I have been dosing saturated Kalk for years and it is about 4qts a day. Since I quit smoking now my PH is running about 8.3 with dosing baking soda to keep my Alk at 8-10 dhk. Can I add vinegar to my Kalk to lower its PH and get the same Ca effect from it? I do not want to increase the amount of Kalk I add to the solution, just lower it's PH level, would Muriatic acid be better to add to it then vinegar?
High PH
- Thread starter BobBursek
- Start date
coralmadness
Member
Whats wrong with a 8.3 ph?
redsea reefer
Well-Known Member
7.8-8.4 Ph is just fine, stability is what's key. No idea on the vinegar though.
Boomer
Reef Sanctuary's Mr. Wizard
Can I add vinegar to my Kalk to lower its PH and get the same Ca effect from it?
It does not really do that. First, more Kalk will be dissolved, which raises the Calcium level up. Second, it initially raises the pH.
Third, the acetic acid will get converted to acetate and in time ends up as CO2, which does drive down the pH. Fourth, the end reaction also raises the Alk. Fifth, you are feeding bacteria an organic source which may be a good thing or bad thing.
I do not want to increase the amount of Kalk I add to the solution, just lower it's PH level, would Muriatic acid be better to add to it then vinegar?
Well, that is not going to happen. Now why on earth do you want to lower a perfect pH of 8.3 ?????????
It does not really do that. First, more Kalk will be dissolved, which raises the Calcium level up. Second, it initially raises the pH.
Third, the acetic acid will get converted to acetate and in time ends up as CO2, which does drive down the pH. Fourth, the end reaction also raises the Alk. Fifth, you are feeding bacteria an organic source which may be a good thing or bad thing.
I do not want to increase the amount of Kalk I add to the solution, just lower it's PH level, would Muriatic acid be better to add to it then vinegar?
Well, that is not going to happen. Now why on earth do you want to lower a perfect pH of 8.3 ?????????
Snappy
Active Member
Adding vinegar to anything going to your tank is not a good idea in my opinion. Vinegar is a carbon source that dosed wrongly will create lots of new issues for you. You can dose it like vodka but be careful. Are you using Randy's recipe #1 or #2? Bi-carbonate or carbonate (soda ash)? I use recipe #2 which is the non-baked arm&hammer and it doesn't raise the PH levels.
What time of day do you measure the ph? It will fluctuate throughout the day. At 9 AM before the lights are on my reading is 8.1 but by 10 PM my PH is at 8.5. This sort of varience is normal. I would recommend if you want to find out where your ph really is, take a measurement when the lights first come on and then just before they go out and you can get a better feel for what your tank is doing. By the way I agree that 8.3 is an optimal ph value for a reef tank so no need to lower it.
What time of day do you measure the ph? It will fluctuate throughout the day. At 9 AM before the lights are on my reading is 8.1 but by 10 PM my PH is at 8.5. This sort of varience is normal. I would recommend if you want to find out where your ph really is, take a measurement when the lights first come on and then just before they go out and you can get a better feel for what your tank is doing. By the way I agree that 8.3 is an optimal ph value for a reef tank so no need to lower it.