Dripping kalk ! How much!

Gangous · 11/23/2012, 06:39 PM

I struck out with this question on 2 other forums !

I'm running bio pellets on my 40 breeder just set up after storm !
Also have2 brs dosers to dose 2part but would really like to drip kalk though out day I used to dose kalk through my ato in my last sps tank and saw great results sps love kalk but the ato over dosed and I had big issues so this time I got a medical grade food doser (kAngaroo pump). And want to drip kalk this way much safer!

So my tank is new with sps frags so alk cal consumption is low was adding about 4 -5 ml of 2 part a day keeping alk at 8.9 or so
So question is how much kalk should I be drip dosing per hr ???

Need the sps pros here

thegrun · 11/23/2012, 08:42 PM

You are going to want to get as much kalk into the tank as possible so you would want the amount you dose to be just slightly less than what your tank's evaporation rate is. You will then need to use the two part dosers to make up the balance of your tank's needs. Truthfully if your coral demands are more than the kalk can keep up with I wouldn't use it at all and simply switch to two part or a calcium reactor.

term_paint · 11/23/2012, 09:03 PM

I have a drip setup. I dont use 2 parts although they are good. The kalk drip keeps my evaporation at check. I mix 2 tsp per gallon. I evap approx 2 gallons a day and that is approx what i drip back in.

Gangous · 11/25/2012, 11:12 AM

Well I'm trying to figure out how much to add because my cal alk consumption is low now just frags now ! Basicly I mixed 1 tablespoon of kalk per gallon !
I have an ato hooked up with regular rodi water to make up difference in evaporate rate
Just trying to figure out how many ml to drip every hour??
Was gonna start with 10 ml per hr so 240 ml per day see how that goes ??

Gangous · 05/29/2013, 06:02 AM

Ok well it's 6 or so months since I asked this question and I guess the only way to truly learn for me is by doing ill post what I came up with a bit later but it's all about trial and error

dkeller_nc · 05/29/2013, 06:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gangous

Ok well it's 6 or so months since I asked this question and I guess the only way to truly learn for me is by doing ill post what I came up with a bit later but it's all about trial and error

That would be true for everyone (learning by trial and error). It isn't possible to "calculate" how much kalk to add, because everyone's tank evaporation rate will be different, as will their calcium & alkalinity consumption rate.

fazilosman · 05/29/2013, 07:14 AM

You can drip any amount of Kalk up to the maximum evaporation rate of your particular tank. Keep in mind: 1) check that the pH is not getting over 8.3 or so 2) pH does not climb rapidly 3) KH and CA are not going over recommended levels.

Other than that, drip away. I would recommend dripping 50% of total evaporation as a starting point. In other words, if your tank is loosing 1.0 gal of water per day, simply set the drip to replace 1/2 gal. You will then test the water and adjust up or down from there.

My 165 gal evaporates 1 gal per day and I replace with ~75% kalkwasser but also use 2 part to fine tune. I would expect that your 40 would evap about 1/2 gal per day but that is a GUESS and no one can predict your exact rate. In fact it will change throughout the year as temps, humidity etc. vary.

Good luck.

Gangous · 05/29/2013, 07:42 AM

I Have not checked ph in a while is it safe to say if my alk is between 7-8 that ph is not going to high?? What problems can high ph cause?
I do have a ph monitor I guess ill set it upon new build!
I was dosing with a kangaroo medical dosing pump dosing 30 ml per hr 24 hrs a day this dosing pump only let u set the dose by hour or every 4-6-8 etc and I liked it but after 4 months of clogged tubes and inaccurate dosing from clogs I switched to a brs this keeps things a bit simpler as right now I'm dosing 5 hrs strait over night with brs 1.1 ml per min doser this method does not clog the lines as much because it only starts and stops once a day not 24 times with kangaroo and every night I spot check it to make sure it's dripping like it should with the kangaroo it was more complicated!
My cal / alk seem steady I added an hr to the doser today because I wanna bring alk to 8 so ill check when I get home !!

fazilosman · 05/29/2013, 08:13 AM

All you ever wanted to know from the chem guru himself: http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-01/rhf/

dowtish · 05/29/2013, 09:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gangous

I Have not checked ph in a while is it safe to say if my alk is between 7-8 that ph is not going to high?? What problems can high ph cause?
I do have a ph monitor I guess ill set it upon new build!
I was dosing with a kangaroo medical dosing pump dosing 30 ml per hr 24 hrs a day this dosing pump only let u set the dose by hour or every 4-6-8 etc and I liked it but after 4 months of clogged tubes and inaccurate dosing from clogs I switched to a brs this keeps things a bit simpler as right now I'm dosing 5 hrs strait over night with brs 1.1 ml per min doser this method does not clog the lines as much because it only starts and stops once a day not 24 times with kangaroo and every night I spot check it to make sure it's dripping like it should with the kangaroo it was more complicated!
My cal / alk seem steady I added an hr to the doser today because I wanna bring alk to 8 so ill check when I get home !!

You are going to kill that pump. Those 1.1ml pumps are made to only run a few minutes at a time.

Gangous · 05/30/2013, 07:43 AM

Dow thanks for the heads up ill def keep an eye on it as for now seems to be working maybe ill try and trade for the other one but I kinda liked that it dosed slow continuously over hrs
Any recommendation on one that would do that?

Gangous · 05/30/2013, 07:58 AM

http://************.com/2012/05/28/m...n-dosing-pump/

How bout this? It's about $100 seems like a good fit

sirreal63 · 05/30/2013, 08:33 AM

I have not seen the Micom unit for sale but there are other options...
http://reefdosingpumps.com/

11/23/2012, 06:39 PM	#1
Gangous Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 395	Dripping kalk ! How much! I struck out with this question on 2 other forums ! I'm running bio pellets on my 40 breeder just set up after storm ! Also have2 brs dosers to dose 2part but would really like to drip kalk though out day I used to dose kalk through my ato in my last sps tank and saw great results sps love kalk but the ato over dosed and I had big issues so this time I got a medical grade food doser (kAngaroo pump). And want to drip kalk this way much safer! So my tank is new with sps frags so alk cal consumption is low was adding about 4 -5 ml of 2 part a day keeping alk at 8.9 or so So question is how much kalk should I be drip dosing per hr ??? Need the sps pros here

11/23/2012, 09:03 PM	#3
term_paint Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Kannapolis, Nc Posts: 96	Kalc I have a drip setup. I dont use 2 parts although they are good. The kalk drip keeps my evaporation at check. I mix 2 tsp per gallon. I evap approx 2 gallons a day and that is approx what i drip back in.

05/30/2013, 08:33 AM	#13
sirreal63 Go Spurs Go!!! Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Meadowlakes Texas Posts: 13,357	I have not seen the Micom unit for sale but there are other options... http://reefdosingpumps.com/ __________________ Jack No One has ever been seriously injured by using the search function. Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms should be a convenience store, not a government agency. Current Tank Info: Reefing the Pentagon.

11/23/2012, 08:42 PM	#2
thegrun Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2008 Location: Garden Grove, Ca Posts: 17,023	You are going to want to get as much kalk into the tank as possible so you would want the amount you dose to be just slightly less than what your tank's evaporation rate is. You will then need to use the two part dosers to make up the balance of your tank's needs. Truthfully if your coral demands are more than the kalk can keep up with I wouldn't use it at all and simply switch to two part or a calcium reactor.

11/25/2012, 11:12 AM	#4
Gangous Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 395	Well I'm trying to figure out how much to add because my cal alk consumption is low now just frags now ! Basicly I mixed 1 tablespoon of kalk per gallon ! I have an ato hooked up with regular rodi water to make up difference in evaporate rate Just trying to figure out how many ml to drip every hour?? Was gonna start with 10 ml per hr so 240 ml per day see how that goes ??

05/29/2013, 06:02 AM	#5
Gangous Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 395	Ok well it's 6 or so months since I asked this question and I guess the only way to truly learn for me is by doing ill post what I came up with a bit later but it's all about trial and error

05/29/2013, 07:14 AM	#7
fazilosman Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: The Woodlands, TX Posts: 163	You can drip any amount of Kalk up to the maximum evaporation rate of your particular tank. Keep in mind: 1) check that the pH is not getting over 8.3 or so 2) pH does not climb rapidly 3) KH and CA are not going over recommended levels. Other than that, drip away. I would recommend dripping 50% of total evaporation as a starting point. In other words, if your tank is loosing 1.0 gal of water per day, simply set the drip to replace 1/2 gal. You will then test the water and adjust up or down from there. My 165 gal evaporates 1 gal per day and I replace with ~75% kalkwasser but also use 2 part to fine tune. I would expect that your 40 would evap about 1/2 gal per day but that is a GUESS and no one can predict your exact rate. In fact it will change throughout the year as temps, humidity etc. vary. Good luck.

05/29/2013, 07:42 AM	#8
Gangous Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 395	I Have not checked ph in a while is it safe to say if my alk is between 7-8 that ph is not going to high?? What problems can high ph cause? I do have a ph monitor I guess ill set it upon new build! I was dosing with a kangaroo medical dosing pump dosing 30 ml per hr 24 hrs a day this dosing pump only let u set the dose by hour or every 4-6-8 etc and I liked it but after 4 months of clogged tubes and inaccurate dosing from clogs I switched to a brs this keeps things a bit simpler as right now I'm dosing 5 hrs strait over night with brs 1.1 ml per min doser this method does not clog the lines as much because it only starts and stops once a day not 24 times with kangaroo and every night I spot check it to make sure it's dripping like it should with the kangaroo it was more complicated! My cal / alk seem steady I added an hr to the doser today because I wanna bring alk to 8 so ill check when I get home !!

05/29/2013, 08:13 AM	#9
fazilosman Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: The Woodlands, TX Posts: 163	All you ever wanted to know from the chem guru himself: http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-01/rhf/

05/30/2013, 07:43 AM	#11
Gangous Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 395	Dow thanks for the heads up ill def keep an eye on it as for now seems to be working maybe ill try and trade for the other one but I kinda liked that it dosed slow continuously over hrs Any recommendation on one that would do that?

05/30/2013, 07:58 AM	#12
Gangous Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 395	http://************.com/2012/05/28/m...n-dosing-pump/ How bout this? It's about $100 seems like a good fit