kalkwasser advise

[envelope_man]

hello everybody. I'm in need of some advise on proper kalk dosing. I have added several gallons here & there of kalk solutions & I don't think I'm doing it right. I added 2 gls. of water to a bucket (ro/di). put a 1200 maxijet (up-graded) powerhead in & started circulating the water. then added 2 teaspoons of kalk & mix for 20 minutes or so. I then added the solution to a drip line container trying not to add recipient at the bottom of bucket. I would then set the drip & that was pretty much it. one question I have is the haze at the top of solution after mixing. is this ok to add to tank? what I would like to do is have a large container that I could mix-up a large supply of kalk that would last 3 or 4 days if possible & have it for top-off so to speak. would like to set something up to fill this top off automatically. any suggestions on the best & easiest way to go about this. I have a few ideas but don't know which direction to go. dosing pump? I've never used one.
kalk stirring reactor? or would a calcium reactor be better? just trying to grow simple corals pretty much in a 300 gl. tank.

[doctorgori]

nobody's answering?...
Anyway, the scum? I know what you are talking about...no clue exactly what it is but I personally never worried about it...

As far as dripping kalk is concerned; well I leave more detailed and accurate process descriptions up to the more intelligent hobbyist, but suffice to say unless your evap rate is like 3 gallons a day and you got like 1 coral in a 20 gal, I would basically keep fiddling with the drip rate to equal the evap rate (all things considered)

I've had like 1dz reef tanks over the yrs and the evap rate is sometimes around 1gal/day for 100G tank, YMMV ... you did say 300 gal tank....what is your evap rate like? how many corals, growth rate, et ...all that will factor in what type of kalk delivery is going to be practicle

[bertoni]

The limewater should mix up with a quick stir. More aeration will turn the lime into calcium carbonate (fine sand). Limewater will last for weeks if loosely coverd. It should settle in 5-6 hours or so, I'd guess. I just let it sit overnight.

This article goes into details:

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-01/rhf/index.htm

[envelope_man]

thanks. the aquarium is loosing over 3 gls. dayly. growth rate not that good for some reason. I have some new test kits coming this week. not many corals....small leather,palms,small star polyps, small xenia. question about the delivery of kalkwasser;
with lights on or off?

[GreenTankCorals]

Kalkwasser has been called the Magic Solution for the reef tank by many.
I have tried a long list of additives but now only use Kalkwasser and Magnesium supplements and nothing else.

It is preferred to use Kalk at night time, that's when the pH drops, kalk being alkaline, will keep the pH stable.

Go to mrsaltwatertank.com. This guy has lots of videos, how to's and other valuable info including how to mix and dose kalkwasser.

[reefgeezer]

My tank evaporates about 1.5 gallon per day. The evaporation occurs mostly during the day when lights and fans are running. I mix kalk (Bulk Reef Supply) @ two tsp. per gallon in my 20 Gallon ATO reservoir and forget about it. When I add the kalk, I simply agitate the water for a few seconds then let it sit overnight. Keeps the calcium @ about 420 ppm and alkalinity 8-9 DKH. Other than that, I just add a little magnesium. My tank's demand is not super high. I think I'd use two-part if it were.

The key to storing kalkwasser is to keep it covered to limit exposure to the atmosphere. I don't know the chemistry, but it doesn't keep as long uncovered.

[envelope_man]

thanks for the info! dosing at night... does it matter if lights are on? your 20 gl. reservoir, did you buy that? a kalkwasser reactor.... is that the best way to go?

[iLLwiLL]

I'm about to upgrade my kalk top off reservoir to a 44 gallon brute container. Its going to be a super high tech setup with a piece of pvc inside to aid in stirring up new batches, and a paper towel gasket on the lid to limit air into the barrel. Delivery will be an aqua lifter activated by a float switch in the sump.

~Will.

[bertoni]

I always dosed limewater through an autotopoff with a peristaltic pump. That setup is a bit pricey, though. The pump could produce a very slow stream of drops, though, which was perfect. If you're going to drip by hand, doing it at night would be fine, but I'm far too lazy to keep that up for long.

[envelope_man]

should I go by the directions on my brand of kalk or can you mix stronger?

[HighlandReefer]

You can only get around 2 teaspoons of kalk to dissolve in one gallon of rodi water. After that the extra will remain undissolved on the bottom of the container. ;)

The recommended starting dose for kalk water, especially in low demand systems, is 1 teaspoon of kalk per 1 gallon of rodi water. You can raise the amount of kalk you add up to the 2 teaspoons per gallon to meet your alk demand of your system. :)

[reefgeezer]

thanks for the info! dosing at night... does it matter if lights are on? your 20 gl. reservoir, did you buy that? a kalkwasser reactor.... is that the best way to go?

I had a DIY kalk reactor and it was OK but it was an extra gadget that didn't really make adding the kalk much easier. (You can find old threads here at RC where I initially liked and recommended the thing.) Now I just use a food safe 20 gallon plastic container I bought for about $5 at Walmart as my ATO reservoir. It holds enough water for about two weeks but I fill it more often. I've marked off a series of lines that I calculated to be 1 gallon increments on the outside of the container. When I fill the container, I pay attention to about how many gallons of RODI water I added and add the appropriate amount of Kalk. I give it a quick stir with my hand and then just let it sit overnight before I turn my ATO back on.

My ATO system is gravity fed and controlled by an electric level switch and solenoid so the kalk is delivered based on the evaporation rate. In my tank that means most of it is delivered during the day as the lights and fans increase the evaporation rate. My sump level drops less than 1/16th of an inch before the switch opens the solenoid. Then kalkwasser flows for about 30 seconds through 1/4" tubing before the switch closes the solenoid when the sump is full. This process repeats at a rate the adds about a gallon and a half of kalkwasser to the sump each day. The kalkwasser is added so slowly that pH is not directly affected.

Some people add kalk at night because the pH tends to drop when the lights are out. If the lights are on at night it really negates the need to add it then.

I don't like artificially changing the tank's pH so I'd suggest adding the kalk in a slow and almost steady manner that doesn't cause a pH swing. I keep a lighted fuge on at night so I don't think the pH changes much. I must admit I no longer check it.

[envelope_man]

thanks guy's.... very, very helpful. I think I have a plan now. understanding the kalk dosing alot better with your help!!!

[bertoni]

You're welcome! Good luck!