Kalk
- Thread starter jeddy576
- Start date
Agu
Premium Member
SugarFox03
Animal Behaviorist
I made my top off/kalk dripper out of an empty water bottle and IV drip set. It was pretty easy and cost me nothing. I just have to clean everything out real well with freshwater once a week or so, that way the lines don't get clogged.
And how fast you drip depends on the amount of evaporation. How much water do you lose every day?
And how fast you drip depends on the amount of evaporation. How much water do you lose every day?
Poorcollegereef
Future Doc
second what sugar said, but I control my drips with a airline gatevalve from a petsmart "custom airflow" kit. Rinsing it with fresh water once a week is a must. I also drip super slow (i think), one drip ever two seconds overnight. Takes about 8 hours for a gallon to empty.
SugarFox03
Animal Behaviorist
I dont lose that much water, so my dripper is hooked up to a 20 oz water bottle & 15 drip set, and it drips every 2 seconds or so.
ranjithc2006
New member
Hi All,
Here is what I can say about KALK.
This stuff is Calcium Hydroxide or sweet lime. Depends on how u make ur kalk.
It is super caustic (read as PH of 12+) will KILL all stuff u have in the tank. In a NANO u wont even know what hit you if u empty 1 gal of KALK all at once. there are methods for SLURRY dosing also but very risky and blody time consuming since the quantity of slurry should be very less. maybe spoon by spoon.
the basic reason for drip is to not have wild PH swings.
BTW, Dripping kalk alone is not enough to get the benefits of high CA levels. will not make corals calcify faster or boom coralline.
U need stuff like magnesium, strontium, molybdium. Also depends why u want high CA levels. because of coralline, then use "Purple up". for continous long term benefits, use kalk. it will also lower phospates i have read somewhere.
How to dose it...
Mix around 1 table spoon of calcium hydroxide i around 5 gals of RO/DI water (i use tap water). do not mix it with saltwater !!
Let it stand for a few mins so the solution settles. the clear liquid is the stuff u r looking for. Drip this slowly. slower the better.
the speed will depend on ur tank water volume. for a 110gal. I drip 10 liters(2.5 gals). at 1 drop per 2-3 seconds. this should be fine for you also considering the amount of kalk is only 1 gal.
do not mix kalk in advance as it will react with CO in the air n form calcium carbonate and be useless.
this post is my first n very messy i think.
but if anyone wants more info mail me n i will be glad to help.
"rchakrav@lehman.com"
Cheers
Ranjith
Here is what I can say about KALK.
This stuff is Calcium Hydroxide or sweet lime. Depends on how u make ur kalk.
It is super caustic (read as PH of 12+) will KILL all stuff u have in the tank. In a NANO u wont even know what hit you if u empty 1 gal of KALK all at once. there are methods for SLURRY dosing also but very risky and blody time consuming since the quantity of slurry should be very less. maybe spoon by spoon.
the basic reason for drip is to not have wild PH swings.
BTW, Dripping kalk alone is not enough to get the benefits of high CA levels. will not make corals calcify faster or boom coralline.
U need stuff like magnesium, strontium, molybdium. Also depends why u want high CA levels. because of coralline, then use "Purple up". for continous long term benefits, use kalk. it will also lower phospates i have read somewhere.
How to dose it...
Mix around 1 table spoon of calcium hydroxide i around 5 gals of RO/DI water (i use tap water). do not mix it with saltwater !!
Let it stand for a few mins so the solution settles. the clear liquid is the stuff u r looking for. Drip this slowly. slower the better.
the speed will depend on ur tank water volume. for a 110gal. I drip 10 liters(2.5 gals). at 1 drop per 2-3 seconds. this should be fine for you also considering the amount of kalk is only 1 gal.
do not mix kalk in advance as it will react with CO in the air n form calcium carbonate and be useless.
this post is my first n very messy i think.
but if anyone wants more info mail me n i will be glad to help.
"rchakrav@lehman.com"
Cheers
Ranjith
Good points Ranjith except its ok to mix it up in advance per
Randy Holmes Farley: "Since calcium carbonate is not an effective supplement of calcium and alkalinity in reef aquaria, the limewater can become less useful through this process. The rate at which this happens in large containers, such as plastic trashcans with loose fitting lids, is much less than many aquarists expect. There is, in fact, little degradation under typical use conditions. "
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-05/rhf/feature/index.php
Randy Holmes Farley: "Since calcium carbonate is not an effective supplement of calcium and alkalinity in reef aquaria, the limewater can become less useful through this process. The rate at which this happens in large containers, such as plastic trashcans with loose fitting lids, is much less than many aquarists expect. There is, in fact, little degradation under typical use conditions. "
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-05/rhf/feature/index.php
