why does my kalwasser always sky rocket up my ph?

[blackthunda77]

Ive tried to go the kalk method about a year or so back and i followed thedirections on the kent brand and i dripped it slowly through an IV unit(my wifea nurse) and i checked my ph and it wasskyhigh at like 8.8, so i gave up on it. Now about a year later i said ill give it another try and last night i prepped it, let it sit on the counter to settle, and this morning i started to drip it, ULTRA, slow. at like 1 drip per 5-6 secs. tonight i checked my PH again and bam, 8.6-8.8. whats going on, i followed the directions word for word. can anyone give me some help? I know im probably over looking something chemistry wise.

[wingmans10]

that is what kalk does in addition to alk and calcium, it raises PH

[blackthunda77]

yes i understand that, i read the directions. But why is it raising it up so high, what do i have to do to keep my ph at the right levels around 8.2, if i add kalk to raise my calc and alk?

[Percula9]

What is your pH without the Kalk?

[blackthunda77]

usually around 8.2

[Percula9]

A pH of 8.2 is fine. If you want to raise calciium and alk just use separate supplements. Forget the Kalk additions they are causing problems for you. What are your alkalinity readings? I use Reef builder by seachem to maintain carbonate alk. Turbo calcium by Kent is also good.

[bertoni]

If the kalk is added as a drip, that helps reduce the pH shift, as does aeration. Using kalk to raise calcium and alkalinity tends not to work, though, because the pH of limewater is so high. I'd use baking soda and a calcium chloride product, like Turbo Calcium, to do the job.

This article covers lime in detail:

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

[tmz]

If you prefer limewater ,you can use it at night ,an hour or two after your lights go out,not in the morning when your system will naturally spike ph due to photosynthetic activity.An hour or two after lights out is when the photosynthetic organisms in your system stop producing oxygen and put out CO2. The limewter can offset the normal ph dip at night and not add to normal daytime peaks if used this way. You can also add a CO2 source such as a clacium reactor ,vinegar or seltzer water if necessary.

Also be careful not to dose the white sludge that forms on the bottom of container.
When dosing limewater you don't need to dose any buffer since it's included in the limewater.
There are limits to the amount you can dose in a given period of time without spiking ph, in the nieghborhood of 1 gallon of limewater per 100 gallons of tank water per hour.

Godd Luck

[blackthunda77]

Tanks guys, i woke up this morning and i wanted to check the ph again and to my suprise, like a couple of yo guys said, the ph wasdown to abotu 7.8. Could i be having that massive of a swing? or maybe i justneed to invest in another testing kit, this one is kind of old.

[acrylic_300]

drip it at night to help stabilize PH swings. Then if your PH is still too high you can add vinegar.

[Percula9]

It would be a good idea to get a new kit. Sounds like a kit problem.

[jbarone]

I think a an electronic PH meter is the best way test PH. They are very cheap now.

[tmz]

If you are going to invest,I second the idea of a ph monitor.It's a good tool to have in managing ph.
A swing from 8.2 to 7.8 is not unheard of. A variation of .2 (eg high 8.3/low 8.1) is considered ideal.
Again, all of the photosynthetic organisms in your system are consuming CO2 during the day and producing oxygen,This raises oxygen levels and ph. At night these organisms stop doing that an exhale CO2. These processes cause the ph variance. How much variance you get depends on how much photosynthetic activity is occuring and how well your system equilibrilates with the air around it(gas exchange), the nature of the air around it (CO2 levels,humidity,etc)and other variables.

Personally, I prefer limewater dosing. I also use a calcium reactor 24/7. The reactor effluent contains CO2 and has a ph or 6.7 while the limewater has a ph of 12.4.They balance each other off well. Before the calcium reactor, I would occassionally dose small amounts of vinegar.

[bertoni]

The tank might need more aeration to help keep the pH in line. Is a skimmer in use? Is this the 55g that's being dosed?

I like using a pH meter, as opposed to the test kits, although the test kits do work, in my experience. Being old might be an issue, though.

[tmz]

n the nieghborhood of 1 gallon of limewater per 100 gallons

Sorry, this is a mistake. It should read in the nieghborhood of 1quart of limewater per 100gallons per hour.