best way to dose kalk

[mario4254]

im might be force to dose kalk do to low ph i have never done it before and would like some opinions on whats working for you ( pics if possible) thank you in advance mario

[moo0o]

I used to a use a Geo kalk reactor with an auto top off. Don't think you'd need pics for that as its self explanatory.

[sjm817]

Best method is to mix it in your auto topoff. Do you have an ATO now, and how is it set up?

[hyperfocal]

There is no best method. Which method is right for you depends on what's most important to you.

[Kur]

A cheap way is to just use a gallon milk/water jug with a siphon tube dripping into your sump at the same rate as your evaporation loss. You can use regular air tubing with an adjustable valve on it to control flow.

But if you don't like the ghetto rigging aspect of reef keeping, you can do it any number of more costly ways.

[mario4254]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15232921#post15232921 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Kur
A cheap way is to just use a gallon milk/water jug with a siphon tube dripping into your sump at the same rate as your evaporation loss. You can use regular air tubing with an adjustable valve on it to control flow.

But if you don't like the ghetto rigging aspect of reef keeping, you can do it any number of more costly ways.

not at all im thinking of just geting a plastic container and have hooked up to a flow valve that would be in my sump and it would be gravity fed .........would that work?

[want2reef]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15230573#post15230573 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sjm817
Best method is to mix it in your auto topoff. Do you have an ATO now, and how is it set up?

This has worked for me, for about 7 years. :)

[THE ROOK]

Plastic jug deal gets old fast. Constantly adjusting & cleaning the hose & valve. It's a p.i.t.a.

Just add it to your ATO.

[mario4254]

thanks for all the advice ........can someone point me out to a good reading about kalk in general i never tried this stuff and like to do as much research as i can before going for it

[sjm817]

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

How to Select a Calcium and Alkalinity Supplementation Scheme
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/feb2003/chem.htm

[Compguy]

I have a question, I would prefer not to add it to my ATO as my evaporation rates vary alot and just for fear of one of my floats getting stuck on, which has happen before. My question is, I currently use a Aquamedic Reef Doser twin to dose B-Ionic, and it does work great, don't get me wrong, B-Ionic has worked great for me, but as with Mario, my PH is low, its stays pretty stable at about 7.8, the highest it gets is 7.9, I can't say I see any negative affects in the tank, its been running like this for a long time. But can I just mix up the kalk to its maximum and use the Reef Doser to basically dose it like I would B-Ionic rather than using it as a Top Off. Does that make any sense to anybody.

[sjm817]

You can get good dual float switch setup that has a secondary float switch that will shut off the topoff if the first one sticks. I've been using this type of setup for over 6 years with no failure.

Yes, you could also use a peristaltic pump to dose it.

[kjord97]

I personally use the Jucey Juice Gallon Jug with an adjustable nozzle I placed in the side of it. I fill it up every eveing, takes 30 seconds, and then it drips all night long. I never have to make adjustments to it. Every month of so, I will add some vinegar to the jug and shake it alot, comes out pretty clean afterwards.


I dose 1.5 teaspoons to 1 gallon of water. Let sit for 24 hours prior to use. Well a little less. I dose at 9-10 pm every night. I have 180 gal tank, 30 gal sump, and 48 gal frag tank plumbed in.

[Compguy]

So are you just dripping to dose not to top off the water, or are you using it to add top off water as well.

[THE ROOK]

Whether you dose kalk via ATO or drip should not affect floats in the sump. That makes no sense.

[markandkristen]

the tunze calcium dispenser is kinda pricy i got mine for 50
works great just add the kalk shake and your ready to go.. doesnt mess up you pumps in your ato top off either.
it has a valve on it that keeps it from dripping back towards the pumps... every 3rd day or so i just shake up the bottle and its ready to go last about 3 weeks or so

[Compguy]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15237017#post15237017 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by THE ROOK
Whether you dose kalk via ATO or drip should not affect floats in the sump. That makes no sense.

Maybe you should read the thread a little better, what you are saying makes no sense, nobody is saying that using kalk affects floats.

[Compguy]

I just don't know where to start as far as how much to dose per day, I don't know exactly how much B-Ionic I am dosing, I lost track a while ago because I just kept increasing the dose as needed, I believe right now it runs 4 seconds every 1.5 hours, when I first started using it I was at 25mL of each part, is there anyway to figure how much kalk I should start dosing, I was just gonna use a fully saturated mix, but if kalk is more potent than b-ionic, obviously I am gonna have to turn back how much is being dosed.