HELP: Kalk help... Coralline turning white within a few days

[lukinrats]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12909071#post12909071 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Randy Holmes-Farley
Yes, that may be why it dropped. Alkalinity can drop fairly fast if you are not adding enough, up to a few dKH per day in a high demand tank.

Tell me about it!!! I have trouble getting my Dkh above 9, but then again, I am always scared to dose too much at one time... I am sure that I could if dumped enough in, but I think 9 may be good anyway

Thanks,
Nathan

 

[Pbrown3701]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12909676#post12909676 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by lukinrats
Ok.. I will re- check everything, and then double check... I really think that @ this point, I may be better off just dosing 2 part... Seems to have worked a lot better... then when my demands pick up I can move on to the more complicated things
Thanks
Nathan

IMO, 2 part is MUCH more complicated and time consuming than Kalk. Kalk is EASY as it already doses in a balanced ratio of calcium and alkalinity. That's the beauty of it. If you can provide enough Ca and Alk from Kalk water, it's definately the way to go.

Randy is right (of course). The resolution on your test kit is probablly 15ppm and .25 or .5 Dkh. So your actual daily usage is probablly not quite 15 and .5 but somethign smaller and your test kit just can't tell you exactly. You could go a few days without adding anything and then test to find out what your consumption is and then divide the change by the number of days to determine your daily usage.

What I would do instead is just dose the Kalk water via your ATO and then test a week later. I bet you'll find that your Ca and Alk readings are right on and that you won't need to suppliment anything more. If your tank is not heavily stocked, then i bet Kalk will be all you need.

 

[David Grigor]

Since you can only do 6 intervals, I'd change the timing to evenly spread out the 6 intervals during the nighttime period where PH would normally start to fall. Also aim the Kalk output to the highest flow area and/or add a powerhead near the output to help reduce precipitate at the entry point.

This two things will help reduce the chances of high PH during the additions.

 

[Justin74]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12909904#post12909904 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Pbrown3701
IMO, 2 part is MUCH more complicated and time consuming than Kalk. Kalk is EASY as it already doses in a balanced ratio of calcium and alkalinity. That's the beauty of it. If you can provide enough Ca and Alk from Kalk water, it's definately the way to go.

+1

-Justin

 

[volcom69]

When you say 3 min. 6 times a day you must be driping very fast then i take it.

 

[lukinrats]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12912210#post12912210 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by volcom69
When you say 3 min. 6 times a day you must be driping very fast then i take it.

Well I am using a Aqualifter pump... The pump must pull the water up about 2 feet before it enters, and then heads through the output tubing... I set everything up, and then timed how long it took for it to fill a gallon measuring cup... I said it took 18 minutes before, but that was with fresh water... So I timed it last night again with the Kalk water, and it took 27 minutes to move 1 gallon... So I figure that it moves .037 gallons per minute... I now have the timer set as follows

12pm- 4 min (lights off)
4pm-5 min (lights on)
8pm-5 min (lights on)
12am- 5 min (lights on)
4am- 4 min (lights off)
8am- 4 min (lights off)

I am going to run this, and do some testing... I realize that my problem before was not leaving the timer on long enough... It took longer to move the Kalk water, so I was not providing enough... Not to mention that I did not have it "Saturated"

The pump will be coming on @ 4pm, and then again @8pm... I will be there for those times, and will be able to watch PH, and then do some testing... Then I will probably be up for the 12am dose, so I will see how that goes, and adjust if needed... My lights are still on @ 12am, so I will need to watch that one... Then I can check what I have when it goes off @ 8am in the morning

Gotta love it...Trial and error


EDIT: BTW, my tank evaporates 1 gallon per day (24hrs)

Thanks,
nathan

 

[lukinrats]

Ok, so I did the things listed above, and here are my results

Cal- 440
Dkh- 8.5 - 9
Ph- 8.2 low, and 8.4 hi
Temp- low 81, and hi 83.2

Now, I guess I need to talk about this temperature thing... I had been able to keep my temp. @ 79 to 80, when the lights were 13" from the surface... Now that I lowered them to 9" my temp is getting really high (IMO)
What is the highest temp that can be acceptable... I know the ideal, but I am past this now... The only thing that I have added was a maxi mod 2100 to my sump, so that I can move the water more for carbon in a mesh bag... I dont know how much this matters
Everything seems to be fine with the temp @ 83.???... Also, I think that I need to leave my top off, off for 24 hours... I am sure that I am losing more than a gallon with the temp this high

Anything else?

Thanks,
Nathan

 

[Pbrown3701]

i run my tank at 82. I think 83 would be fine though. My chiller runs a good part of the day to keep mine at 82.

 

[lukinrats]

Hey guys I need some more help... I got my ATO installed, and have been topping off with saturated kalk water (I think)... The kalkwater is not keeping up with Alkalinity, so does that mean that I am not going to be able to use it for my supplementation... I put (I think) next to saturated, because I want to make sure... I am putting a bit more than 2 teaspoons of kalk per gallon of RODI... Is this right, or is it supposed to be tablespoons or somehting?

Thanks,
Nathan