Kalkwasser through top off.

[urville]

Making sure I understand correctly.

I already have a sterilite 22 gallon tub i fill with RO every few days. I use a toms aquatics air lifter pump to add water to the system from that tub as it evaporates.

So I can mix that water as kalkwasser?
So every time it runs low I'll need to empty it wash it out and refill, rather than just refill as I did before, right?

the ratio it seems is dependant on the system and need, but is there a good starting area?

What am i missing? is there any good advice you usually only get from doing it for a long while that might good to know now?

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

You need not wash it out between runs. I let sediment accumulate in mine for at least a year. It does not hurt anything, may still have some active lime in it, and may also help bind impurities from the water.

I'd start at 1 teaspoon per gallon for a typical mixed tank. Higher is you have substantial SPS, lower if you have little to no hard corals.

This has a lot more:

What Your Grandmother Never Told You About Lime
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-01/rhf/index.htm

[BigJay]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13453628#post13453628 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Randy Holmes-Farley
It does not hurt anything, may still have some active lime in it, and may also help bind impurities from the water.


Randy, how can the residue help bind impurities in the topoff water?

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Impurities like copper can bind to the surface of these minerals. I discuss that here:


The Self Purification of Limewater
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/may2003/chem.htm

[shikhyung]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13453516#post13453516 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by urville
I use a toms aquatics air lifter pump to add water to the system from that tub as it evaporates.

If you use the toms aquatics then how much (mililiter) it will pump each time? Will it shock the pH? thanks.

[urville]

Let me see...
says 3.5 gallons an hour, so just under one cup every minute. I dont think mine is that fast though. maybe half a cup or 1/3.

so that would be... roughly...
219.5 ml's a minute

My system is 155g with the refugium

so at full cpacity on my system thats what? 1/3 of 1% of the total volume.

well... mine gets maybe half that. I'll have to test it tonight but im pretty sure.

[maharkona]

Tagging along....

Randy, I've been running a top-off with Kalk for about 6 months. It is set up with a powerhead inside the bucket, that kicks on when the top-off comes on. Therefor, all the the sediment gets added to the tank daily. Is this a bad thing?????

[shikhyung]

Are you using a timer, a float switch?

[urville]

me? or maharkona?

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

It is set up with a powerhead inside the bucket, that kicks on when the top-off comes on. Therefor, all the the sediment gets added to the tank daily. Is this a bad thing?????

It wouldn't be my preference, but it is probably not a big deal if you are using high quality lime. That's why I do not like limewater reactors, at least one reason.

Do you know that you need saturated limewater? Maybe you can set the powerhead to only come on once a day or less?

[maharkona]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13459899#post13459899 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by shikhyung
Are you using a timer, a float switch?
Using a timer. OK, I'll have the powerhead come on once a day just to stir it, but not be on when the timer comes on for top of. This should keep the sediment in the top-off reserve, and not put it in the tank. Is this the correct way?????

[shikhyung]

urville, the question refer to you.
I am currious that how long the pump set to be on?
and if you use the float switch, then what is the gap between switch on, switch off (how sensitive of the switch)?
Thanks.

[d0ughb0y]

how about suctioning the powerhead to the side of the bucket (assmuming the suction will hold) to prevent sucking up the sediment?

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

how about suctioning the powerhead to the side of the bucket (assmuming the suction will hold) to prevent sucking up the sediment?

If it does not suspend the sediment, it is less likely to be able to dissolve the solid lime to reach saturation, if that is a goal.

[urville]

No, I dont use a timer. I let it do it's thing.
You know I'm not sure. Maybe it comes on every couple of hours. Probably a bit more in the summer. I'll be home today so I will time it and get back on tonight with a more definintive answer.

Well, this system seems harder to get situated at first, and has some certainly more dangerous outcomes if anything goes wrong. I am worried but...

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13461755#post13461755 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by shikhyung
urville, the question refer to you.
I am currious that how long the pump set to be on?
and if you use the float switch, then what is the gap between switch on, switch off (how sensitive of the switch)?
Thanks.

[kaskiles]

I use both a timer and the float switch on an Aqualifter based top off. The timer forces the lime water to be added more uniformly throughout the day, by only allowing Tom to run for 1 minute every hour.

My Tom sucks from the lime tub through a air line hose connected to a rigid air line tube that is poked through an appropriate sized hole in the container lid. This allows me to control how far away from the sediment it is drawing from.

I think the lime water concentration in my system probably changes over the week, because I do not mix it. But I decide how many teaspoons to add to my 5 gallon top off water container by trial and error over the week, while watching sump pH (upstream of top off addition area) and weekly alkalinity measurements (via API and/or Salifert).

I have high house CO2, so I've never noticed pH get above 8.2. But I have noticed my Alk go to 12 or above, and that is when I back off the Kalk powder additions to the top off reservoir...

[tqui]

Randy...
can we add more kalkwasser (1 tsp/gal) to the resevoir with all the sediment from the previous.... or should we remove the sediments.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

can we add more kalkwasser (1 tsp/gal) to the resevoir with all the sediment from the previous.... or should we remove the sediments.

It is fine to leave the sediments for many repeated fillings. Some may still be active, and the inactive calcium carbonate does not hurt anything, until you can no longer stir or can no longer know that there is any active material present.

[tqui]

that was a quick reply... thanks again. :D

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

You're welcome.

Good luck. :)

[jade2122]

any other people use this method? i'm considering doing it but could use some advice and hearing of your methods.thanks!

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Many people use it, myself included.

What exactly do you want more info on? Using limewater in general, or specific devices that people use to dose it?

The first article linked above addresses both questions, but necessarily limits the discussion of the many individual devices that folks use to a few general categories.