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Unread 04/26/2018, 08:42 AM   #1
burrito
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Kalk AND 2 part? + PH question

hey everyone, i bought the BRS kalk kit but it also came with ca, alk and mg. i have a 4 pump doser coming in the mail. from everything i read i should do one or the other. is this correct? no point to do kalk if i am doing 2 part?

i plan on doing 2 part unless i'm off base here.

also, my PH keeps dropping below 8 according to my reefkeeper probe (calibrated a couple weeks ago), api test shows between 8 and 8.2. how low is too low for PH? i am using red sea coral pro salt with weekly 15% water changes on a 30L tank


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Unread 04/26/2018, 09:22 AM   #2
gargoylenest
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PH is useless, let it be. If you are dosing 2 part, imao, theres is no need to use kalk. And, imao, API test kit is worthless and unthrustable.


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Unread 04/26/2018, 09:36 AM   #3
nereefpat
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Your pH is likely fine where it is. 8.0 is actually pretty good for a tank in the house (high CO2 environment), and anywhere in the 7.8-8.5 range is fine.

There are benefits to dosing kalk: raises pH, replenishes Ca and alk in the ratio they are used, doesn't add Na or Cl over time, and it's really cheap.

But since you plan on using two-part, you'll have to decide if the extra effort is worth it.


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Unread 04/26/2018, 10:17 AM   #4
bertoni
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Dosing both is fine as long as the calcium, alkalinity, and magnesium levels are stable. Lots of people, including me, have done that. pH down to 7.8 or so are fine and common for a tank in a house, so I'd ignore that. Lots of Tanks of the Month have run at 7.8.


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Unread 04/29/2018, 01:22 AM   #5
Timmste
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Quote:
Originally Posted by burrito View Post
hey everyone, i bought the BRS kalk kit but it also came with ca, alk and mg. i have a 4 pump doser coming in the mail. from everything i read i should do one or the other. is this correct? no point to do kalk if i am doing 2 part?

i plan on doing 2 part unless i'm off base here.

also, my PH keeps dropping below 8 according to my reefkeeper probe (calibrated a couple weeks ago), api test shows between 8 and 8.2. how low is too low for PH? i am using red sea coral pro salt with weekly 15% water changes on a 30L tank
You can use sodiumhydroxide instead of sodium(bi)carbonate (randy's improved 2-part) 40gr instead of 53gr (carb) / 84gr (bicarb) if I am not mistaken.

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Unread 04/29/2018, 02:29 PM   #6
bertoni
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Sodium hydroxide would work, although it's caustic to handle, and is no better than Kalk in terms of raising pH. They both dissociate into a metal ion and an OH-, which is why they have the same effect on pH. Sodium hydroxide can be dosed at greater concentrations, though, if evaporation is limiting. A fan can increase evaporation a lot, though.


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