dkh dropping after i started using kalk

[nyshoots]

I have a jbj 28 HQI with a bunch of SPS and in an effort to simplify things I decided to give kalk a try by adding it to my 5 gallon ATO.

My normal parameters are

1.026
Mag 1400-1450
DKH 9-10
CA 420
temp 80


I run an airstone skimmer, filter floss, carbon, and GFO and do weekly 5 gallon water change.

Last friday I refilled my 5 gallon ATO and mixed in 9 teaspoons of kalk, ive been a little busy with work and havent been able to test till today. I found my DKH had gone down from 9 to 4, dont know what my CA is because I ran out of reagent and im not sure if I should add more kalk to the mix.

 

[ecvernon]

4dkh?! I have never tested that low on any kit. Lowest I tested after two weeks of pump malfunction was 6. What are you using to test? Any way to verify results? I think the first thing I would do is a water change. Be careful not to cause a dramatic swing because sps never like that.

 

[JARRETT SHARK]

4dkh?! I have never tested that low on any kit. Lowest I tested after two weeks of pump malfunction was 6. What are you using to test? Any way to verify results? I think the first thing I would do is a water change. Be careful not to cause a dramatic swing because sps never like that.

Plus 1
Something seems wrong because all your coral would be white and PH would be real low
Double check test kits

 

[nyshoots]

My bad guys i used 4.4 of reagent my dkh was at around 6 not 4

 

[Boomer]

OK, at 1.026 sg, 80 F and a dKH of 6 the pH **should be** ~ 8.2 pH. If you had 4 dKH it * should *have been ~ 8.05 pH. If vales I gave are lower it is due to excess CO2.

 

[nyshoots]

Ph was 8.2 im 10 ml of b ionic a day trying to bring my levals back up. I'm not sure if I'm dosing to much kalk and its precipitating out or if i need more ?

 

[nyshoots]

Before i started using kalk i was dosing 10 ml a day of b ionic and i was still getting a slight drop at the end of the week but my levals were good and my corals seem happy

 

[Boomer]

The kalk is getting rid of your excessive CO2

Ca(OH)2 [Kalk]

2OH (from Kalk) + CO2 (in water) = HCO3- buffer ( Same as yourb ionic ) , adds to Alk with less CO2 and better pH.

You are looking good

 

[nyshoots]

Sorry but I'm confused. Should i keep up with the same amount of kalk in my ato and also dose ionic to maintain levals ? Will i be able to just dose kalk eventually ?

 

[Boomer]

If Kalk can take care of your Alk, Calcium and pH it is all you need to add other than Magnesium. If the Kalk can handle your pH and Alk demands but not the Calcium demand then yes also. Just sup the Calcium with the 2-part Ionic sup for Calcium. Many run reefs on just Kalk.

 

[nyshoots]

I just did another round of tests

temp 80.0
salinity 1.026 refractometer calibrated with pin point solution
PH 7.6 using pin point monitor recently calibrated
MAG 1400 red sea pro kit
DKH 8 red sea pro kit
CA 400 red sea pro kit maybe a little less its hard for me to read this one

I just made a new batch of kalk last night with 1 gallon of RO and 2 tsp of kalk tested just now at a ph of 12.1

I feel like my ph is low for having been dripping kalk 24 hours a day in my ATO ?

Im shooting for to keep things at DKH 10, CA 450, MAG 1400 so im going to continue to dose B ionic 10 ml per day until I reach those levals. Im hoping once i get there that the kalk will hold it. If not im going to scrap using it and spring for some dosing pumps because I dont see the point in using it if I still have to dose.

Any input would be greatly appreciated.

 

[nyshoots]

SO after dosing 10 ml of 2 part last night and 10 ml early this morning along with dripping kalk I have my tank at

temp 80
PH 8.1
DKH 9
CA 450
MAG 1400

lets see if this holds

 

[Boomer]

That looks good but I have my doubts on that 7.6 pH. I would recalibrate and test that meter against a kit or another meter from a friend or the LFS

 

[nyshoots]

I thought the same thing but I used to different meters and got the same reading.

A question on calibration, whats the best way to make sure your calibration fluid is at the correct temp ? I use the pin point packets and I have been sticking them in the back of my tank to get them to match the water temp.

 

[Boomer]

That is not how that works. The meter is suppose to be cal at 25C/77F. The meter will automatically compensate for the temp. of the tank water sample temp..

Who's meter do you have, exact model and what is the pH of the pH buffer cal solutions are you using ?

 

[nyshoots]

http://www.marinedepot.com/American...ine_Pinpoint_Monitors-AM1111-FITEMOID-vi.html

 

[nyshoots]

This is what I'm using along with the test fluids it came with. On the back of the packets it shows temp corrections and i couldnt think of another way to get them close to 77 degrees

 

[nyshoots]

On a side note were you ever stationed down in Dam Neck VA i was there for a while lots of EOD guys on that base

 

[Boomer]

That is not a ATC meter. Thus, use the temp given on the back of the packet to cal and have the tank temp the same. So, keeping it behind the tank for temp is a good idea. Meaning, look at the temp on the packet and use that pH. If you have 4 and 7 pH cal buffers, order up a 10 pH. Cal the meter to 7 and slope to 10.

No, I have never been stationed at or even been to Dam Neck. I was never stationed in the states / par some time at Redstone Aresnal, TDY. My only time in Va was for a week or so at Quantico, TDY. Dam Neck does do training on USN SURFACE WARFARE. The USN EOD MU-6 and Seal Team - 6 are out of Dam Neck. Dam Neck is pretty much USN. USN teams, what ever they are are, designated "6" are usually out of Dam Neck.

 

[nyshoots]

That's how I've been calibrating it and so far so good ( i think ) thanks for the help.

Yeah i was stationed at dam neck for operations specialist A school and as i said there were a lot of spec war guys on that base. I tried to go swcc but it wasn't for me. I ended up in Coronado and had a few friends on the teams and a few from eod.