004/chem.htm

[farkwar]

Are you baking the soda ash?

 

oh sorry i thought you were using baking soda. thats what you need, bake some baking soda, that should increase alk but not ph.

 

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/april2004/chem.htm

 

Sodium Bicarbonate. Baking soda.

 

It will usually top out at 8.2(8.3) because it will precipitate out to solid if pH is higher. If you are 8.8, you have another source of OHs(hydroxide ions) in play.

[fishdaddy0831]

Are you baking the soda ash?

 

oh sorry i thought you were using baking soda. thats what you need, bake some baking soda, that should increase alk but not ph.

 

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/april2004/chem.htm

 

Thanks tumbleweed, I will deffenetly read up on that, but for my current problem....8.8. No big deal? let it level itself out? I was just thinking about the water change and I dont even see how it would help. My IO saltwater always test high in PH anyway.

 

Sodium Bicarbonate. Baking soda.

 

It will usually top out at 8.2(8.3) because it will precipitate out to solid if pH is higher. If you are 8.8, you have another source of OHs(hydroxide ions) in play.

 

 

I was usung kalkwasser. I read that with small doses it will raise alk but not PH. Ive dosed it in my ato all week and it hasnt done anything to my PH untill today.

[farkwar]

I was usung kalkwasser. I read that with small doses it will raise alk but not PH. Ive dosed it in my ato all week and it hasnt done anything to my PH untill today.

 

Kalkwasser, Calcium Hydroxide has a natural pH of like 12.

 

Is your tank warmer now than last week? But whatever it is, I bet that is where your OHs are coming from.

 

 

 

edit, you have an ATO. And more than likely it has been adding a lot water(+dosing) more recently due to increased evaporation. I originally thought it might be a temp effect on the chemical pH numbers. I now think that you are just adding more now. You need to decrease your dosing of Ca(HO)2.

[fishdaddy0831]

Kalkwasser, Calcium Hydroxide has a natural pH of like 12.

 

Is your tank warmer now than last week? But whatever it is, I bet that is where your OHs are coming from.

 

Not any warmer...my RKL keeps is within .4 deg. Im sure your right that the kalkwasser is the reason, but any clue as to why it jumped now and not before.

 

 

I guess is doesnt matter. I removed the kalkwasser from the ato.

 

 

last question.....ph of 8.8 anything to lose sleep over?

[reefer916]

Also check your magnesium... You may need to increase your mg to help increase your alk. I've noticed recently that my Reef Crystals alk is only testing at 8, so I've been dosing Kent coral builders alk buffer. I usually have to dose a little mg as well to be able to increase the alk to 10, where I keep my tank..

[farkwar]

Not any warmer...my RKL keeps is within .4 deg. Im sure your right that the kalkwasser is the reason, but any clue as to why it jumped now and not before.

I think it is due to increased evaporation due to the weather getting warmer. And increased ATO water with increased OHs from the Ca(OH)2 with it.

I'm topping my 29 gal off manually like almost gallon a day now.

 

I guess is doesnt matter. I removed the kalkwasser from the ato.

Good idea.

 

 

last question.....ph of 8.8 anything to lose sleep over?

I don't think so. Systems are less affected by highs and lows, than they are affected by rapid changes.

You could try adding acid, or an acid source, perhaps. Which would correct the pH part the imbalance(it would deplete your ALK radically). More than likely that would harm the system more than just waiting it out and letting it equalize.

 

You could just increase your water changes. There is rarely ever any harm in doing that. Don't go the acid route.

[fishdaddy0831]

alright...thanks for the help guys. I'll ride it out and when everything looks solid with the PH ill try the baking soda.

 

 

thanks again

[Nano sapiens]

Also check your magnesium... You may need to increase your mg to help increase your alk. I've noticed recently that my Reef Crystals alk is only testing at 8, so I've been dosing Kent coral builders alk buffer. I usually have to dose a little mg as well to be able to increase the alk to 10, where I keep my tank..

 

I've dosed clear, fresh, saturated 'Kalkwasser' for two decades and I have yet to see a spike in PH when I've used it mixed with RO or distilled in an ATO, or even as the sole source of top-off water. However, dosing old, milky Kalkwasser that includes a good portion of precipitated calcium carbonate will lower Alk. Not too sure why you are seeing an 8.8 PH, but I'd suspect your volume of Kalkwasser based on what you have reported.

 

Low Mg makes it more difficult to keep Alk high, too..

[farkwar]

nm, I misunderstood your post.

[Amphiprion1]

Sounds like you may have reached a point where you have reacted all CO2 in the water column, thus increasing pH fairly substantially. Also, what exactly is your alk reading?

[farkwar]

Sounds like you may have reached a point where you have reacted all CO2 in the water column, thus increasing pH fairly substantially. Also, what exactly is your alk reading?

 

He posted 5dKH.

 

I would bet a full year's subscription to Nano Reef that his Ca level is low too.

[fishdaddy0831]

He posted 5dKH.

 

I would bet a full year's subscription to Nano Reef that his Ca level is low too.

 

Unless my API test is bad my Ca is 460. Thats pretty much where its been. I don't have a Mag test, but I plan on trying to find one in town today.

 

 

 

I tested my PH this morning and it was 8.3. I'm sure after a day of lights it will be right beack to 8.8.

[youincolor]

I've dosed clear, fresh, saturated 'Kalkwasser' for two decades and I have yet to see a spike in PH when I've used it mixed with RO or distilled in an ATO, or even as the sole source of top-off water. However, dosing old, milky Kalkwasser that includes a good portion of precipitated calcium carbonate will lower Alk. Not too sure why you are seeing an 8.8 PH, but I'd suspect your volume of Kalkwasser based on what you have reported.

 

Low Mg makes it more difficult to keep Alk high, too..

Not to derail, but...

 

I noticed last night that my alk was low all the sudden as well, like 7-8. I haven't changed anything in my 2 part dosing, and I use Brightwell Kalk+2 as my top off water in my ATO jug. I wonder if not cleaning out the old powder in the jug every time would have contributed to my lower alk? I don't wash out the jug, I just add 5 more tbs of powder when I mix it. I let the new jug sit for 24 hours to settle and turn clear. What do you think?

[Nano sapiens]

Not to derail, but...

 

I noticed last night that my alk was low all the sudden as well, like 7-8. I haven't changed anything in my 2 part dosing, and I use Brightwell Kalk+2 as my top off water in my ATO jug. I wonder if not cleaning out the old powder in the jug every time would have contributed to my lower alk? I don't wash out the jug, I just add 5 more tbs of powder when I mix it. I let the new jug sit for 24 hours to settle and turn clear. What do you think?

 

Typically, I will use a fresh teaspoon of Kalk for my gallon container, shake very well, cap tightly and let this sit overnight, then decant the clear liquid into another container for aquarium use. Recently, I got a bit lazy and just kept added a bit more Kalk to my mixing bottle each time I made up Kalkwasser (3-4 times). I noticed that my Alk was starting to drift downward in the tank. I then went back to using fresh Kalkwasser and Alk is now back to its proper level.

[nemmy]

I've always heard kalk is for maintaining a specific level and not trying to increase one. I dose my tank to the correct levels then use the amount of kalk i know i need to maintain the tank until the next water change. I dose my water change water with the needed amount of additives and go from there.

 

If i notice my tank is using more cal, alk, and mag i adjust the kalk as needed.

 

I never clean my top off bucket, its seriously crusty and my alk never goes below 9.

 

I've been using Kalk+2 which is supposed to contain mag, cal, and alk

[Amphiprion1]

He posted 5dKH.

 

I would bet a full year's subscription to Nano Reef that his Ca level is low too.

 

Ah, I had missed that. Thanks for clarifying.

 

Hmm, I would get the alkalinity a bit higher--somewhere around 7 dKH or a bit higher and that will actually help resist upward pH swings much better. Calcium may be low, as I've found that API's calcium kit is usually off quite regularly, unlike their alkalinity test, which is usually quite good.

[lakshwadeep]

Make sure to get your tests calibrated and corroborate results with a different test.

 

This article on high pH is useful and indicates low carbon dioxide levels, as amphiprion1 mentioned:

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-03/rhf/

Also, read this article on kalkwasser:

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-01/rhf/index.php#12

 

So, it seems like increased aeration would be a relatively easy way of trying to deal with your high pH problems.