Overdoseing Kalk??

[culdublvd]

Can I overdose on Kalk. My system is about 44 gallons without any rock and sand so I probably have about 30-35 gallons total volume. Well I evaporate between 1.5-2 gallons a day and I have been replacing all of that water with kalk. I am dosing it slowly all day long. I'm waiting for my alk test kit to make it in the mail but my calcium has risen from 325 to about 420. Should my alkh have risen in about the same ratio. Before I started to drip the kalk my alkh was also low. But basically I want to know should I drip less kalk or keep up what I'm doing?:rollface:

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I'd monitor the pH and the alkalinity. It could be that both are on the high side with the dosing that high. Yes, the -alk should have risen substantially if the calcium rose like that.

[culdublvd]

I kinda thought that the alkh should rise. Assuming that the Ph is high, which now that I think about it it should be, what should I do to correct it? I've seen a couple different threads about using vinegar in their make-up water but not any specifics.. What would you suggest? Thanks in Advance!!!

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Let's see what the alkalinity is first. Maybe you can just dose less.

[culdublvd]

Thanks a lot!!! I'll let you know.

[AquaNight]

Hello Randy.

It's been a while since I've wandered into the chemistry forum and this really isn't on this topic but I didn't want to crowd the forum with another quick answer question so here goes.

My tank is doing fine but I suspect I'm depleting other elements other than calcium and alk.

I have to gallons of C-balance sitting here that I've not used. What harm might I cause by mixing 250 ml (200 is the max daily dosage) of each part with a very weak (6 tsps lime to 5 gallons RO) and dripping this over maybe a 5 to 7 day period?

The C-balance has the strontium and magnesium and others in it that I need.

That's 250ml each part c-balance
6tsps lime
5 gallons RO.

Thanks Randy, and sorry culdublvd for treading on your post.

Jeff

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

If you mix the two parts togehter, or mix the alk part with the lime, you'll get a ton of calcium carbonate precipitate. So I would not do that.

If these folks put in what is claimed, then a small water change would be just as good as using the C-balance from the perspective of replacing lost ions.

If it were me, I'd use it as a normal two part additive in some setting, or maybe sell it.

[AquaNight]

OK thanks for the info Randy. It did say on the bottles not to mix the 2. I suspected that the precipitate might be the reason but was hoping for a way to get rid of it without have to dose it every day.

I'll just dose it properly until its gone.

Thanks again.

Jeff

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

You're welcome.

Happy reefing. :)

[culdublvd]

Ok so my PH is now 8.6 today. How do I bring this down safely?

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

You can aerate the water more, add less less lime, add vinegar to the limewater or the tank, or add soda water to the tank.

This article may help:

Solutions to pH Problems
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/june2002/chem.htm

[JoeMack]

I was just about to start a similar thread. I use fully saturated kalk for my top off. I pump it in and it seems like its holding levels but my Ph is 8.6! I need to add vinegar to my kalk and I have read that I should use 15ml per gallon. For now I use 2 1/2 Teaspoons per gallon of kalk. I'm probally not getting all the kalk to disolve so if I add the vinegar it might be too high so should I switch to 2 teaspoons to a gallon of water with 15ml of vinegar?
Thanks Randy.

BTW I once added home made carbonated water to my tank. About 2 cups worth and it dropped my ph from 8.5 to 7.8. Now I know a little goes a long way.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

15 mL vinegar per gallon of top off is an OK starting point, and you can go higher if need be. 45 mL/gallon is fine.

It is OK to have solid lime present if you let it settle.

Using 45 mL vinegar/gallon of freshwater, you might be able to dissolve 3 teaspoons of solid lime per gallon.

[JoeMack]

Do you think 15mL is too small of an amount to start iff with? How much vinegar would you use when you use 2 teaspoons of kalk per gallon of topoff, but you ph is 8.6 in the main tank? Thanks man.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

No, 15 mL is a good start and see what happens. :)

[culdublvd]

Thanks Randy!!!

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

You're welcome.

Let us know what happens. :)

[JoeMack]

The 15mL has done nothing to lower my ph. It was up to 8.8 last night! I know its not my probe because my nano was 8.3 and my hospital tank was 8.2. So I'm going to add more to my kalk. Should I try and drop my kalk to a lower ph. Its at 12.5 if I remember correctly. My drip rate is about 1 per second out of an airline male/male extention piece. My probe is not the best . Its the Checker 1 ebay model. Thanks!!!

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

The vinegar mostly works after getting into the tank and is metabolized to CO2 by bacteria.

Try upping the vinegar but not the solid lime. Maybe 30 mL per freshwater gallon.

FWIW, I'm still concerned that the pH values are not accurate.

[culdublvd]

The vinegar also doesn't seem to be doing anything. I have been adding 15ml per gallon and I go through a gallon a day. The PH is like 8.6-8.7. I am testing it with 2 different test kits and I have a ph monitor on the way. Should I up the dosage?

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Sure, You can raise it to 45 mL per gallon of limewater, or higher if necessary (although it shouldn't be necessary to go much higher).

[JoeMack]

Originally posted by Randy Holmes-Farley
The vinegar mostly works after getting into the tank and is metabolized to CO2 by bacteria.

Try upping the vinegar but not the solid lime. Maybe 30 mL per freshwater gallon.

FWIW, I'm still concerned that the pH values are not accurate.

No way! So thats how it work. So Sugar is eaten by yeast and that makes ethanol and CO2. Then the aceto bacteria eats the ethanol and makes vinegar. Then the bacteria in our tank eats vinegar and makes CO2 which lowers our ph. wow. I though the vinegar just lowered the ph because it was acidic. What else the the bacteria do other than release CO2? Does it make something else in the aquarium?

[culdublvd]

I upped the vinegar last night and the ph has dropped to about 8.4. I'm using about 30 ml/gal. When I hit where I want to be should I keep using vinegar in a smaller amount, or less fequently?

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I though the vinegar just lowered the ph because it was acidic.

It does tht too, but that effect is smaller for a given amount of vinegar. one acetic acid molecule has one unit of acidity as is, and 2-3 units from the carbon dioxide that is later released.

What else the the bacteria do other than release CO2?

One of he more important ones is that they consume O2. During a power failure, that could be a problem.

When I hit where I want to be should I keep using vinegar in a smaller amount, or less fequently?

Using a smaller amount more frequently may make things (O2, pH) more stable. I'd figure out just how much you need, then you'll probably have to keep using it at that level as the effect is transient.

[culdublvd]

Transient like a bum?? J/K Thanks a lot for your help.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

:lol:

You're welcome.

Happy reefing. :)