Dosing Pumps

Rocmtnreef

Rocmtnreef

New member
Hey I was wondering what everone thinks about dosing pumps and Kalkwasser top off. Go... bad.... ugly.
I'm thinking that they are too expensive but the auto water exchange option is pretty cool.
 
Higher Tech

Higher Tech

I want something a little more high tech than the drip method. I wonder if Calvin bought a new one or he didn't need the old one. I am being told that Kalkwasser is the best way to top off and I'm having trouble with keeping the calcium levels up. I thought that this might be the answer to my calcium problems.

I am using Seachem as a calcium additive almost daily. Tank is about 3 to 4 months old. Replacing about 3 Gallons of water daily. Calcium still hovering around 375. All my corals look good my monti is happy so maybe it no big deal.

Thanks
 
I used my dosing pump for B-Ionic which I would recommend over Kalk all day long. Kalk can be such a mess and even with a kalk reactor it can still be up and down and tough to dial in. Evap can vary and therefore your Ca level could bounce as well. I ended up not needing my pump any more as I'm going to take the step into a Ca reactor on the 225 instead. I would be going through 2 or even DIY 3 part way too much to justify going that way.

HTH,
Eric
 
you could have a low mag or low alk? if you have a reactor and a low calcium level still then somethings out of whack, I can get 500 ppm calcium level very easilly with my reactor. Maybe you are not putting enough c02 in it? if you dont inject enough c02 then you are not disolving any aragonite and not really getting any benefit.
Also test your magnesium, you will find its low if you dont add any mag.
 
I don't think he's running a Ca reactor Chris...

Chris is right though, if your Mg levels are low, you'll have a heck of a time maintaining your levels. If they are low, there is a DIY recipe using Epsom Salts (Mg Sulfate) that works great for buffering. Used it myself in the past. ;)
 
Calvin

Calvin

Glad to hear from you, yeah I have a CA reactor. I can't seem to get dialed in, its a coralife supposed to be good for up to a 250 gallon. It's not really keeping my CA to high. My seachem product "being used to supplement" says 335 mg CA. I shooting for a 400-450 CA level, also been checking the Mag and Stronium levels and all the standard suff. Alk is good and Mag is around 1000 mg been dosing that as well with seachem.

Maybe I'll crank the CA reactor a bit more until the PH starts to drop. My understanding is that you use the CA reactor to increase CA it drops the PH and then you use the Kalk to bring the PH back up and increase the CA futher using top off?

So are you currently completely relying on your CA reactor. If so what type/model do you have.
 
Could a lower mag at 1000mg cause me not to beable to hit 400-450 ca? Calvin thanks for the article I'll read it. Looking for a quick answer. Reefkoi; mag is 1000mg and alk is 10.9 dkH or 3.89 mg.

Thanks
 
This's it
IMG_0742.jpg

IMG_0740.jpg
 
yeah add some of the epsom salt recipe to raise the mag if you want. You do have C02 feeding the calcium reactor correct? A bottle filled with C02 and you have a bubble counter or something to see that the C02 is flowing? I remember you saying you have a ph controller, if it is mounted in the reactor you want the co2 setpoint to be at around 6.7 and shutoff at 6.5. If you have the probe in the tank or sump then you want it set higher.
which way did you install it Shannon???
 
Replies

Replies

Yes, the probe is in the reactor and set close to suggested levels. I was talking to Ifduty and realized that the pressure was not up high enough on the regulator I may have been getting a low/ slow flow. I bumped up the drip rate to keep the CO2 flowing more steadly "not shutting of nearly as much now" the flow is now a steady drip rate almost continous.

I double dosed the Seachem Mag to bring it up again. Checked today and tested out at 875 previously 1000.

Calvin, I'm going to do the Epsom Salt/ Mag Flake additive; also read the complete manual provided in link, I'll let you know how everything goes.

I'm learnin......
 
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