Increasing ph too fast

KahluaZzZ

KahluaZzZ

Superstar Fish
#1
Jun 12, 2004
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Montreal, Quebec
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#1
Hey guys. I just use B-Ionic 2 part buffer for the first time. My ph was 8.1 before i added those. In 5 mn it was 8.3 ..waah. Kinda supa fast. I was supposed to put 13 ml of each bottle but i prefered 10 ml just in case...but still this is way too fast. Should i use a drip container do to it next time ?
Somebody used this product ?
 

W

wayne

Elite Fish
#6
Oct 22, 2002
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#6
What was your kH to start with? Aren't there some notes around this on how to adjust the volumes?

Read Randy Holmes farleys sticky on BiIonics in RC
 

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wayne

Elite Fish
#8
Oct 22, 2002
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#8
6.3 is quite low. I would buffer that up before I started using BiIonic.

What corals are you keeping that you think are going to use this calcium?
 

W

wayne

Elite Fish
#12
Oct 22, 2002
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#12
I doubt you'll be using very much calcium then. Don't add what you don't need, so measure what your levels are doing once you start supplementing.
 

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wayne

Elite Fish
#14
Oct 22, 2002
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#14
SO are GSP, and your LPS aren't going to really burn thro' it. If you add a 'normal dose' I think you'll likely be overdosing the stuff, and most of it will drop out as precipitate OR you'll get a lot of coralline growth. Either way, it's an expensive way to carry on.
I would be tempted to just buffer my kH up to 9 or 10, then get by for calcium , as your needs are going to realistically be quite low by using very small amounts of kalk. As you are talking really small amounts, like a quarter teaspoon a day, you can just mix that into some RO and tip it in as a slurry, and not worry about dripping it - the amount will be so small so as to have only minor effects on your pH (if any).
 

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wayne

Elite Fish
#16
Oct 22, 2002
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#16
Good Ca, or just good water conditions? I doubt it's the Ca, though it might be the lower pH, possibly a result of your low kH.

Anyway 380 is the approx Ca content of natural seawater so I doubt that's your problem. 400+ are artificially high values that marine aquarists just happen to like. 380 is NOT a problem vaue unless you are wanting to grow stacks of SPS
 

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JustinP

Medium Fish
#17
Jun 8, 2005
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#17
wayne said:
6.3 is quite low. I would buffer that up before I started using BiIonic.

What corals are you keeping that you think are going to use this calcium?
Click to expand...
Isn't that what part 1 of B-Ionic is supposed to do? You can add the parts separately as needed you don't need to add both at once. I do this all the time and yes, a small amount will raise pH considerably. You should only use a half dose for the first several times you use it and test your chemistry. Then adjust dose as needed after those times.
 

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JustinP

Medium Fish
#19
Jun 8, 2005
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#19
True, and for what it's worth since I started using Coral Life salt mix I have never had to supplement Ca since. Always around 400. I just use B-Ionic part 1 to raise dkH and pH occasionally. Actually, it sucks that they won't sell the bottles separately.
 

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wayne

Elite Fish
#20
Oct 22, 2002
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#20
Well why don't you just use a bog standard kH buffer then? The fact that you can use parts 1 and 2 separately is just a marketing trick, it's a very, very expensive way to buffer kH. Comapre the effect to simply using epsom salts from the kitchen - same effect , somewhat different cost bracket.
The only reason to buy biIonics is that it is a very good, reliable and maintainable way to raise the Calcium levels in a small tank. For large tanks, heavy usage and for fiddling kH it is not good value for money.

So what do you think is taking the Ca down? Coralline. For a 30 point drop over a few weeks I tihnk I'd investigate the kalk slurry method
 

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