Doser vs Calc and Kalk Reactors
- Thread starter troynel
- Start date
How do you keep your alk stable when your tank evaps different amounts over the course of the year?
It is easy to add more or less solid lime to the water as the seasons change, since every time you make a new batch you can adjust as needed.
But many people actually find that relatively unnecessary. There are multiple negative feedback loops that keep it from changing a lot. For example, more limewater added raises pH and alkalinity, and those being higher raise the demand in the tank for calcium and alkalinity, partially or completely offsetting the extra added. Likewise, adding less allows alkalinity and ph to fall, and both lower demand, and as the alk drops to 7 dKH or less, the demand really drops off fast, keeping it from dropping too much more.
It is easy to add more or less solid lime to the water as the seasons change, since every time you make a new batch you can adjust as needed.
But many people actually find that relatively unnecessary. There are multiple negative feedback loops that keep it from changing a lot. For example, more limewater added raises pH and alkalinity, and those being higher raise the demand in the tank for calcium and alkalinity, partially or completely offsetting the extra added. Likewise, adding less allows alkalinity and ph to fall, and both lower demand, and as the alk drops to 7 dKH or less, the demand really drops off fast, keeping it from dropping too much more.
I have tried to test it and the reading i got was 17. But i have been messing around with the reactor for 8 months or so and at this point i think my tank is to young to require such demand. I hoping that with dosing i will have better luck keeping things consistant. I know that calc reactors are supposed to be set it and forget it, but that just hasn't been the case for me. When i added my kalk reactor into the mix, forget about it. My alk went through the roof so i stopped the ph flow into the calc reactor to let things come down on their own. Which they have but as mentioned before my evaporation rates are different throughout the year so it could get messy for me. I'm in love with the hobby but find the chemistry part of it a little difficult. Hopefully I will learn it one day as I can usually pick up on things over time by trial and error. So for now I will try this method.
I have a RKE and I'm very interested in the using the same setup as you for dosing 2-part plus magnesium. What are your RKE settings for your size tank?
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