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PH swing?


lquidglass

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A pH swing is normal, as corals stop photosythesizing and let out CO2 at night, which turns into carbonic acid and lowers the pH. However, it's usually a swing of .3-.4; a .9 swing is probably unhealthy and should be dealt with.

 

One thing that helps is running a refugium with macroalgae on a reverse light cycle, as the macroalgae will uptake the co2 and produce oxygen.

 

-Sol

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Thats what my ph swing was to a T, I now just top off (auto topp off) with kalk in the tub and it keeps me at 7.95-8.25

 

But honestly if everything looks happy you should be ok, I personally dont like to see ph under 7.9 but its the big PH swings FAST that hurt your corals, you should be ok. If your curious drip kalk or top off a small amount of kalk for a month and see if you notice a difference. Just be sure not to get any sediment in the tank and drip or TO properly, or you will be doing more bad than good.

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Personally I mix it into my top off tub 2 teaspoons per gallon (that fully saturated but you can start with much less) I would suggest you start with less. My controller kicks on a mixing pump in the top off to mix only 60 seconds if the ph drops under 7.95

 

Before I had a controller I just make it mix once a day at night. The idea is to get it to settle before you top off, you don't want the top calium layer getting in the tank and you dont want the sediment getting in there either.

 

This is the method Randy Holmes uses and it has worked well for me. Just remember to keep it as simple as possible, if you really like the design, maybe consider stepping uip to a DIYKalk reactor, this is on my list of things to make.

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No I still have not done anything yet to fix this. I use an auto top off that is gravity fed and always hooked up.

Will this work for dripping kalk? If I add a pump to mix it once a day for 60sec. But what keeps this sediment from going in the tank when it's mixing?

Thanks, Stephan

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No I still have not done anything yet to fix this. I use an auto top off that is gravity fed and always hooked up.

Will this work for dripping kalk? If I add a pump to mix it once a day for 60sec. But what keeps this sediment from going in the tank when it's mixing?

Thanks, Stephan

 

I have used a 5 gallon bucket with a stand pipe in the bottom connected to a float valve to dose Kalkwasser in the past. I basically dumped a pound of pickling lime in the bucket and then used another float valve to keep the bucket filled with RO/DI water. I then stirred it up with a plastic spoon every night. Seemed to work fine. I have not switched to a DIY calcium reactor which take alot less attention.

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