ACI Kalkwasser Method.... I've watched this video and read a few articles, still not sure the exact method.

[Dennis Cartier]

Let's see if we can guess the 4 hydroxides he uses. He mentions potassium hydroxide. I am not sure if he counts calcium hydroxide as one or if there are really 5 including it.

My guesses would be:

1. Calcium Hydroxide (Kalkwasser)
2. Potassium Hydroxide
3. Sodium Hydroxide
4. Magnesium Hydroxide

I can't think of any other element that would be usable without throwing things out of balance very fast. So if there is a 5th, I have no idea what it would be.

Dennis

 

[HuduVudu]

I think what he’s proposing is that keeping pH steady at or about 8.3 with limited diurnal changes is as or more important than keeping alk steady.

He is says he uses two part, he says he uses a reactor and then he uses kalk. Why? Why do this this is unbelievably ummmhhh complicated.

If he is using any other method to dose in addition to kalk additions to maintain pH he is going to have to sync to the other methods to ensure the alk stability. I am also unsure and his video gives no reciepts as to whether his alk moved, as a part of his "method". I am going to go ahead and say that the alk is going to move. Because how would a program deal with a two variable equation. Sorry software can't solve this.

So while dosing kalk is obviously not new, his method of dosing it and other high pH hydroxide solutions (he mentions potassium hydroxide) using his Trident and Apex in order to maintain a very steady pH is worth looking at.

Yes he did mention potassium hydroxide and then said don't use it ... the one thing that I would concur with. It seems interesting to me that he would use this at all for hydroxide addition this is ... ummmhhhh ... less than optimal. Also using trident (or any other automated system) to control things in your aquarium is ummmhhh ... dangerous. The weak link for any automation system is always going to be sensors. It is best not to rely on them. Especially if you don't have multiple redundancies, and even then they are a really bad idea.

This person wants you to watch his YouTube channel because he wants to make money. Why isn't his coral business doing that for him? Also anyone who watches videos has a rudimentary understanding that if your background is your room and it is a complete mess and the person is trying to explain his new and amazing organization system is not really going to bring in viewers. I would think that this is obvious.

I will never trust those that use word salad, and this guy brings new meaning to it. Sorry I am not buying what he is selling.

 

[HuduVudu]

Magnesium Hydroxide

LUL, Magnesium Hydroxide is essentially insoluble in water.

Magnesium Hydroxide solubility:
0.0064 g/1L (25 °C)

For reference
Calcium Hydroxide solubility:
1.73 g/L (20 °C)

Calcium Carbonate solubility:
0.013 g/L (25 °C)

Really the guy in the video doesn't know what he is talking about.

 

[Koigula]

I think what he’s proposing is that keeping pH steady at or about 8.3 with limited diurnal changes is as or more important than keeping alk steady. So while dosing kalk is obviously not new, his method of dosing it and other high pH hydroxide solutions (he mentions potassium hydroxide) using his Trident and Apex in order to maintain a very steady pH is worth looking at.

Well I followed his discussions closely on Reefs and Reefbum channel. Yes he is adding kalk PAST his evaporation rate and topping off with slightly slighty concentrated salt water.

He is also using potassium hydroxide as an alkalinity source. I have no idea why instead of Sodium Hydroxide. It is nothing new as well and makes sense for a large scale operation to some extent. It will make carbonates certainly.

Here is my version of adding kalk at night and the resulting pH swing tuned in to less than 0.08 diurnal pH swing once dialed in.



This is all it takes. I started using B-Ionic

 

[KevinC]

I mean... he did say what he's doing is not for the average or any home kept aquarium. It is only for him who is doing aquaculture with tanks full of corals.

he is just sharing what's working for him, what he's doing in the business, while giving some insight and theory lol. While some of the info might be slightly incorrect, I do think his main takeaway is just telling us to regulate our ph and make corals grow faster and healthier.

Ex: he talked about dosing copper into his farm, but that absolutely doesn't mean you should

 

[reef_ranch]

He is says he uses two part, he says he uses a reactor and then he uses kalk. Why? Why do this this is unbelievably ummmhhh complicated.

If he is using any other method to dose in addition to kalk additions to maintain pH he is going to have to sync to the other methods to ensure the alk stability. I am also unsure and his video gives no reciepts as to whether his alk moved, as a part of his "method". I am going to go ahead and say that the alk is going to move. Because how would a program deal with a two variable equation. Sorry software can't solve this.


Yes he did mention potassium hydroxide and then said don't use it ... the one thing that I would concur with. It seems interesting to me that he would use this at all for hydroxide addition this is ... ummmhhhh ... less than optimal. Also using trident (or any other automated system) to control things in your aquarium is ummmhhh ... dangerous. The weak link for any automation system is always going to be sensors. It is best not to rely on them. Especially if you don't have multiple redundancies, and even then they are a really bad idea.

This person wants you to watch his YouTube channel because he wants to make money. Why isn't his coral business doing that for him? Also anyone who watches videos has a rudimentary understanding that if your background is your room and it is a complete mess and the person is trying to explain his new and amazing organization system is not really going to bring in viewers. I would think that this is obvious.

I will never trust those that use word salad, and this guy brings new meaning to it. Sorry I am not buying what he is selling.

You should listen to the interview ReefDudes did with him, he explains in more detail (but not complete detail) what he does and why and it’s impact on Alk (it rises significantly but eventually settles in). And you’ll learn that he’s the owner of a large coral importing and propagation business in Florida. He knows what he’s doing with corals and is apparently has that green thumb.

 

[reef_ranch]

Well I followed his discussions closely on Reefs and Reefbum channel. Yes he is adding kalk PAST his evaporation rate and topping off with slightly slighty concentrated salt water.

He is also using potassium hydroxide as an alkalinity source. I have no idea why instead of Sodium Hydroxide. It is nothing new as well and makes sense for a large scale operation to some extent. It will make carbonates certainly.

Here is my version of adding kalk at night and the resulting pH swing tuned in to less than 0.08 diurnal pH swing once dialed in.



This is all it takes. I started using B-Ionic

How long have you been able to maintain such small swings? How do your SPS like it?

 

[Koigula]

Not long enough to comment much. I will keep this simple process up through summer.

I had no loses, recovered an ailing mike paletta blue and efflo is taking off.

 

[reef_ranch]

Any difference in PE you can attribute to this change?

 

[Koigula]

Did you mean pH? What is PE?

 

[reef_ranch]

Polyp extension in the sps.

 

[rtparty]

I mean... he did say what he's doing is not for the average or any home kept aquarium. It is only for him who is doing aquaculture with tanks full of corals.

he is just sharing what's working for him, what he's doing in the business, while giving some insight and theory lol. While some of the info might be slightly incorrect, I do think his main takeaway is just telling us to regulate our ph and make corals grow faster and healthier.

Ex: he talked about dosing copper into his farm, but that absolutely doesn't mean you should

Copper is actually essential in our systems. Almost every trace element additive has it as part of their ingredients.

I'm not advising people to dose it directly. It is added though through many things we use.

 

[Doctorgori]

I dunno, almost has a Rube Goldberg feel to it….
I will admit dripping kalk does anecdotally seem to been different/beneficial vs 2 pt….but I personally stopped linking dosing to evap rate, ….I was convinced by someone here I think….and I got a stable environment btw
…I just had 4 or 5 multi head and older hammers, torches, et pop off their heads…
admittedly MOSTLY human error not watching dosing, evap rate, alkalinity, et

 

[homer1475]

He states in the video that 2 part is a perpetual money pit, but Kalk isn't?

I don't know I can buy a whole lot more baking soda, and calcium chloride then I can for the same price of kalk.

I stopped watching the video at that point.

 

[Doctorgori]

He states in the video that 2 part is a perpetual money pit, but Kalk isn't?

I don't know I can buy a whole lot more baking soda, and calcium chloride then I can for the same price of kalk.

I stopped watching the video at that point.

yeah might be a lil hyperbole there… again it was pointed out to me here at R2R that some people do both kalk and 2pt AFTER they reached diminishing returns with kalk (high demand sps tanks, mature, et)…

 

[Dennis Cartier]

He states in the video that 2 part is a perpetual money pit, but Kalk isn't?

I don't know I can buy a whole lot more baking soda, and calcium chloride then I can for the same price of kalk.

I stopped watching the video at that point.

I am sure he is using commercial grade kalk purchased by the skid. The hobbyists who have to buy it from the likes of BRS will find that the cost has been inflated to being equally un-affordable as time has went on.

The other part where he talks about people having SPS tanks that suddenly start crashing being due to sodium ions being used for supplementation, sounds like he is describing doing 2 part unbalanced dosing and not bringing parameters back into line.

Dennis

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

On this topic of pH and alk, folks may find this thread relevant. We discussed what it might mean to a coral to have either one or both stable and what it actually means from the standpoint of their ability to attain carbonate for calcification:

Alkalinity stability? pH stability? Are they even different?

It is currently the dogma of the reef aquarium hobby to say that alkalinity stability is very important for SPS corals, and that pH is not. Often, the very idea of someone trying to optimize pH is called “chasing numbers” as if that statement by itself shows it to be foolish. Since I have...

www.reef2reef.com

 

[Dennis Cartier]

On this topic of pH and alk, folks may find this thread relevant. We discussed what it might mean to a coral to have either one or both stable and what it actually means from the standpoint of their ability to attain carbonate for calcification:

Alkalinity stability? pH stability? Are they even different?

It is currently the dogma of the reef aquarium hobby to say that alkalinity stability is very important for SPS corals, and that pH is not. Often, the very idea of someone trying to optimize pH is called “chasing numbers” as if that statement by itself shows it to be foolish. Since I have...

www.reef2reef.com

The thread you posted is very interesting. It would be nice to know if the pursuit of a higher, stable, pH is worth going out of range, typically higher, on alkalinity. The author from ACI is convinced of that.

It would be great if this could be tested. Has BRS done any side by side tests along those lines, 1 tank locked to pH and another keeping alk stable at the expense of pH?

Update: BRS has done this test Reef Tank pH, benefits of raising saltwater aquarium pH - BRStv Investigates

Dennis

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

The thread you posted is very interesting. It would be nice to know if the pursuit of a higher, stable, pH is worth going out of range, typically higher, on alkalinity. The author from ACI is convinced of that.

It would be great if this could be tested. Has BRS done any side by side tests along those lines, 1 tank locked to pH and another keeping alk stable at the expense of pH?

Dennis

No one has compared alk stability to pH stability quantitatively, or tried to keep both stable that I am aware of.

It is technically pretty challenging.

 

[Dennis Cartier]

No one has compared alk stability to pH stability quantitatively, or tried to keep both stable that I am aware of.

It is technically pretty challenging.

The BRS test was certainly not lab grade. More like a hobbyist would approach it. So anecdotal at best, but interesting nonetheless.

What would be ironic is if it turns out that dinos are exacerbated by low pH. Considering how many people are constantly struggling against them, and if just raising their pH to natural ocean levels tipped the balance away from them, it would save people a lot of grief (and tank restarts).

Dennis