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I was thinking about using my auto topoff unit to dose kalkwasser with. I'm currently using B-ionics, and hate paying for new bottles every month, and sometimes I forget to dose it too, which I feel is holding back growth of my stony corals. This way I'd only have to mix up 5 gallons of RO and lime or whatever it's called in the grocery store once a week or so.

I wanted to ask the experienced if this is a good way to go, as opposed to dripping it. If I would have to drip I won't do it. Would the amount put in the tank each time cause too much shift in pH? I have my sump and main display on alternating light cycles, so there should be less pH swing, though I haven't tested. Hopefully that will make up for the top off running 24/7. The powerhead that pumps into the tank is rated at 45 gph, has 1-2 foot head(which takes off a surpising amount of flow), and stays on for just 1 or 2 seconds at a time. I'm thinking 1-2 cups of water are put into the tank at a time, maybe less. I haven't figured out how much time passes inbetween top offs yet, but I use the 5 gallon bucket in about 6 days. Also, the top off gets put into a section of my sump that has no livestock, just a heater and return pump, and holds about 3-4 gallons of water.

So hopefully that's all the info you need to help me out, I read Randy Holms-Farley's article on RC, and some on WWM, but I'm unsure how much is a good amount to start dosing(figure about 40 gallons of water in the system, maybe a little more/less) and if there's anything else I should know.

Thanks,
matt

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

Before I moved I had Kalk top off my tank. It will only drip in that way, and never had any problems. Right now I'm making a kalk reactor to top off the tank again.



Dan

I would much rather drip it in considering Kalk water has a ph of 13ish. Everyone that I know uses the drip method, or they use a kalk reactor (DIY neilson reactor), or a slight few of them use a Kalk slurry mix. Dripping in my opinion is still the way to go, and the easiest.

As for how much to dose, that all depends on the needs of your tank...I would use it for all top off water on your tank for sure, but the amount of kalk you add to the water is going to vary from tank to tank. On my old 180 I was using the max amount of kalk per gallon of top off water.

Thanks guys, but...

Is using the autotopoff with kalk a bad idea(can't be worse than the slurry method, right?), or just not the best way to do it? If it's a bad idea, please tell me why. Maybe I can just make it so my top off water(kalk water) is pH 9 or 10, not saturated(which I probably won't need it to be anyways, looking for help here too), this way the pH of the tank won't change so much. This would be safe then right? Then I wouldn't have to use as much 2 part. I know I read that storing Kalk water for topoff won't degrade as long as there's no aeration, so I'll be good there. As i said, I really don't want to drip, as I already have a means of topoff, and I don't want any more clutter etc. If I had a fish room to do things like that it wouldn't be as big a deal.

As for how much to dose, depends on the needs of your tank...

I understand, but I was hoping for a safe starting point. A lowball estimate so I don't screw up. I literally don't know if I should be using a cup of kalk per gallon or 1/32 teaspoon. Maybe it was in the article, but I don't remember?

On my old 180 I was using the max amount of kalk per gallon of top off water.

I'm sure I wouldn't even be using half this much, but what is the max?

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

I'm going to go ahead and try to blunder my way through this I guess*shrugs*.

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

look on the jar of kalkwasser mix. if i remember, the max is 2 tabespoons per gallon of water. start with a quarter to half a tsp per gallon. one probem with kalkwasser that i ran into was that it buids up on anything that it drips from. it is very high maintenance. i had a drip topoff system and i had to be very carefull because the valve on my float valve would get stuck open if i didnt clean it out every week.
a topoff system will work for you. you have a pretty small system, so i woud estimate that you lose about a gallon a day. with that amount, you may want to try putting your topoff sytem on a timer (if it is electric) so it only comes on at night so it adds kalk when the tanks ph begins to drop.
if you go with a drip system, make sure you clean the outlet. you will have it either clog or get stuck open depending on what method you use.
anthony calfo (reef god) says in his book of coral propogation that the best and cheapest way to add kalk is to take the nec. amount of kalk powder, mix it in a small cup with some water and pour it directy in your sump or overflow. you dont waste neary as much kalk and it is easier to fine tune how much you add. he rec. adding it at night. just make sure you dont add so much that your ph swings widly. it is totally safe for your ph to fuctuate .2.
if your normal ph is 8.2 and after you add kalk, it would be ok to let it shoot to 8.4.

Thanks acei that was very informative.

start with a quarter to half a tsp per gallon.

This was what I was looking for, thanks. If the directions would have said use 2 tbsp, that's what I would have used, probably raising the pH quite a bit and stressing everybody out.

one probem with kalkwasser that i ran into was that it buids up on anything that it drips from.

I shouldn't have a problem here, a powerhead pumps a small amount of water out every few hours. So it won't really have anywhere to build up on, the tubing is 3/4" diameter, so that would really be tough to clog.

I'll try this out if I find that the pH fluctuates too much, thanks.

The only thing I'm still a little bit worried about is if the kalk will corrode the topoff pump. If it does, oh well, it's only a $5 pump.

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients

Hey Matty...why dont you just get one of those KENT dripper systems and do kalk as needed? It's really easy, that's what I've been doing with my tank. You dont even have to pay to get the KENT dripper, I know just hooks himself up with IV drippers, same concept.

-Formerly known as the Ferretfish

This here is basicly what I use. http://www.petsolutions.com/Sump+Floating+Valve-I-12515436-I-C-28-C-.aspx But I got mine form the hardware store, LOT cheeper. I use a float valve for a humidifier that would go on a furnace. You move the whole unit up and down to set your water level. It only drips, no stead stream.



Dan

I'm trying to eliminate a piece of equipment(and a purchase or DIY job), and since I already have a means for topoff, I'd like to use that for the job. That's it. I'm not trying to be difficult, I promise.

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Critical Fertilator: The Micromanager of Macronutrients