How to dose kalk?
- Thread starter kissman
- Start date
You can use the BRS dosers on a timer to drip a consistent amount of saturated limewater per day. The 1.1ml pump and the 50ml pump are slow enough for your purposes. You can run the pump through a kalk reactor although I think dosing from a still reservoir would be your best option. Just make sure you don't drip more than you evaporate daily. If you know your alk consumption you can use this calculator to find out how much limewater to dose.
http://reef.diesyst.com/chemcalc/chem_calc3.html
http://reef.diesyst.com/chemcalc/chem_calc3.html
skidoctor
New member
I've always thought to dose for alk and cal so your levels are where you want them. For there you can start dosing kalk to maintain. My tank uses up alk before cal, so I'm constantly adding baking soda along with kalk. one gallon of rodi can only absorb 2 tsp of kalk, but I'd start with less and ramp up from there. It will drive up Ph, so be prepared. Vinegar helps, and it also adds carbon for the bacteria.
Mine varies as well. Depending on your demand this may not be a problem. I would need to dose a gallon of limewater a day to match consumption. My tank loses 1.5-2.5 gallons a day depending on weather. I wouldn't use a kalk fed ATO because some days it would raise my alk too much and this time of year the evaporation varies a lot daily. I could dose that gallon a day seperately without ever worrying.
If your consumption would be more than your lowest evaporation days then i would look to supplement with 2 part to meet your demand. You may only need to dose once or twice a week but that depends on your tank and you would have to test often until you found what worked for you.
If your consumption would be more than your lowest evaporation days then i would look to supplement with 2 part to meet your demand. You may only need to dose once or twice a week but that depends on your tank and you would have to test often until you found what worked for you.
You are correct in not using kalk to adjust your levels but some people's evaporation varies enough that they dont get a consistent addition of kalk on a daily basis. This can be a problem in SPS tanks.
kissman
Active member
the thing is i am already dosing 2-part. so my levels are where I want them. I was thinking about switching to kalk. Its only a 55g with about 15g in sump. I am not really using much alk and cal to maintain my levels. Like 16ml a day of each. I was thinking of giving Kalk a try and see if I get better results and could also help bring my PO4 down a little, and maybe have better results for coraline algae growth. Might just be a waste of time to try no idea, but thats part of what I wanted to try and get out of this and see. Plus figure out how I want to try a set up. I have a fan over my sump so I can go through 1-2.5 gallons a day
symon_say
New member
If your only dosing 16ml a day then you would be dosing less than a quart of limewater a day. You wont have to worry about your evaporation. Set up a reservoir of whatever size you would like. Set the pump up to dose about a quart of limewater, use the calculator to find the exact amount, and your ATO will take care of the rest.
Since your using saturated limewater you can add as much pickling lime as you want to the reservoir. Add water when it runs low and when all the lime at the bottom dissolves add more. Just let it sit overnight after adding more water and lime so the precipitate can settle.
I'm actually planning on setting this up myself once I buy a dosing pump. It will reduce my 2 part usage and keep my alk steadier. I have the same evap issues you do so I won't be running it through my ATO.
Since your using saturated limewater you can add as much pickling lime as you want to the reservoir. Add water when it runs low and when all the lime at the bottom dissolves add more. Just let it sit overnight after adding more water and lime so the precipitate can settle.
I'm actually planning on setting this up myself once I buy a dosing pump. It will reduce my 2 part usage and keep my alk steadier. I have the same evap issues you do so I won't be running it through my ATO.
That's why most people use the ATO. Your kalk dosing may not always be consistent, but at least your sump level won't get too high.
If you're not using an ATO, consider 2-part dosing instead.
kissman
Active member
If kalk is used to maintain my levels what do i need to calculate? I am still trying to figure this thing out. How do you figure I need a quart?
A certain amount will maintain your levels. Saturated limewater contains a certain amount of calcium and alkalinity in it. These happen to be in the same proportion our tanks consume it. You still have to match addition to consumption. The calculator I listed above allows you to calculate how much that 16ml raises your alk. You will have to work backwards by adjusting the change in alk until it shows 16ml as the addition of whatever 2 part you are using. Then select limewater instead of whatever product you are using. It will now show you how much limewater is the equivalent of your 16ml of 2 part.
Kalk will raise your levels but it will raise alk and cal at the same rate. You can't adjust them seperately with kalk. The problem you run into trying to raise them both involves the PH rise from kalk, not that it's unable to raise calcium and alkalinity.
Kalk will raise your levels but it will raise alk and cal at the same rate. You can't adjust them seperately with kalk. The problem you run into trying to raise them both involves the PH rise from kalk, not that it's unable to raise calcium and alkalinity.
BRS is Randy's recipe. Basically anything that's listed as "Recipe 1" or "Recipe 2" is based on the work of our resident chemist. That sounds correct if you are using Recipe 1 now. You are correct that you won't have to dose anymore unless something goes awry. You may need to increase the kalk if you add more corals or experience more coralline growth but you've got a ways to go before kalk will not be able to keep up.
skidoctor
New member
Definitely in the sump. Some high flow are. I'd imagine in your skimmer section if that's where the flow is. I have sectioned an HOB filter with no media for water movement and drip right in there. Just be sure it's somewhere where it can dilute/ be absorbed by water before your return. Corals might get stressed, water might become cloudy. I dose at night bc it tends to rise PH and PH tends to lower at night. I add vinegar as well to help with any PH swings and to add carbons.
FWIW, most people dose limewater that way, and variable delivery is just not a problem for most folks. It is different than over or under dosing other methods. One reason is that if you dose more, both pH and alkalinity rise a bit, and as they do, demand rises, at least partly balancing out the higher dose.
IMO, this is more of a theoretical problem that people who haven't used it worry about rather than one that I've ever seen cause a problem in a reef.
That said, a dosing pump is a fine way to go.
