PDA

View Full Version : Kalkwasser issue


crashrat
07/09/2008, 05:43 PM
I finally started using Kalk on my 75 Gal mixed reef tank with 2 clowns, one blenny, crabs snails, fire shrimp. I started with the vinegar added with 1 Tbsp of pickling lime, that dripped in front of a power head over night. The next morning I found my bubble starting to shrivel up. all other corals, SPS, LPS look fine, but this bubble looks bad. I only did about 3/4 of a gal over night of Kalk, the PH read 8.2 afterwards (not sure if this was a false reading). Oh and I did bump the Alk with some Arm and Hammer that night to 8DKH. All other reading are OK, CA-380, MG 1200, P4 unreadable as well as other readings. One other thing I noticed is that I don't evaporate nearly as much as i did before the Kalk and my skimmer doesn't put out half as much waste either. My question is what is normal when starting Kalk, and is there a method to start dosing Kalk, what can be wrong with the bubble coral?
Thanks

davidryder
07/09/2008, 06:02 PM
Could you clarify how much kalk you mixed with how much water, and how much vinegar you used?

This should be really helpful:
http://www.reefscapes.net/articles/breefcase/kalkwasser.html

crashrat
07/09/2008, 06:25 PM
Yes sorry, it was 1 Gal or RO/DI water with 1 TBSP of kalk, and 3 TBSP of vinegar. Doesed overnight about 3/4 of that. The next night I did just water and 1 tsp of kalk and ran 1/4 gal, very slow drip. All looks fine except the bubble.

davidryder
07/09/2008, 06:59 PM
That's a pretty low concentration of kalk to cause problems. Dripping 3/4 gallon overnight probably isn't necessary and that could have definitely caused the problem. Dripping kalk is best done by adding it as top-off water as it evaporates over time as opposed to all at once. Still though for a 75 gallon tank that doesn't seem like a whole lot.

Also, did you allow the mixture to settle overnight and ensure you weren't siphoning any of the particulates on the bottom of the jug into the tank?

crashrat
07/09/2008, 07:15 PM
I let it sit for about 3 hours, enough time to settle. I did notice that with the vinegar it settles much quicker. One other thing, the bubble WAS below the drip, so I'm wondering if the drip was net getting the full flow of the powerhead and dripping on the bubble. So all else taken into account, what I'm doing SHOULDN'T casue too drastic problems? I was getting a low of evaporation before the doseing, now hardly any taken into account what is dripped half of what I used to. And my skimmer, I know Kalk has some boult in PO4 reduction in it, I have noticed harldy any alge at all, haven't scrapped my glass in 3 days now where as before it was every day. I'm thinking that is the reason for the skimmer now pulling as much material out.

stagefright13
07/09/2008, 08:22 PM
1 TBS is too muck kalk. Should be 1 tsp per gallon. And if I read you correctly you are dripping it into the Display tank>? That's not a good idea. I dose it into the sump into the drain flow so it mixes. Then by time it gets to the return it is diluted.

Kalkwasser is like 12 ph which is alot higher than 8.2! You don't want to drip it directly into your display or fish may swim into it or you may nuke something that doesn't "travel" near the drip.

Kalk normally makes a skimmer skim MORE. It will produce more foam.

sjm817
07/09/2008, 08:59 PM
You used a very strong mixture with 1 tbsp (3 tsp)/gallon with vinegar. 2 tsp/g is max saturation without vinegar. As above, it should be dripped slowly and ideally in the sump. I would go back to 1 or 2 tsp/g without vinegar and use caution s to where you add it.

crashrat
07/10/2008, 03:05 AM
Thanks Guys, I'll take all your suggestions into account and see how things go.