Vinegar dosing without lowering Ph..

[Bob 1000]

Who's doing it and how do you keep the ph from going down??
What are the side effects of consistantly low Ph?? (before I start experiencing it)

I'm currently trying the 5 gallon bucket of Kalkwasser with about 80mls of vinegar method of carbon dosing and the ph dropped significantly.. My Ph went from 8.30 to 7.87 in 24hrs.. The ph of the kalk solution is still 10.1..

The phosphates are on the move at a good pace so far so I'd really not like to lower the vinegar..

 

[noodleman]

are you saying that you put the vinegar into your kalk solution, and that solution still has a pH of 10.1? If so it's not the vinegar causing your drop in pH, look elsewhere

possible reasons include:
1) the vinegar might be cuasing a bacteria bloom, using up oxygen which lead to the drop in pH
2) something died/uneaten food which is decaying in your tank, which also use up oxygen
3) etc......

 

[NYreefNoob]

tank ur size with the amount you would be dosing really isnt going to drop ph maybe for a few seconds at most. could always put the amount ur dosing into so ro water and drip it thoughout the day

 

[Bob 1000]

Yes 80mls of vinegar in the kalk solution that is being dripped into the sump slowly60 drips a minute..
I thought it wasn't the vinegar, but I'm no chemist.. I did just find a dead clam in my sump.. I must have died from vodka being dosed to close to it as I wasn't here for a week and dosing was done by someone else..
The O2 levels are the same as far as the salifert O2 kit says..
I guess it's the bacterial bloom like you said..

 

[Bob 1000]

Rick, I'm going to try pouring about 2.5 gallons of plain Kalk in, do you think that will do anything??
I'll post the results later on tonight and pour the mix in at 8pm

 

[NYreefNoob]

yeah it will jump your ph way up, i dose kalk with vinegar through my ato, love dosing the kalk because it also precipitates phosphate and i forget to dose part of the 2 part all the time so this is easier for me

 

[Bob 1000]

Hopefully I can get back to around at least 8.2.. The trick will be keeping it there.. I'd like to lower the vinegar on the next bucket6 sometime in the next 4 to 5 days when it's used up..

 

[NYreefNoob]

mix up some more kalk and add it to ur top off, how many teaspoon u using per gallow of top off ?

 

[Bob 1000]

I didn't know adding more teaspoons to the mix would make a difference I poured in about 2 tablespoons in a 5 gallon bucket.. Will the ph be higher??

I never really used this stuff it's been laying around for about 2 years.. I usually use my rock to get the ph higher but haven't had the time to make it.. I guess I'd better get that ball rolling..

 

[NYreefNoob]

2 teaspoon, not tablesppon per gallon is what randy holmes farley says to use, the vinegar will lower the ph in it though but precipitate it more

 

[Aqua Pro Builder]

slightly off topic.

Can I recycle the white material left when the solution dried?

 

[Bob 1000]

Thanks so I should be using around 5 tablespoons of the powder.. Does vinegar work like vodka for you ?? Or do you need more vinegar??

 

[Bob 1000]

slightly off topic.

Can I recycle the white material left when the solution dried?

I do..

 

[NYreefNoob]

teaspoon not tablespoon, the vinegar is a carbon source but thats not what i use it for, and they say you dont need to empty the left over out, i usually make 18g of kalk and syphon the clear liquid off into my ato

 

[NYreefNoob]

few articles
http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1827046

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

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=1826795

 

[Bob 1000]

I have a thread on Rc but it's slower over there.. I have spoken with Randy a lot, but that was vodka.. He also wrote in that thread you posted 8x more vinegar??? Is that right??

 

[cali_reef]

slightly off topic.

Can I recycle the white material left when the solution dried?

Don't be cheap... Kalk is about as cheap of additive you can find in this hobby. You can buy a 50lb bag from food distributors for less than $30.

 

[Killerdrgn]

I think the 50lb's, if it comes in a bag and isn't sealed properly each time, will go bad before you even have a chance to use it all. I prefer buying bulk in individual jars from places like mrs. wages.

 

[Bob 1000]

So I slowed the drip and the ph has come up a little over night to 8.00 in the night cycle.. I still didn't do the water change or add more plain kalk.. I'll see be tomorrow if the slower drip can keep up with the phosphate level.. So far it has been dropping at a pretty good pace.

 

[NYreefNoob]

spread the vinegar dosing out also so it doesnt cause it to drop so fast