Reef Tank Kalkwasser

Need to drop pH drastically, quick. Help!!!?

I mixed kalkwasser for my 90 gallon soon-to-be Reef Tank. All that’s in there is live sand, live rock, and the little critters that hitchhiked (brittle stars, pods, etc). My three year old decided to “help” me and dumped my kalkwasser mix into the tank just 5 minutes after I had mixed it. Everything from the bucket went in the tank, and I have pH readings off the charts. I looked up the pH of kalkwasser, and it’s between 12-13!!! Help! I need to get the pH down to 8.3 quickly. I don’t think pH Down is going to help me on this one!

Youch!!!

I thtink water changes are your best bet, frankly. I don’t think any chemical solution is going to help here. Do you have extra salt mix on hand? Mix up a new batch, start up the siphon, and just keep taking water out and replacing it, testing the pH at intervals.

Honestly, though, best bet might be to transfer whatever you can to another tank while you try to normalize this one.

Maybe some old hand will have a better suggestion for you, but that’s what I’d do. BEST of luck!

Kalkwasser Dosing Demonstration – Bulk Reef Supply

Reef Notes: 1991/1992 $10.99 This is the second in the Reef Notes series, featuring articles from Julian’s column in FAMA magazine from 1991-1992. The author revises the points where his opinion has changed or where he simply was in error, offering a chance for the reader to see how the understanding of how to operate a reef aquarium has evolved. A handy index allows the reader to look up various subjects….