kalk not keeping up with Alk. ATO alk dosing?

[likefish]

I have a 200 gallon combined system full of small corals.

1) 120 tank of SPS with decent growth (lots of pieces in this tank)
2) 60 gallon tank of a few LPS
3) 40 gallon breeder frag tank full of birdsnest and monti frags.

I have supported this system with saturated Kalk at +/- a drop per minute 24/7. My kalk solution is spiked with vinegar for carbon dosing. I am dosing 6tsp of Kalk per 3 days with 160ml vinegar. This rate is fairly consistent.

Lately i have been seeing drops in my alk. slow and steady. My Ca is hovering around 450 but i can not keep alk above 8 and it is trending closer to 7 lately. I have not dialed in my daily consumption because i have continued my kalk drip. But the tank is trending downward on ALK.

I do 10-15 gal water changes weekly with IO reef crystals.



QUESTION: Can i add BRS Soda ash solution to my ATO water and allow that to help with my alk? Or do i need to bite the bullet and start up a dosing pump?

Any and all insight appreciated!

[likefish]

My 120 SPS
http://i1262.photobucket.com/albums/ii602/like-fish1/9-13FTSend_zpsdeca5b24.jpg (http://s1262.photobucket.com/user/like-fish1/media/9-13FTSend_zpsdeca5b24.jpg.html)

My 60 cube
http://i1262.photobucket.com/albums/ii602/like-fish1/9-1360cubefront_zps7afdcc78.jpg (http://s1262.photobucket.com/user/like-fish1/media/9-1360cubefront_zps7afdcc78.jpg.html)

Frag tank
http://i1262.photobucket.com/albums/ii602/like-fish1/IMG_20130923_112110_892_zpseef79aa2.jpg (http://s1262.photobucket.com/user/like-fish1/media/IMG_20130923_112110_892_zpseef79aa2.jpg.html)

This is all 1 system running off a 40 gallon breeder sump. Estimated total volume = 200gal.

[disc1]

You can't mix soda ash or baking soda with kalk. It will precipitate out of solution as sand.

[Bpb]

I have the same problem. Dripping fully saturated kalk as my ATO, calcium holding steady, possibly even rising, but over a week or two my alk will want to trend down to about 7.0 before I intervene. I've just been separately dripping 1 dKH worth of soda ash solution one day a week to bring it back up to 8. Might be automated 2 part dosing time

[Psyops]

It's two part dosing time. Or at least soda ash portion of two part. Same issue here. I add small amount of all portion of two part every 3 days or so. I have a 0.5 Dkh drop every few days. That's probably why some people just do two part. Good luck

[likefish]

You can't mix soda ash or baking soda with kalk. It will precipitate out of solution as sand.


My 5 gal kalk drip container is separate from my ATO water. 2 different systems. I have a 5 gallon ATO bucket that tops off via a float valve.

I try to keep things as low tech as possible. Hence the hesitation to fire up the dosing pumps :sad2:

Wondering if i could just spike the ATO water with a bit of soda ash to try to "give it that little Alk push up". My evaporation is fairly consistent so the math is easy for delivering 1dkh a week but wondering if there are any flaws in the method.

[likefish]

I have the same problem. Dripping fully saturated kalk as my ATO, calcium holding steady, possibly even rising, but over a week or two my alk will want to trend down to about 7.0 before I intervene. I've just been separately dripping 1 dKH worth of soda ash solution one day a week to bring it back up to 8. Might be automated 2 part dosing time

Thanks for the insight, at least i dont feel like im doing something wrong now. The 1 dkh per week seems like about where im at as well.

It's two part dosing time. Or at least soda ash portion of two part. Same issue here. I add small amount of all portion of two part every 3 days or so. I have a 0.5 Dkh drop every few days. That's probably why some people just do two part. Good luck

Thank you as well. Nice to know im not alone.

[disc1]

My 5 gal kalk drip container is separate from my ATO water. 2 different systems. I have a 5 gallon ATO bucket that tops off via a float valve.

I try to keep things as low tech as possible. Hence the hesitation to fire up the dosing pumps :sad2:

Wondering if i could just spike the ATO water with a bit of soda ash to try to "give it that little Alk push up". My evaporation is fairly consistent so the math is easy for delivering 1dkh a week but wondering if there are any flaws in the method.

OK, I misunderstood. As long as they are separate containers then you should be OK as long as they don't dose into the tank right on top of one another.