Kalkwasser dosing question

[skozzy1]

I would have done search on this but the search function on this site has been reportedly overloaded or something for the last couple of weeks.
Anyway....My corals have finally used up enough of my "previously excess level of calcium" to where I need to start dosing. My PH is a little on the low side at 8.1 so I figuered Kalkwasser mix might be the hot ticket right now. I am relativley new at this hobby.
My calcium levels have been high for a long time due to the Red Sea salt I used when I set up my tank. I want my salinity at 1.025 to 1.026 but the Red Sea salt is calibrated to be mixed at a lower salinity so at 1.026, the calc is of course alot higher.
To make a short story even longer, since I am not currently set up to do a drip and I dont have a dosing pump. Can I just dump a certain amount of dissolved Kalk into the tank. Calc is 390ppm and I want it at 450 in a 72g tank.
I will in the future get set up to do this another way but any help will be appreciated...Thanks.

[chris wright]

I would advise you to get a calcium supplement to increase your calcium. Kalk will help stabilize your alk and calc, but you would have to add to much kalk to increase your levels.

For dosing the kalk, i use a glass lid that came with the tank, which i use a small container with a tap on it, which i set to drip at a rate of about 1 drop a second or a little slower. I add calcium suppliments to the kalk sometimes as per the instructions on the bottle ( red sea liquid calcium). I also set up a drip and use calcium chloride to up my calcium levels when they drop.

Heres a link to a handy site for some idea'slink (http://petsforum.com/personal/trevor-jones/kalkwasserdripping.html)

Hope this helps, and the above site has links and information on mixing kalk etc, just a note, if you are thinking about the lime used, make sure you check out the purities of the lime you are using. The lime available in Australia is a good quality and the site is Australian. Hydrated lime is what I use, after checking the web site of the company packaging the lime for impurities.

Cheers

Chris

[jdieck]

As Chris mentions above Kalk will increase not only Calcium but also alkalinity. If your alkalinity level is OK do not use Kalk to rise Calcium or you will end up overshooting the AAlkalinity. For Calcium only supplementation you can use Calcium Chloride. (Turbocalcium, ESV calcium chloride, Dowflake, Peladow).
The chemistry calculator can help you determine the amount required for a targeted adjustment.
http://home.comcast.net/~jdieck1/chem_calc3.html
For maintenance Kalk makes for a good supplement as both Calcium and Alkalinity get consummed in the same ratio than the Calcium and Alkalinity provided by the Kalk.
You can use a slurry of Kalk to add to the tank (Balling method) as far as it does not fall on corals, it is added in a very high flow area and your PH does not get imediately impacted by a chenge of 0.2 or more units.
Having said that I woudl recommend a dripping system for Kalk (see Chris's link) which is cheap to setup rather than the Balling method.which could be disastrous is done incorrectly.

[Rouselb]

You dont want to add a lot of Kalk at one time. That will drive up your PH. I have a 35 gal rubbermaid trash can that i fill with RO and Mrs Wages Pickling Lime. I then let my dose pump dose several times a day small increments. Im currently using about 4 gal a day on my 200 gal (ATO). Just get your calc and alk to where you like em (i used seachem reef buffer & calc), then start dosing kalk and watch your alk, once you get that stable, your calc should follow.

[skozzy1]

I have recentley been using Seachem reef builder to bump my Alk, as it has been low at aroun 7.5 dkh and P.H. @ 7.8 in morning and up to 8.23 just before MH goes off.
So I figured dosing Kalk would help with the PH.
Am I wrong in my figgerin?

[shuturhole316tx]

How can you go about lowering Alkalinity? My Calcium is good but the Alkalinity is high. I am curently dosing with Kalk. I will test and post the specific peramitors after I get off of work.

[shuturhole316tx]

bump

[jdieck]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10828091#post10828091 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by shuturhole316tx
How can you go about lowering Alkalinity? My Calcium is good but the Alkalinity is high. I am curently dosing with Kalk. I will test and post the specific peramitors after I get off of work.
Skozzy1:
Sorry for the hichjack...
Shutur:
The answer is water changes or suspend supplementation and let it drop by itself.
Once normal reduce the volume of Kalk being added or prepare a more diluted solution.

[jdieck]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10827951#post10827951 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by skozzy1
I have recentley been using Seachem reef builder to bump my Alk, as it has been low at aroun 7.5 dkh and P.H. @ 7.8 in morning and up to 8.23 just before MH goes off.
So I figured dosing Kalk would help with the PH.
Am I wrong in my figgerin?
Yes dosing kalk will help you keep a higher PH and supplement alkalinity as well as calcium.
For better results add it as a drip on a continued basis trying to match the volume added to the alkalinity required without exceeding your volume of evporation.