Alk and kalk.....help!

[miserkris]

Mine is a75 mixed reef, a macro fuge, sump. My alk is 6dkh,ca close to 390~., mg about 1400.

I have few lps, some sps(some big colonies).lot of zoa,yuma,shroom.

I have been dosing 2 parts manually for last 2wks after someone advised me.

I want to try kalk in ro water topoff. But I read that kalk can,boost ca but lower alk, increasing ph....

Since alk is my issue, is it worth the effort of mixing kalk weekly?

Which sucks up ca,alk most ?big sps* colonies that aren't growing or ones that grow fast like bird nest, some acro with white tips(new growths growing fast)....

I'm confused?

Help, thanks?

 

[ecchybridLE]

What's your magnesium at? If I don't keep mag up your cal and Alk will never be truly stable.

 

[miserkris]

What's your magnesium at? If I don't keep mag up your cal and Alk will never be truly stable.

Mg salifert was ~1300 ....

What consumes mg?

Will kalk increase my alk which is 6 now?
Thanks

 

[Boomer]

Your Mg+ + is perfect and your Ca+ + only slightly low. Who ever said kalk lowers Alk is talking nonsense.

 

[miserkris]

Your Mg+ + is perfect and your Ca+ + only slightly low. Who ever said kalk lowers Alk is talking nonsense.

Great , so how does kalk increase Alk / KH/ dKH ?

Mine is 6 dkh ( 13 drops cyan to yellow in ELOS), will it climb if I use kalk in RO topoff? If so how much ? ( with same livestock)...

thx

 

[NewfiDog]

Your alk is low. ALK, CALC, MAG work together. Hard skeleton coral use up alk. KALK increases alk not decreases.

 

[Boomer]

Great , so how does kalk increase Alk / KH/ dKH ?

Most of your Alk is from bicarbonate, HCO3-. And most buffers are baking soda, which is NaHCO3-. When BS is added to water the water dissolves it separating the Sodium, Na, from the bicarbonate, HCO3-

NaHCO3 ---> Na + HCO3- (Alk)

When you add Kalk, Ca(OH)2, to the water it too dissolves / separates.

Ca(OH)2---> Ca + 2OH. This OH- combines with CO2 to make HCO3-

OH + CO2 ---> HCO3- (Alk)

So, kinda, baking soda adds HCO3- (Alk) and Kalk makes HCO3 - (Alk)

 

[iliriano]

great , so how does kalk increase alk / kh/ dkh ?

most of your alk is from bicarbonate, hco3-. And most buffers are baking soda, which is nahco3-. When bs is added to water the water dissolves it separating the sodium, na, from the bicarbonate, hco3-

nahco3 ---> na + hco3- (alk)

when you add kalk, ca(oh)2, to the water it too dissolves / separates.

Ca(oh)2---> ca + 2oh. This oh- combines with co2 to make hco3-

oh + co2 ---> hco3- (alk)

so, kinda, baking soda adds hco3- (alk) and kalk makes hco3 - (alk)

dude im lost, why did i not paid attention in chem. Class. Im starting a mix reef with lps and mus, zoas. But im not thinKING oN sps. what work with what., all i know is that i need to have cal and mag. what buffer alk,dkh. will my aragonite sand take care of that.?

 

[miserkris]

Great , so how does kalk increase Alk / KH/ dKH ?

Most of your Alk is from bicarbonate, HCO3-. And most buffers are baking soda, which is NaHCO3-. When BS is added to water the water dissolves it separating the Sodium, Na, from the bicarbonate, HCO3-

NaHCO3 ---> Na + HCO3- (Alk)

When you add Kalk, Ca(OH)2, to the water it too dissolves / separates.

Ca(OH)2---> Ca + 2OH. This OH- combines with CO2 to make HCO3-

OH + CO2 ---> HCO3- (Alk)

So, kinda, baking soda adds HCO3- (Alk) and Kalk makes HCO3 - (Alk)

Thx, so when does OH react with co2? When kalk is mixed with ro water?, or after that (from co2 in air)?

Asking since ikeep my ro reservoir closed always....thats why....lol!

 

[Boomer]

Thx, so when does OH react with co2? When kalk is mixed with ro water?, or after that (from co2 in air)?

When ever there is any CO2 in the water. If the RO has any CO2 it will react with it. Since RO or DI water have little CO2 in them if that water gets exposed to CO2 in the air that CO2 will enter the water and the OH will react with it in the water.

Asking since ikeep my ro reservoir closed always....thats why

That will help but only if that water coming from the RO goes right to the reservoir and does not get exposed to any air. Remember, if you open that lid, CO2 will race in like AA fuel dragster. It sounds like you will be fine. You will still have plenty of OH left even if there is some CO2 in that water.

 

[irvp13]

I dose kalk on my topoff and it just doesnt do the trick to keep the Alk and Ca stable. The Ca will be stable but the alk drops. Now I'm thinking on going to 3 part dosing and what I've read is that going from 2 part to kalk is kind of taking a step back.