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View Full Version : very diluted kalkwasser: Can I add it rapidly to my tank?


Nathan
09/25/2006, 02:14 PM
I have a 20g water storage tank that I use to automatically refill my main tank with. The dosing pump adds water rapidly to the main tank.

Can I add a spoonful of kalkwasser and create a very dilute solution and then dose it to the main tank without any ill effects?

I am using an airline (is that 1/8th inch diameter?) and dose at a rate which makes the water stream out of it, not drip out of it. Also it is in a high flow rate in my sump.

-Nathan

seattlerob
09/25/2006, 02:37 PM
Nathan: the primary concern when dosing kalkwasser is too sudden and/or too much increase in pH levels due to the dosing, which causes stress to the tank inhabitants.

Your proposed plan seems reasonable to me. 'very dilute' is a bit ambiguous....normal rates of dosing kalk are 2 teaspoons per gallon of water (then letting it settle & dosing just the clear part). If you're talking about a spoonful for the entire 20g, I doubt that will have much impact at all on your overall pH (probably not much impact on Ca or Alk either for that matter).

You might try testing your pH before dosing, then dose a typical amount and retest pH to see what kind of increase you get.

The following article provides some excellent information on the use of kalkwasser: http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-01/rhf/index.php

hth,
rob

Randy Holmes-Farley
09/25/2006, 02:45 PM
The pH rise depends on the total amount of lime added, not necessarily the concentration of the limewater.

How much lime were you thinking would get added at once?

Adding 1 level teaspoon into 40 gallons will boost pH by about 0.6 pH units.