5074 Calcium Dispenser question

[mcarroll]

Anyone know a reason the 5074 Calcium Dispenser couldn't be used to dispense other ingredients like Brightwell Liquid Reef (or powdered Elements) or Alkalin8.3 (or powdered Alkalin8.3-P)?

Anyone already doing it?

Elements mixes to a light slurry and would need a little "stirring action" during use. Alkalin8.3-P mixes clear and apparently into complete solution. FWIW.

I'm thinking of setting up a couple of these in parallel, driven by my ATO w/RODI water....one for each ingredient above...at least one though.

Thoughts?

-Matt

 

[rvitko]

The main reason this could be a problem is very little kalkwasser can dissolve in water, it is very safe as a result when used as top off. There is little risk of an overdose because water will only hold so much. For example if you put 3 Tbsp of table salt in the dispenser or baking soda, all 3 Tbsp could dissolve in about a gallon of water and in the case of other substances this may be an overdose. Only about 1/2-1 tsp of kalk can be dissolved by a gallon of water.

 

[mcarroll]

My thinking is that I can (for example) know my 5 gal ATO reservoir last me x amount of time (which of course varies with relative humidity, etc). Also, during x amount of time I should have dosed y milliliters of a given ingredient. Hopefully I could compute the right amount for each canister from those numbers.

I'd consider adding one of the two products right to the RO water (since the alkalinity one seems to dissolve completely) but I'd like a solution that addresses both if possible...even the slurried one that would need some sort of stirring action.

Laziness rules, after all.

-Matt

 

[rvitko]

The problem is the fast dissolving product would be dispensed almost immediately. In the future we may have a dosing system, but if you need an immediate solution, many companies offer peristaltic dosers that are better suited to these types of additives.

 

[mcarroll]

I see what you mean.

I've been considering one of the GHL-Profilux stand alone dosers, but I figured I'd have to have some kind of stirrer for the not-so-fast dissolving (but faster than kalk, I'm guessing) Elements/Liquid Reef.

That kind of combo seems like a lot of donero just to promote my own laziness. (Ok, consistent dosing is better for the corals too..)

Thanks for the feedback!

-Matt

 

[mcarroll]

I (re)discovered that Brightwell makes a product called Kalk+2 that sounds like it'd be perfect for the 5074, and it would replace both of the current products I'm dosing.

This is good also for my pocketbook because I was starting to think seriously about a 3170 Calcium Automat either instead of or in addition to the 5074.


Any thoughts you could share on the use of the 3170 vs 5074 (or need for both) in an SPS system like mine?

For what it is, the 3170 seems to be well designed and a pretty strong value, albeit in a completely different price class from the 5074.

Thanks again!

-Matt

 

[rvitko]

They work very well together, especially with a pH controller. The kalk raises the pH which triggers the CO2 dosing and gets the reactor running and the kalk binds any free CO2 from the reactor so they work very well in combination.