Kalkwasser dosing

Scubajoe1 · 11/28/2016, 04:36 PM

So I am changing up from two part dosing to Kalkwasser. I want to dose this at night so the pH stays more steady and I imagine most people dose this in their topoff water. I won't want to dose topoff water at night cause then I will have salinity fluxuations. Anyone care to comment on how to handle this? I suppose I can use my doser at night but seems like that would run all night.

Thanks

Joe

hedgedrew · 11/28/2016, 05:08 PM

Liter meter 24 hrs a day your evaporation

organism · 11/28/2016, 05:37 PM

You could use 2 containers, one with an freshwater ATO that works during the day and one with kalkwasser that runs at night. You could even use one ATO and just put a timer on the different pumps it would use.

smatter · 11/28/2016, 08:57 PM

I second the Litermeter. It administers the kalkwasser in 150 doses over 24 hours. I've been using them since the nineties without fail.

Scubajoe1 · 11/28/2016, 09:42 PM

how much do you dose and to what size tank? I already have a ghl doser but that's not typically used to dose a 2-3 gallons a day.

Scubajoe1 · 11/28/2016, 09:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by organism

You could use 2 containers, one with an freshwater ATO that works during the day and one with kalkwasser that runs at night. You could even use one ATO and just put a timer on the different pumps it would use.

I actually will have it going through a kalkwasser reactor and probably do not get a lot of evaporation at night so maybe just run it 24/7 with kalkwasserelse it will never dose much otherwise due to the low night time evaporation. I am currently running the Tunze osmolator and that works great for topoff.

Scubajoe1 · 11/28/2016, 10:10 PM

tor and that works great for topoff.

smatter · 11/28/2016, 10:33 PM

15g to 1100g. As long as your evaporation is less than 99L per day your good

downbeach · 11/29/2016, 06:42 AM

How much of what two part are you dosing? IIRC, each gallon of fully saturated (2tsp/gal.) kalkwasser was equivalent to dosing ~ 80mL of Randy's recipe #1. In my case, in a mixed 180, I started by using kalk, thru an ATO(Tunze), to keep my numbers within acceptable range between WC's. When I started adding SPS the kalk by itself was no longer enough to keep up with the growing demand, and I started adding a 2 part Alk supplement(manually). When the demand for both Alk and Ca got to the point that I was adding equal parts of Ca and Alk, I started using dosing pumps for all three(Ca, Alk and Kalk). I was using the BRS dosing pumps; 1.1mL/hr for the Ca and Alk, and the 50mL/hr for kalk, dosing all three 24/7 at 20 min. intervals, and changed the ATO back to plain RO/DI. I think you would be better served if you used/viewed the kalk for its balance of Ca and Alk with the added bump in your pH as a secondary benefit, and dose it throughout the day, especially if you're going to use it connected to your ATO.

Scubajoe1 · 11/29/2016, 07:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by downbeach

How much of what two part are you dosing? IIRC, each gallon of fully saturated (2tsp/gal.) kalkwasser was equivalent to dosing ~ 80mL of Randy's recipe #1. In my case, in a mixed 180, I started by using kalk, thru an ATO(Tunze), to keep my numbers within acceptable range between WC's. When I started adding SPS the kalk by itself was no longer enough to keep up with the growing demand, and I started adding a 2 part Alk supplement(manually). When the demand for both Alk and Ca got to the point that I was adding equal parts of Ca and Alk, I started using dosing pumps for all three(Ca, Alk and Kalk). I was using the BRS dosing pumps; 1.1mL/hr for the Ca and Alk, and the 50mL/hr for kalk, dosing all three 24/7 at 20 min. intervals, and changed the ATO back to plain RO/DI. I think you would be better served if you used/viewed the kalk for its balance of Ca and Alk with the added bump in your pH as a secondary benefit, and dose it throughout the day, especially if you're going to use it connected to your ATO.

That was my plan as well. I will be using the two part as supplemental.

2smokes · 11/29/2016, 08:54 AM

If the demand gets higher in the future you could also consider a kalk stirrer that doses high concentrated solution directly into the aquarium and skip the 2 part,get higher ph.You will still have to dose alk from time to time to keep it stable but that is an issue with any calcium and alk system.An advice-once you start dosing kalk is better not to stop because when you stop and if the ph gets low then ,because of the acidification ,the rocks and sand will melt a litle releasing phosphates causing cyano and GHA blooms.

Scubajoe1 · 11/29/2016, 08:33 PM

I have ordered the kalk stirrer last week I should get it tomorow.

Alfrareef · 04/23/2017, 03:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Scubajoe1

I have ordered the kalk stirrer last week I should get it tomorow.

So... how things are doing? What was your approach?
TIA

11/28/2016, 05:37 PM	#3
organism code monkey Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: south bay Posts: 6,223	You could use 2 containers, one with an freshwater ATO that works during the day and one with kalkwasser that runs at night. You could even use one ATO and just put a timer on the different pumps it would use. __________________ I don't always grow frags... but when I do, I prefer Dos Acros

11/28/2016, 09:42 PM	#5
Scubajoe1 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Raleigh, NC Posts: 409	how much do you dose and to what size tank? I already have a ghl doser but that's not typically used to dose a 2-3 gallons a day. __________________ Scubajoe 180 Gallon reef tank with coast to coast Herbie overflow. 60 Gallon sump with 9" filter sock. 36" lifereef skimmer, activated carbon filter. Emperor Aquatics 40W UV Sterilizer Current Tank Info: 180 gallon reed tank, coast to coast overflow, herbie overflow. Life reef sump and 36" life reef skimmer, GHL Doser 2, Neptune Apex reef controller, Auto topoff, Spectrapure RO system with a Tunze RO controller. activated carbon and no more GFO.

11/28/2016, 10:10 PM	#7
Scubajoe1 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Raleigh, NC Posts: 409	tor and that works great for topoff. __________________ Scubajoe 180 Gallon reef tank with coast to coast Herbie overflow. 60 Gallon sump with 9" filter sock. 36" lifereef skimmer, activated carbon filter. Emperor Aquatics 40W UV Sterilizer Current Tank Info: 180 gallon reed tank, coast to coast overflow, herbie overflow. Life reef sump and 36" life reef skimmer, GHL Doser 2, Neptune Apex reef controller, Auto topoff, Spectrapure RO system with a Tunze RO controller. activated carbon and no more GFO.

11/29/2016, 08:33 PM	#12
Scubajoe1 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Raleigh, NC Posts: 409	I have ordered the kalk stirrer last week I should get it tomorow. __________________ Scubajoe 180 Gallon reef tank with coast to coast Herbie overflow. 60 Gallon sump with 9" filter sock. 36" lifereef skimmer, activated carbon filter. Emperor Aquatics 40W UV Sterilizer Current Tank Info: 180 gallon reed tank, coast to coast overflow, herbie overflow. Life reef sump and 36" life reef skimmer, GHL Doser 2, Neptune Apex reef controller, Auto topoff, Spectrapure RO system with a Tunze RO controller. activated carbon and no more GFO.

11/28/2016, 04:36 PM	#1
Scubajoe1 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2015 Location: Raleigh, NC Posts: 409	Kalkwasser dosing So I am changing up from two part dosing to Kalkwasser. I want to dose this at night so the pH stays more steady and I imagine most people dose this in their topoff water. I won't want to dose topoff water at night cause then I will have salinity fluxuations. Anyone care to comment on how to handle this? I suppose I can use my doser at night but seems like that would run all night. Thanks Joe __________________ Scubajoe 180 Gallon reef tank with coast to coast Herbie overflow. 60 Gallon sump with 9" filter sock. 36" lifereef skimmer, activated carbon filter. Emperor Aquatics 40W UV Sterilizer Current Tank Info: 180 gallon reed tank, coast to coast overflow, herbie overflow. Life reef sump and 36" life reef skimmer, GHL Doser 2, Neptune Apex reef controller, Auto topoff, Spectrapure RO system with a Tunze RO controller. activated carbon and no more GFO.

11/28/2016, 05:08 PM	#2
hedgedrew Registered Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 2,159	Liter meter 24 hrs a day your evaporation

11/28/2016, 08:57 PM	#4
smatter Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Madison, WI Posts: 2,055	I second the Litermeter. It administers the kalkwasser in 150 doses over 24 hours. I've been using them since the nineties without fail.

11/28/2016, 10:33 PM	#8
smatter Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2002 Location: Madison, WI Posts: 2,055	15g to 1100g. As long as your evaporation is less than 99L per day your good

11/29/2016, 06:42 AM	#9
downbeach Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Smyrna, Delaware Posts: 3,767	How much of what two part are you dosing? IIRC, each gallon of fully saturated (2tsp/gal.) kalkwasser was equivalent to dosing ~ 80mL of Randy's recipe #1. In my case, in a mixed 180, I started by using kalk, thru an ATO(Tunze), to keep my numbers within acceptable range between WC's. When I started adding SPS the kalk by itself was no longer enough to keep up with the growing demand, and I started adding a 2 part Alk supplement(manually). When the demand for both Alk and Ca got to the point that I was adding equal parts of Ca and Alk, I started using dosing pumps for all three(Ca, Alk and Kalk). I was using the BRS dosing pumps; 1.1mL/hr for the Ca and Alk, and the 50mL/hr for kalk, dosing all three 24/7 at 20 min. intervals, and changed the ATO back to plain RO/DI. I think you would be better served if you used/viewed the kalk for its balance of Ca and Alk with the added bump in your pH as a secondary benefit, and dose it throughout the day, especially if you're going to use it connected to your ATO.

11/29/2016, 08:54 AM	#11
2smokes Moved On Join Date: Oct 2016 Location: romania Posts: 515	If the demand gets higher in the future you could also consider a kalk stirrer that doses high concentrated solution directly into the aquarium and skip the 2 part,get higher ph.You will still have to dose alk from time to time to keep it stable but that is an issue with any calcium and alk system.An advice-once you start dosing kalk is better not to stop because when you stop and if the ph gets low then ,because of the acidification ,the rocks and sand will melt a litle releasing phosphates causing cyano and GHA blooms.