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Pulling fresh air from outside (1 Viewer)

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Good point but it's very difficult to maintain a tank with kalk alone.



kind of depends on what your source of alkalinity is...


Na2CO3 sodium carbonate (soda ash) ph 10.52
CaOH calcium hydroxide (kalk) ph 12.4


so using kalk over soda ash will provide a little more ph bump over regular 2 part..


but if you want a larger ph bump use NaOH sodium hydroxide.. ph >= 14
Reef2Reef: New DIY Two Part Recipes with Higher pH Boost
 

steveb

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Good point but it's very difficult to maintain a tank with kalk alone.

definitely unless its small or the alk/ca requirement is low.. I was just saying there is another ph raising alternative to CaOH that you can supplement with. But it is a 2 part so that adds some additional complexity.
 

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Let's put it this way before I added Kalk, I was dosing around 125ml of 2part a day. I added Kalk via a reactor I figured it all out mathematically but its been a while so I forget the actual volumes but I can tell you I dose a splash Of Kalk every 15 minutes and I've dialed back my 2 part to about 50ml give or take a day. My pH used to run from the high 7.6s in the am to maybe 8 if I was lucky at the end of the day. Now I'm going from about 8.1 in the am to the high 8.3s in the pm. My acros are loving it. My alk is pretty stable between 8.2 and 8.4 and Ca 420-440. I test my alk 2xs a day. I think this is the best thing I've done for my tank.
 

steveb

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Let's put it this way before I added Kalk, I was dosing around 125ml of 2part a day. I added Kalk via a reactor I figured it all out mathematically but its been a while so I forget the actual volumes but I can tell you I dose a splash Of Kalk every 15 minutes and I've dialed back my 2 part to about 50ml give or take a day. My pH used to run from the high 7.6s in the am to maybe 8 if I was lucky at the end of the day. Now I'm going from about 8.1 in the am to the high 8.3s in the pm. My acros are loving it. My alk is pretty stable between 8.2 and 8.4 and Ca 420-440. I test my alk 2xs a day. I think this is the best thing I've done for my tank.

I think dripping/dosing kalk is a great way to boost ph + add alk/ca in a balanced form.

I was just pointing out that there is 3rd alternative (NaOH) that will provide an even larger ph boost. Heck if I needed to I would consider using it and STILL drip/dose kalk.

Sorry if I wasn’t real clear on that.


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Let's put it this way before I added Kalk, I was dosing around 125ml of 2part a day. I added Kalk via a reactor I figured it all out mathematically but its been a while so I forget the actual volumes but I can tell you I dose a splash Of Kalk every 15 minutes and I've dialed back my 2 part to about 50ml give or take a day. My pH used to run from the high 7.6s in the am to maybe 8 if I was lucky at the end of the day. Now I'm going from about 8.1 in the am to the high 8.3s in the pm. My acros are loving it. My alk is pretty stable between 8.2 and 8.4 and Ca 420-440. I test my alk 2xs a day. I think this is the best thing I've done for my tank.

Are you using a kalk reactor or some other DIY method? Also, are you just using a peristaltic pump for dosing kalkwasser?
 

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Yes, just a simple BRS ATO/dosing pump (50ml/min) controlled by my apex runs for 40 seconds ever 15 min. Kalk comes from a reactor and is completely separate from my ATO other than the fact that the water drawn into the reactor comes from my ATO reservoir.
 
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Obviously fresh air is working

Ph 8.03 wooohooo

803a8b9dba80f2ad5230692bf6ddc31e.jpg
 

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Have tons of space under the tank. Any recommendation on the algae scrubber?

I'm also considering dripping kalk but have to find a way to do it painlessly. I used to have a kalk reactor - it was a pain to maintain. I think it can be done much easily these days with a dosing pump.

I don't usually chase PH but this time game is on...I want it definitely above 8. :tea:

Getting a custom acrylic container made by a local guy. I’ll post pics when I get it.
 
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You will find that simply piping your skimmer airline outside will not give you the results you are looking for. It just doesn't work with our heavy hot air.

I have to disagree due to personal experience....even in the hot summer months my PH was above 8. One of the greatest solutions ever to keep PH up!!!!!
 

Cody

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I have to disagree due to personal experience....even in the hot summer months my PH was above 8. One of the greatest solutions ever to keep PH up!!!!!
I'll have to do this for my skimmer once I build it. It should be pretty easy to pull air from either the attic or outside.
 
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Do it! You are looking at the cost of just the rigid tubing ~$10 from HD.
 
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I'll have to do this for my skimmer once I build it. It should be pretty easy to pull air from either the attic or outside.

Some idiot cut the air pipe to the skimmer that sticking out of the wall/house - the wife knows about it so I know it was not her. The pipe is behind the plants (flower bed) so you can't even see it - not sure how did this happen. I will take pic later today. Very strange. :lol_hitting::lol_hitting::rofl:
 

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Some idiot cut the air pipe to the skimmer that sticking out of the wall/house - the wife knows about it so I know it was not her. The pipe is behind the plants (flower bed) so you can't even see it - not sure how did this happen. I will take pic later today. Very strange. :lol_hitting::lol_hitting::rofl:

Lol...

Curious what size pipe you are running?
 
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1/2" rigid pipe from home depot. It's tough stuff...can't cut it unless you have a knife or scissors. :)
 
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I took Cody's suggestion below but am using a cheap water bottle instead of PVC.

Get some 2" diameter pvc, cut off maybe 6", cap it on both sides, drill a hole for your tubing to fit in one cap, drill a hole in the other cap for intake, and fill it with fine carbon and a pad filter. Should help sort out some outside chemicals or general gunk that will get in.
 

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1/2" rigid pipe from home depot. It's tough stuff...can't cut it unless you have a knife or scissors. :)
Do you mean rigid tubing, like the kind that we use for RO units, bit wider?
 
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