First time dosing 115 gallon system

[Tonynlo]

I purchased a Kent Marine Aquadose 2.5 gallon system. All together, my system is about 115 gallons. 1 drip every 43 seconds is 200ml of solution per day. Now before I get a migraine, would 23 drips every 43 seconds be a sufficient dosage (my math tells me that is just under 1.25 gallons in a 24 hour period.), or should I double the drip rate try to complete the dosing at night???

 

[LunarDDS]

What are you dosing? Topoff water?

 

[Tonynlo]

Sorry. I am dosing Kalk

 

[HighlandReefer]

Tonynlo,

If your pH is only low at night, then perhaps dripping kalk over the lights out period is the best way to go.

If you are not having pH problems, then dripping kalk over a 24 hr. period would be the best.

As far as calculating your drip rate, IME, I found it easier to determine how much I wanted to drip per hour. I would then use water to drip it in a container and make adjustments until it came out right. After you have it where you want it, add the kalk. You will still need to make periodic adjustments with the Aquadoser. This is why I switched to a dosing pump hooked to a float valve. The dosing pump should be adjustable, so that if your float sticks it will not overdose your system.

 

[LunarDDS]

Exactly - even if you were just dripping top off without kalk make sure you prevent the overdose. If your system fails it should fail to where it stops adding, not empties out the container and kills your tank.

 

[Tonynlo]

Now, I am not too familiar with dosing pumps and float valves. What pump and valve do you use? If I went with the pump/valve would I be using the Kant aquadose system still? I have purchased so many of the wrong things in the year that I have been doing this, that I can literally set up another complete tank. I don’t want to get the wrong thing.

 

[HighlandReefer]

Depending on how much you want to spend, you can also purchase a dual float valve for added safety.

I use a Reef-Filler controllable dosing pump myself purchased from http://www.championlighting.com/home.php?cat=386

There are others that are cheaper and I hear they work well also.