Kalk
- Thread starter gandolf8
- Start date
You don't have to but it does make life easier. Depending on how much time between refills and maintenance. The simplest 1 I have found was the tunze. But the newer physical stirrer are nicer.
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I’be been using kalk for the last 4 years. I use a clear plastic tote, and a line to my jebao doser. The tote is marked off for every gallon. When it gets down to 2 gallons, I add 12 gallons more rodi water (fill to 14g) and add 1/2 a cup of kalk. When I started, it was small 10ml doses every hour to maintain Alk. Now it’s 140ml every hour from 10am to 8pm and 240ml/h thru the night. My focus was to maintain stable Alk, the ph balance was an additional benefit. It now matches my tank evaporate rate, and almost meets alk/calc consumption (I started 2 part dosing also). Alk is day time low 10.6 night high 11.1dkh and ph is 8.4 days, 8.1 nights. BRS pharma Kalk has mixed the best for me. I think I fill about every 10 days.
Willistein
Active member
Like HerbC, I found dosing kalkwater for most of the top off is a good method. I would mix up a 32 gal Brute and let is settle until clear - I only had to do this every month or so. What are your Alk, Ca, Mg numbers?
Gary Majchrzak
Team RC
my thoughts
my thoughts
kalkwasser is usually dosed to supplement (raise) calcium and alkalinity- not to boost pH
IF Ca and dKH are already being maintained at desired levels you should find another way of bringing pH up... if worrying about it all!
(I do not monitor system pH but when I rarely check it we are somewhere between pH7.8 and 8.1)
SUGGESTION: don't chase pH
I topped off for evap using kalk since day one over 25 years ago. You can use a plastic gallon milk jug. Fill with cold RO water mix with spoonful of kalk. poke a small hole in the milk jugs side and drizzle in. I did that for over 15 years before stepping up to a 30 gallon brute of kalk dosed by Litermeter. I now have a kalkstirrer- but it's only to make things as easy as possible.
my thoughts
kalkwasser is usually dosed to supplement (raise) calcium and alkalinity- not to boost pH
IF Ca and dKH are already being maintained at desired levels you should find another way of bringing pH up... if worrying about it all!
(I do not monitor system pH but when I rarely check it we are somewhere between pH7.8 and 8.1)
SUGGESTION: don't chase pH
I topped off for evap using kalk since day one over 25 years ago. You can use a plastic gallon milk jug. Fill with cold RO water mix with spoonful of kalk. poke a small hole in the milk jugs side and drizzle in. I did that for over 15 years before stepping up to a 30 gallon brute of kalk dosed by Litermeter. I now have a kalkstirrer- but it's only to make things as easy as possible.
Willistein
Active member
This is good reading on pH, Alk, and more:
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php
Getting pH up a bit is a good thing since the skeleton building process slows down at lower pH levels. That being said, your pH of 7.5 is likely an indicator that your Alk, Ca, and Mg numbers are probably off. Or you're really pushing a calcium reactor.
The real question here is: are you measuring the big three?
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php
Getting pH up a bit is a good thing since the skeleton building process slows down at lower pH levels. That being said, your pH of 7.5 is likely an indicator that your Alk, Ca, and Mg numbers are probably off. Or you're really pushing a calcium reactor.
The real question here is: are you measuring the big three?
Gary Majchrzak
Team RC
Kalkwasser is used instead of RO/freshwater for topoff due to evaporation in order to maintain alkalinity and calcium levels.
The effect of boosting pH is (usually) viewed as a positive side effect...although in some cases the resulting boost in pH is not desirable.
To be sure- did you add a calcium reactor or kalk stirrer?
The effect of boosting pH is (usually) viewed as a positive side effect...although in some cases the resulting boost in pH is not desirable.
To be sure- did you add a calcium reactor or kalk stirrer?
Gary Majchrzak
Team RC
most folks use their controller (or a timer) to spin the stir bar on a kalk stirrer.
Or are we talking about a calcium reactor?.... still not positive which device is being discussed.
