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Debbie64
03/06/2006, 01:25 PM
So, quick background in list form:

1. I'm using a calcium reactor.

2. I have excess CO2 in the house (tested), but cannot alter that with outdoor air (no windows in fish room).

3. I tried dripping kalk, but it does not raise my pH enough and it screws up my auto top off system.

4. I have a refugium running on a reverse photo period.

5. Just started using Randy's 2 part. Dripping steady over 24 hour period using a two channel peristaltic pump. Steady alk and ca - 4.0 meq/L and 420 ca. Started at 30 ml per day.

6. Without dosing anything, my pH hangs around 7.78 - 7.80.

7. Before I started Randy's 2 part, every morning I was dosing about 30 ml each of esv 2 part in my sump. Immediately, that would raise my pH to about 8.00 - 8.1 and it would stay there for the rest of the day. I have decided that 8.0 or 8.1 is fine and I'm happy with it (with a steady high alk).

I'm trying to get the same results with Randy's 2 part that I was getting with ESV, but it's not happening. It did boost the alk and ca nicely and I'm happy about that, but the only reason I'm dosing at all is because of low pH.

I noticed, Randy, that the ESV B-Ionic alk additive is at about 2800 meq/L and according to recipe 1, yours is around 1900 meq/L. That's a fairly significant difference, isn't it?

Can the recipe be tweaked for those of us with lower pH?

Thank you!

Debbie

Randy Holmes-Farley
03/06/2006, 02:12 PM
Can the recipe be tweaked for those of us with lower pH?

Tweaked? You can add more to the tank if you want. If you are fully baking it, there is not much more tweaking to do, and it will give roughly the same pH effect as B-ionic at an equal amount of alkalinity added.

I wouldn't try to match the B-ionic concentration as that may be hard to dissolve, but adding it in more water does not reduce the pH effect.

Debbie64
03/06/2006, 03:32 PM
Thanks, Randy. I'll just keep gradually upping the amount until I reach a steady 8.0 or so. Easy with the new pump! Push of a button.

I just didn't want to go too far in the wrong direction with alk and ca.

Thanks again!

Randy Holmes-Farley
03/07/2006, 06:22 AM
You're welcome.

One drawback with adding a two part in significant excess over the calcification demand to raise pH is that pumps and heaters may get coated with calcium carbonate a lot faster. So I'd suggest watching for that.