Help Getting Started with Kalkwasser

[sclaussen]

Currently I dose Ca, Mg, & Alk with a Bubble Magnus doser - but I'm looking for an alternative that requires less maintenance - so considering Kalkwasser. I plan to add it to my RO ATO and use a LiterMeter which will add ATO every 10 minutes to the tank. I'm planning on getting the Kalkwasser from BRS.

Some newb Kalkwasser questions:
1. I've heard you just dump some Kalkwasser in the bottom of the ATO container - is that right?
2. I see kalk stirrer's on sale - are they necessary - what's their value add?
3. What types of problems can Kalkwasser create (over dosing, etc)?

Thanks in advance!
Shane

[HighlandReefer]

Dosing kalk water is limited to your evaporation rate. How much alk supplement (what type?) do you add to how much total water volume per day? How much water does your system evaporate per day? With this we can calculate if kalk water will meet your demand. If kalk water can't meet your demand, you will need to either increase your evaporation rate or supplement the difference with two-part which will increase your maintenance procedures. ;)

[sclaussen]

Thanks for the quick response Cliff.

Right now I'm losing around 2.5 gallons per day to evap - I have somewhere around 110g in the DT+Sump.

I will continue testing obviously and I can continue to dose with the Bubble Magnus at reduced rates (now I'm dosing around 110ml/day of Ca, Mg, & Alk).

Do I need one of these kalk stirrers? Is there a risk of over dosing w/kalk?

Thanks,
Shane

[bertoni]

You can dose from a tub of water and stir by hand whenever you add more water, or you could automate and use a kalk stirrer connected to an RO/DI system. I never used a kalk reactor because it costs more and can deliver more impurities to the tank.

Kalk can be overdosed. Too much kalk will spike the pH and can cause precipitation. I watched the first few hours carefully when I started kalk on a tank.

This article has more:

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

[Bolivian Reefer]

I would not recommend adding Kalk in the ATO since your evaporation rate is kind of high. I have a BRS pump and i have it set to does 3 min every hour. My calcium has been rock solid at 460 since. I have a separate container for my ATO where i put my Mg.

Javier

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

If evaporation is higher than the amount of saturated limewater you want to deliver, you can dilute it as much as you want. :)

[HighlandReefer]

Thanks for the quick response Cliff.

Right now I'm losing around 2.5 gallons per day to evap - I have somewhere around 110g in the DT+Sump.

I will continue testing obviously and I can continue to dose with the Bubble Magnus at reduced rates (now I'm dosing around 110ml/day of Ca, Mg, & Alk).

Do I need one of these kalk stirrers? Is there a risk of over dosing w/kalk?

Thanks,
Shane

If you are using Randy's recipe #1 (sodium carbonate, baked baking soda) and you dose 110 ml of it per day in 110 g TWV, then you are using about 1.4 dKH of alk per day. Saturated kalk water in your system with a 2.5 gallon evaporation rate will supply about 2.5 dKH of alk per day. So, using saturated kalk water should work based on your figures. ;)

[ryeguyy84]

I started with 1 teaspoon kalk per 5 gallons top off, then went up from there. There's no set level it's all based on your needs.

[tmz]

The liter meter3 you are considering is what I have used trouble free for years . It delivers a preset amount spread into 150 increments over a 24 hour period . So you have to calculate your top off and put in the number of liters you wish to dose daily . It is not comapatible with another ato device or stirrer as far as I know but works great with a still reservoir.
I use a 32 gallon brute can and stir in the kalk powder (full saturation , 2tsps per gallon in my case but you can use less to start) it when I fill it ; let it settle for 2 hours;put the lid on the can and start the pump. The limewater (kalk)holds strength for weeks without any restirring. The intake tube forthe pump is place a few inches off the bottom of the can to avoid dosing the slurry that builds up there.

[bif24701]

Were do I find Randy's recipe #u1. And others?

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

An Improved Do-it-Yourself Two-Part Calcium and Alkalinity Supplement System
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/rhf/index.php

[tmz]

BTW, .
If you don't plan to use teh bubble magnus for dosing 2 part , you can use it for kalk . It's a lot like the liter meter.

[sclaussen]

I received the bulk kalk from BRS today and the additional Liter Meter pump - so I'm going to put them to work this afternoon and see how it goes. I wanted to say thanks for all the responses thus far - there were a lot of helpful posts. I'll repost if I run into anything else but thanks again.

Shane