Pkelley228
New member
I would appreciate the info on the two part supplementing actually. Thanks for the help and info so far.
coral problem
- Thread starter Pkelley228
- Start date
DrBDC
Active member
Here is a couple articles to get you started. Ask if you need more info or a connection to get the materials.
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/feb2003/chem.htm
And should you go the kalk route:
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-01/rhf/index.php
And if you go the 2 part route, even if you don't diy it:
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/rhf/index.php
And a great calculator to determine amounts needed:
http://home.comcast.net/~jdieck1/chem_calc3.html
I would start off with kalk, then move to 2 part when the kalk is not adequate enough, then if that is deficient it becomes ca reactor time.
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/feb2003/chem.htm
And should you go the kalk route:
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-01/rhf/index.php
And if you go the 2 part route, even if you don't diy it:
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/rhf/index.php
And a great calculator to determine amounts needed:
http://home.comcast.net/~jdieck1/chem_calc3.html
I would start off with kalk, then move to 2 part when the kalk is not adequate enough, then if that is deficient it becomes ca reactor time.
Pkelley228
New member
Thanks for the links! I agree that kalk would be the way to start for me. My question is what would the best way to dose it be. I currently run a jbj auto top off system, but think that this will dose to much at once as I am using a maxi jet 900 for the pump. Do you know if I could use a smaller dosing pump with this system? I store top off water in a 30 gallon trash can and could easily mix, store the limewater in there, but am not sure about the best way to deliver it. Or would it be more economical in the long run to hook up a kalk reactor?
Pkelley228
New member
Also what would the proper mix of lime to water be? I may have just missed it in the link, but don't recall seeing it.
DrBDC
Active member
The best way IMO since you have a top off setup already would be to just change the pump for a peristaltic pump. These can be expensive sometimes but if you look for a used litermeter or a cole parmer either on the sale boards or ebay. I think there are even some others too. The peristaltic pumps don't get direct exposure to the kalk so they don't clog up etc. If you keep an eye on the maxijet for clogging/etc it may be just fine for quite awhile.
If you mix lime to 2 teaspoons per gallon, it will be at saturation and impurities will precipitate out. This may be more than needed though. Maybe start out with 1 teaspoon and watch your levels.
If you mix lime to 2 teaspoons per gallon, it will be at saturation and impurities will precipitate out. This may be more than needed though. Maybe start out with 1 teaspoon and watch your levels.
Pkelley228
New member
You don't think that the maxijet would put in to much at once, or the other pump for that matter? When my top off kicks on I would say it puts about third to half gallon of water in. Would I be able to set up the peristaltic pump to just drip the top off in at a controlled rate so that it would keep the water at a more constant level? Sorry for all the questions, and I do appreciate the help.
DrBDC
Active member
Depending on your overall system volume 1/3-1/2 a gallon may/may not be too much. It's really a matter of how much pH spike the limewater gives when the pump turns on. Not just the first time but you'd have to watch it as the resting pH starts being higher than it is now. I add ~5 gallons per day of saturated (2+ tspn/gal) but that's on ~500 gallons. The persistaltic pumps will go slow enough and be safe. A smaller mj400 or something may also be ok but then you still have the issue with the pump wanting to clog from the lime but that can be just a regular item you check and keep an eye on. At first I would imagine you'd have a fairly dilute limewater and you could possibly delay any pump change.
Do you have a pH monitor?
If you had a litermeter, you can set how many ml per day it adds. I have mine running at a set amount w/o a float switch. But I undercalculate and manually top off once a week or so the few gallons I'm off. What you could do is set it up to add a certain amount per day but have the ato be a 2nd safety. If it were set to always power with the float raised/set a little higher so it only hits if you get too much water and then shuts off the pump. This advice is if the ato is an electrical on/off type system that just turns the pump on/off by an electric float switch. I've never set up the ato so I could be wrong on that.
Do you have a pH monitor?
If you had a litermeter, you can set how many ml per day it adds. I have mine running at a set amount w/o a float switch. But I undercalculate and manually top off once a week or so the few gallons I'm off. What you could do is set it up to add a certain amount per day but have the ato be a 2nd safety. If it were set to always power with the float raised/set a little higher so it only hits if you get too much water and then shuts off the pump. This advice is if the ato is an electrical on/off type system that just turns the pump on/off by an electric float switch. I've never set up the ato so I could be wrong on that.
I didn't see if you used your own RO water or not.
I was buying my RO and mixed saltwater from a LFS and had major problems with it when I tested it, I wont buy any water from south county anymore.
So I got my own unit.
I would test your RO source. My DI runs out pretty quickly, and I can tell by the corals when it's time to change without looking at the resin.
I was buying my RO and mixed saltwater from a LFS and had major problems with it when I tested it, I wont buy any water from south county anymore.
So I got my own unit.
I would test your RO source. My DI runs out pretty quickly, and I can tell by the corals when it's time to change without looking at the resin.
DrBDC
Active member
That too is true. DI resin doesn't last near as long as most think it does. The only real way to know is with a tds meter. I've even had a vertical di unit channel up the middle leaving purple to the eye but the center was all orange and the di output tds up to 15 even though the before di resin tds was 8.
Pkelley228
New member
I have my own ro/di unit and just changed the membrane a couple of weeks ago. The resin is probably 6 months old, so I will continue to monitor it and will change the resin when necessary. I have an old kent doser, 1 gallon tank, that I think I will hook up this week to start. Then I will look at either getting a peristalic pump or maybe even taking a hit on the initial cost and getting a ca reactor.
I think you had a impurity issue to cause your tank to get away from you. Not so much a CA/alk problem, but by getting a dosing routine or even a CA reactor you are progressing naturally and are on the right path.
So am I to understand you change the RO membrane every five years ? The carbon blocks every 50K gallons or 10k gallons depending on the size block ? the DI very often IME ? and the micron filters when they get visibly dirty or before ?
I guess you should just watch the tds, but I have had the tds go up to 4 and back down in a short period of time with out changing media. I suspect some extra dirty water came down the pipeline or maybe a clog ?
Are there numbers or a time table for replacing the media.
So am I to understand you change the RO membrane every five years ? The carbon blocks every 50K gallons or 10k gallons depending on the size block ? the DI very often IME ? and the micron filters when they get visibly dirty or before ?
I guess you should just watch the tds, but I have had the tds go up to 4 and back down in a short period of time with out changing media. I suspect some extra dirty water came down the pipeline or maybe a clog ?
Are there numbers or a time table for replacing the media.
Pkelley228
New member
started dripping kalk today. I will check parameters daily for the next few days and see what difference it makes. I have also been shopping around a bit for a ca reactor, (pricey), but so are most things now a days.
Similar threads
