Will dripping Kalkwasser raise dkH readings?

[cveverly]

My dkH reading started climbing from 11 to 17 since dripping kalk. All other readings are stable. Calcium is 450. PH is 8.1-8.2. Ammonia is 0. Nitrite is 0. Nitrate is 0.
Freak coincidence or is there a connection I don’t understand?

I should add this is a 125 reef with fish and loads of live rock. 10% water change weekly. The tank is about 3 months old but it was upgraded from a 1 year old 75 gallon.

 

[dburr]

Yes it could, how much are you dripping? I drip 24/7 in my 90 with high SPS demand. I have a cronic low alk, so I need to drip 24/7. Are you dripping at night and what is in your tank that is using it?
BTW 17 dKH is on the high end, I wouldn't go any higher if you can help it.

 

[cveverly]

I am currently about one drop per second. I make a gallon with tablespoon of kalk and trying to make it last 24 hours.
I have several small SPS, a couple of clams, many fish, softies, mushrooms and LPS.
I drip in the return sump of my refugium. I keep lights on my refugium 24/7.
I am worried about the dkH also so I may stop dosing and see if it drops. My readings were all on the money before I started.

 

[dburr]

I would try dosing at night or every other night. But, yes, let things go back to normal first. You don't have a high useage so you won't need to go 24/7,...........yet.

 

[solonfairy]

tablespoon (15ml) per gal is 3x the "beginner" rate
1 teaspoon per gal is where ya start (5ml)
saturation is 2 teas per gal without vinegar

 

[cveverly]

Originally posted by SolonFairy
1 teaspoon per gal is where ya start (5ml)

Thanks! Silly me I read the instructions on the bottle

I will drop back to one teaspoon and see what happens. First I am going to stop dosing until levels are all normal again.

 

[tony detroit]

When my alk was up that high, my pumps built up calcium deposits in about 3 days after cleaning.
The cool thing about alk that high is it stunts algae growth.