if you add kalk should your Ph go up?

[rossb]

Just a question, my Ph has been stable at about 8.2 since the tank started. I took CanMan's advice and added charcoal and it really improved my tank clarity. So then I decided to add kalk and an auto top off system. After doing this my Ph has gone up to 8.6 ish. Is this normal and is it OK?


thanks..ross

[sumpfinfishe]

Hi Ross, this is perfectly normal if too much is added too fast.

Also by the way, I run my kalk on a drip system for 2-3 days out of every month and a day or two after the drip cycle has finished my PH returns back down to 8.2 :mrgreen:

Just be careful, as a fast PH swing can be really stressful or fatal on not just fish, but inverts and corals too :exclaim: That's why it's best to add a disolved mixture of kalk and top off water by drip line or by adding small amounts of disolved kalk into the sump, rather than directly into the tank.

cheers, Rich :mrgreen:

[Aquattro]

Ross, a common error people make is adding full strength kalk, even if they don't need it. Do you have a high Ca demand? If not, mix the kalk half strength and your pH should sit in a normal range. 8.6 is getting a bit high. BTW, you can measure your Ca demand by taking measurements 24 hours apart (without adding additional Ca). This will tell you your daily consumption and you can dose kalk accordingly.

[GinKu]

what kinda of charcoal are u using?
my water is kinda green and i don't like the look of it
are we talkin about BBQ charcoal here? cuz i got lots in my garage that i can add right away :)

[rossb]

I was talking to Jonthan and he just added about 1 tsp per gallon to his top up water. I have a 60 gallon barrel I am using so I added a bit of powder to my top off (about 1/2 tsp per gallon). I have several polyps and Zoo's and, on the advice of a few locals, have taken to adding kalk. The kalk is to help with those. Would this be correct?

Ginku I use an activated charcoal from my LFS. I think it has to be activated and of high quality. The charcoal that you use for grilling would not work because it has several noxious additives in it. I would recommend trying it though...it does make a difference.

[Aquattro]

Ross, 1/2 tsp/g is about 1/4 strength, so I wouldn't expect it to bump our pH up that much. How much water do you evaporate in a day?

And what the h*ll is ginku talking about :eek: :razz:

[rossb]

R_R I loose a couple of gallons a day. I have this 60 gallon barrel I was going to use increase the volume of water in the system but I needed a top off system ... and it was availalble. This size will guarentee I don't have to worry about it when I am on vacation....

[Aquattro]

Ross, that's weird. I drip about 4 or 5 gallons a day of full strength kalk and it doesn't affect my pH that much. I run a Ca reactor, which lowers the pH anyway, but still, I wouldn't expect your tank to jump that much with 2g of diluted kalk!

[ron101]

Could differences in aeration from skimmers and surface agitation as well as CO2 concentration in the ambient air be the cause?

[Aquattro]

Ron, I have a big skimmer and heavey surface aeration and the kalk only bumps my pH up a couple of points. I would expect Ross's pH to go to maybe 8.4, but not 8.6.

Ross, how are you measuring the pH?

[Canadian Man]

From my last time I saw Ross's tank (long time ago) I don't rember him running a skimmer. Is this correct Ross?
Not having a skimmer, I suspect would make a huge diffrence.

[Aquattro]

Not having a skimmer would prevent the "blowing off" of CO2, which would help lower the pH, not raise it. Also, unless frequent water changes were done, accumulated wastes would increase the acids in the tank, again, lowering the pH.

[rossb]

I actually do run a skimmer on my tank...but it is in my shop and not visible. I am going to pull out my probe and recailbrate it to make sure it has not just drifted a bit.