PH and DKH Control

[silveradobobby]

Just woundering what ya'll use for 2 part dosing. I need to use a new dosing system My Dkh is good and my cal and mag is good but my ph likes to stay low around 7.7-7.89. I know its not a big deal cause all the other prams are in check just wounder what yall use as in 2 part dosing? Thanks

 

[DaveG99]

take the baking soda and put it on a metal tray in the oven for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees. When you use that it will not only raise alk but it will also raise your PH. I usually dose a mixture of unbaked and baked bakign soda which keeps the PH constant while still raising alkalinity.

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/rhf/index.php

 

[BigJay]

I use lime water in the automatic top-off to raise PH. I also keep a refugium full of macroalgae on a reverse-photoperiod to help keep the PH from crashing at night.

Calcium and Alkalinity are supplied by a calcium reactor.

 

[silveradobobby]

Yea my Dkh stays about 10-12 evrytime I test it but my ph likes to stay around 7.7-7.89 and dont does anything for alk. I used kent superbuffer once but I only halfed the dose and it makes my alk jump too high it does make my ph raise to 8.0 but my dkh will be 14. I'm thinking if I use a 2-part system it might get the ph and alk back in order.

 

[BigJay]

@silveradobobby wrote:

Look into dripping in a little limewater too. A little bit goes a long way toward raising PH, and it adds only a small amount of alkalinity and calcium.

 

[silveradobobby]

I've been thinking about doing that I used to on my 200g and didnt have issues.

 

[DaveJ]

Bulk Reef Supply 2-part recipe that uses the soda ash will raise your pH a bit. Its more in the nature of a short term rise, since it usually settles back down once everything is diffused through the system. B-Ionic will also raise pH at addition.

Kalk is a good solution though for bumping pH, the limitation is the amount of water you evaporate per day. In your system that shouldn't be a problem. There is a DYI thread on setting up a drip system using a gatorade bottle that you might want to look into. Its an inexpensive and effective solution and doesn't take up hardly any space at all.

Whats your evaporation per day? Increasing that rate may help too as well as adding some macro in a fuge and running it on a 14-16 hour per day schedule so it kicks on before lights out and stays on until a few hours after lights on.

You might also be a good candidate for a buffer, assuming you keep a good eye on your alk. The buffer will help stabilize the pH but when you use those products you want to keep a careful eye on your alk.

 

[silveradobobby]

@DaveJ wrote:

Yea my evp is pretty good Id say a gallon a day. I'm thinking of usuing kalk in my top off system. I did use a buffer but it effected my alk too much and made it shoot too high no matter how I dosed it! I'm going to try to sit it out and see what happens it looks like its very slowly coming up. The only thing I dont like is when I do my water changes it make the ph drop greatly like 7.5 and stay there even when the change water is 8.3.

 

[DaveJ]

@silveradobobby wrote:

Yea my evp is pretty good Id say a gallon a day. I'm thinking of usuing kalk in my top off system. I did use a buffer but it effected my alk too much and made it shoot too high no matter how I dosed it! I'm going to try to sit it out and see what happens it looks like its very slowly coming up. The only thing I dont like is when I do my water changes it make the ph drop greatly like 7.5 and stay there even when the change water is 8.3."]

That's a pretty good rate for that size tank so it sounds like your about as far on that as you can get. Sounds like you are on the right track.