Ok this is probally an age old question but; whats the best dosing supplement or what helps keep the calcium and alkalinty up in your tanks. Im starting to get into sps and add clams and stuff that needs good alkalinty so does anyone have any thought on what a good dosing supplement. I also have a question can u dose kalk with gravity dosers like to drip during the day?
Dosing
- Thread starter aaronlp
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jdoenumber2
New member
Great question.
There is no one size fits all answer. Find a way that works best for you and be consistent with it. From what i gather, kalk as makeup water will help maintain good calcium and alkalinity levels. Use a good two part to adjust. Kalk is best dosed at night, to offset ph drop. Kalk is best to use within a couple of days after mixed and settled. If its a large system you should super saturate kalk with vinegar. Test and make adjustments as necessary. Personally, i just use 2 part on peristaltic pumps. My demands for Calcium have changed. Kalk has a great effect on phosphates too. To explain any thing on how is over my head.
There is no one size fits all answer. Find a way that works best for you and be consistent with it. From what i gather, kalk as makeup water will help maintain good calcium and alkalinity levels. Use a good two part to adjust. Kalk is best dosed at night, to offset ph drop. Kalk is best to use within a couple of days after mixed and settled. If its a large system you should super saturate kalk with vinegar. Test and make adjustments as necessary. Personally, i just use 2 part on peristaltic pumps. My demands for Calcium have changed. Kalk has a great effect on phosphates too. To explain any thing on how is over my head.
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jdoenumber2
New member
I would never add it to the tank directly unless it is in a high flow area. At a very slow feed rate. I would dose it near your pump in your sump. It is a very concentrated high ph chemical.
jdoenumber2
New member
Personally i like to dose everything in my sump. If you don't have one just have it dose behind a high flow rate powerhead.
Tonynlo
New member
If I am reading this correctly... you are asking if you can put the kalk powder directly into your tank? It should be mixed with top off water and slowly introduce it into your tank over a span of few hours (most people drip it at night to keep the ph level up).
You can use a one gallon milk jug with a bit of flexible tubing and a hose clamp for drip control.
..Agree ,I have experimented with different ways of dosing limewater but never with adding it in straight powder form directly to the tank.I think most of it would likely precipitate Ca & alk ,maybe Mg as well,and cause problems with stability.It really should be dripped ;the slower the better,ime.
Theres several ways people go about dosing.I like the still reservoir equipted with a float switch and diaphram pump ,but thats just me.
One simple way that I know another reefer has been using for a few years now. Just an idea ,maybe a plastic garbage can with a float valve plumbed to your sump might be worth considering.Very economical,simple and effective way to dose ,keeping ca & alk on par while replacing evaporation at the same time.
A little math initially so you could figure your tanks consuption rate is pretty much all it would take.
Just an idea good luck to you with whatever you decide.
-Steve
Theres several ways people go about dosing.I like the still reservoir equipted with a float switch and diaphram pump ,but thats just me.
One simple way that I know another reefer has been using for a few years now. Just an idea ,maybe a plastic garbage can with a float valve plumbed to your sump might be worth considering.Very economical,simple and effective way to dose ,keeping ca & alk on par while replacing evaporation at the same time.
A little math initially so you could figure your tanks consuption rate is pretty much all it would take.
Just an idea good luck to you with whatever you decide.
-Steve
Gary Majchrzak
Team RC
Only the clear sataruated limewater(kalk) should be dosed. It should be mixed at a max of 2tsps per gallon with fresh water and allowed to settle out for at least a couple of hours . The slurry at the bottom or cloudy water will contain precipitated impruties and udissolved calcium hydroxide which can settle on corals and live stock and harm them as it dissolves. Cloudy water may also cause an an overdose and precipitation.
Limewater provides a balanced alkalinity and calcium supplement. It must be dosed slowly ; 16 ozs of fully saturated limewater per 50 gallons of tank water in a given hour is a good maximum to avoid ph spikes. Typically covering top off requires about at least a 4 hour dosing prioid or 4 to 5 increments an hour or more apart. It is best when dosed over a 24 hour period for constancy of alkalinity and salinity in the aquarium.
I prefer to dose kalk. Others use two part dosing ,either commercially marketed for the hobby p like ESV or BIonic, or less costly generic calcium chloride and bicarbonate/ carbonate.
Some like calcium reactors( CaCO3 reactors).
These 3 mainstream methods have advanatages and disadvantages and may be used in combination if needed.
Limewater provides a balanced alkalinity and calcium supplement. It must be dosed slowly ; 16 ozs of fully saturated limewater per 50 gallons of tank water in a given hour is a good maximum to avoid ph spikes. Typically covering top off requires about at least a 4 hour dosing prioid or 4 to 5 increments an hour or more apart. It is best when dosed over a 24 hour period for constancy of alkalinity and salinity in the aquarium.
I prefer to dose kalk. Others use two part dosing ,either commercially marketed for the hobby p like ESV or BIonic, or less costly generic calcium chloride and bicarbonate/ carbonate.
Some like calcium reactors( CaCO3 reactors).
These 3 mainstream methods have advanatages and disadvantages and may be used in combination if needed.
Paradiddle7
New member
I use BulkReefSupply's Alk, Ca and Mg supplements with a computerized dosing pump hooked up to my Aquatronica controller. It gives me excellent control over the levels.
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