Is Kalk dosing "outdated"?

[Essencereef]

I try minimizing the water-air contact in my kalk setup as my kalkwasser sometimes stays in the reactor for 2 months. Randy, correct me if im wrong, but its possible to keep resaturating added water with existing slurry loaded in kalk reactor because of maximum saturation point. Another words, water will hold certain amount of kalk suspended and the rest will stay at the bottom of container until more water is added. This being said, as long as no co2 reaction happens, kalk will be "dissolveable"

 

[tmz]

That is correct undisolved kalk will settle in a sealed container and and dissolve as the fully saturated limewater is diluted by adding more water. Neilsen type kalk reactors work this way. Some periodic stirring is usually needed to help this along. The problem can be uneven dosage via dosing some undissolved kalk after stirring without adequate resettling time or maintaining less than full saturation without stirring as more fresh water enters the reactor.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Yes, that's correct.

Eventually you will be left with some undissolvable magnesium hydroxide (an impurity) and calcium carbonate (either an existing impurity in the lime, or created in the reactor).

 

[Essencereef]

Seems like bullet-proof method to me! I was trying to weigh everything out and it seems like this is by far the best method. I only worried because of my evaporation dropping off (which didn't cause any trouble as evaporation is still very high due to temperature difference and large surface area of my system) and I was a bit concerned that the reactor had trouble re-saturating additional water (which just proved to be just a worry as the reactor is still having no trouble keeping up with the demand of my young system) It seems like my 220 system is evaporating around 3 gallons in 24 hours in my tank without fans running at 78 F. I am very happy to find out that "the Randy" uses this method - admire every one of your articles and research papers that I've read! It seems like i am in for some great success with my new build!

 

[Haksar]

I am dosing 70ml of CA and 58 ML of ALK in 135 gallon tank.I want to shift to Kalk dosing,how do I go about doing it.Shall I start of dosing 500ml Kalk and reduce the 2 part.

 

[bertoni]

Does the tank have an ATO system? Kalk is easy to dose as ATO, if the dosing pump is slow enough. How big is the tank and what is the daily evaporation?

 

[Haksar]

Yes I am using an Aquamedic ATO but afraid to use Kalk with ATO for fear of overdose.
Evaporation is approx half gallon per day.

 

[novazul1]

I'm agree if you have heavy stock sps,,kal doesnt do it job perfectly...2 part kit is more reliable for me so it is depend on your tank ,,if you have low calcium consumption,kal will do !

 

[bertoni]

Well, you could set up a drip by hand to dose the Kalk. It'll be a lot of work, over time, but it'll work.

 

[Haksar]

I have a bubble magus doser.Anyways I have started Kalk dosing from two days with daily incrments of 300 ml and reducing 02 part dosage by 10 ml.So far parameters have been good with ALK - 9 and CAL - 440 - MG - 1240.

I will continue to dose 2 part at low levels.Is this the correct way to do the changeover.

 

[bertoni]

That should be fine. Good luck!

 

[Pny]

Kalkwasser dosing outdated or not? What would the benefits of using kalkwasser from a kalk mixer instead of dosing Ca+Alk+Mg using a modern dosing pump be?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Kalkwasser dosing outdated or not? What would the benefits of using kalkwasser from a kalk mixer instead of dosing Ca+Alk+Mg using a modern dosing pump be?

I'd say that both are perfectly fine choices, but I've used limewater for about 15 years and I don't see any reason to change.

I like it because:

1. Since I have an ATO already, it is very little extra effort to put calcium hydroxide into it. I make up a new batch once a month or so.

2. It is inexpensive.

3. I helps boost the tank pH more than any other method.

4. It may possibly result in reduce phosphate due to precipitation of calcium phosphate.

5. A two part would require two additional pumps and timers, if I automated it.

6. Limewater may be less prone to getting skewed calcium and alkalinity. I don't measure either, and I'm comfortable that limewater keeps then in an acceptable range for my system. In fact, I know that calcium will very slowly creep up, so a I use a lowish calcium salt mix (IO) for water changes. With each batch of a two part, I'd might have to worry a bit more about exactly how well balanced the two parts were and I'd probably measure calcium and alkalinity more often.

 

[tmz]

I like limewater dosing because:

It's easy to dose from a still reservoir,one pump on a timer to spread it out .Infrequent refills. I've been using it for about 7 years .

It's self purifying.

It helps maintain pH where I want it.

It does not contribute chloride which can accumulate and shift the chloride / sulfate ratio.

It does not add sodium.

I do measure calcium and alk ; they stay steady with 24/7 kalk dosing from a still reservoir in my system. It is adequate without other supplements to keep alk at 9dkh and calcium in the 450 to 500ppm range in my system which is packed with sps. I also do moderate water changes, ie about 35 to 40% pr month.