maintaining KH!

[mark97r6]

Hey guys,
what is the best way to maintain steady KH? I want to raise it a little but not much, but i need to keep it steady. Will adding a Kalk stirrer help this at all?

Thanks
Mark

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

There are many ways to supplement alkalinity. The best also supplement calcium at the same time in a balance fashion. I use limewater, but two part additives and CaCO3/CO2 reactors are also a fine way.

For immediate corrections to low alkalinity, baking soda is a fine choice.

These articles have more:

Reef chemicals calculator
http://home.comcast.net/~jdieck1/chem_calc3.html

Solving Calcium and Alkalinity Problems
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/nov2002/chem.htm
An Improved Do-it-Yourself Two-Part Calcium and Alkalinity
Supplement System
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/rhf/index.php

[mark97r6]

Thanks alot for the quick reply, i really appreciate it. I will have a read through those links.

Thanks again
Mark

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

You're welcome.

Good luck. :)

[dtaranath]

randy,

in your articles, you use a 44gal brute to store your supply of kalk. how do you accomplish this? I also have a 44gal brute to do the same. How do you stir the kalk everytime you replenish the supply? I was thinking I need a big long piece of PVC to stir the water in the trash can. Is that how you do it?

I assume you have some kalk that doesn't dissolve, which remains in the bottom until the next replenishment of water. I was just wondering how you did this, so that my setup would work similarly.

Here's what my setup looks like currently:

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/1019862006_0714_043.jpg

obviously, the floor brute is for the kalk top-off.

Any advice on this would help!

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I actually have two cans connected along the bottom of the sides with bulkheads, making it 88 gallons.

I only stir it (with a powerhead) when first dissolving the lime. No other stirring until it is empty and needs more water and lime. Yes, sludge builds upon the bottom, which I ignore for many months, then eventually rinse it out.

[REV]

Would an airstone in the kalk cause it to precipitate? (If this is a stupid question, please laugh quietly.)

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Yes, an airstone would be a bad choice. This is what happened to the potency of limewater when i aerated a gallon container with an airstone:

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

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-01/rhf/images/Figure3.gif