Kalkwasser mixing?

tommer725

tommer725

The boy who cried fish
I am still new to this hobby and am setting up a new tank soon. I know that people have mixed it in their ATO. I know that many people do this and was wondering how you do it. How can I mix it? How can I figure out how much to mix in, what you use, and other stuff. I know nothing exept that it helps keep elements that corals need up. Thanks!!:rollface:
 
Don't dose anything if you don't test for it.

I don't dose it, so hopefully someone else will chime in. But from what I have read/learned about it, you mix it up in freshwater, it separates, you take out the part you want and put it in your ATO. In order to know how much to put into your ATO, you need to watch you Ca and Alk to know how much they go down per day and add enough into the ATO so that it is replenished throughout the day.

Like I said, I don't use it, so I could be missing something here. I have it, but don't test for those things- so I don't add it. I have been running my current tank for 8 months and I don't use it, but I don't have any SPS. (I've never used it at all)

Hope I helped a little!
 
Right, still I am going to test for it. I just need to figure out about dosing and the process of figuring out how to know how much kalk per gal and dosing it into the tank
 
Your a long way from knowing if you need it or not. If you do you can start with 1 tsp. per gal. and go to 2 tsp. thats all the water will take. This can be increased to 3 tsp. if you add vinegar.
 
i know i am a long way, but i want to know what i need to know. this is going to be a big lps and sps tank.
 
Mix it once, when adding, don't topoff for about 8 hours til it settles, and don't stir it again until you have to add more water. Go to the New to the Hobby Forum stickies and read Dirt-simple Chemistry and also Sk8r's recommended reads, and blog. I've got quite a lot of info that will help you. You need upper end lights, tests for alk, cal, mg, a refractometer, a good skimmer, an autotopoff, and a sump is highly recommended---esp. over 30 gal tank. If your tank is under 70, even packed, dripping kalk will probably suffice you forever, if you have average to good evaporation rate (that drives the autotopoff process, ergo the kalk.) Over, you'll likely be looking at a calcium reactor in the long haul.
 
thank you my tank is 85 gallons plus a 30 or so sump.not set up yet leds 160 watts 2 of them. and i have all the rest. Thank you i will look at it.
 
It's gonna take a lot of reading of all the articles to find out the info you desire. My best advice would be to spend some time reading the stickies and refered articles to grasp what it does exactly and if you will need it. More info than someone really wants to try to explain in a thread when all of you questions can be answered with research. Not tryin to sound rude at all if it does I apologize but me personally would do the research and then ask questions on parts I dont understand..
 
Agreed Dapg8gt, I'm just curious to get a little feed back from people with actual knowledge and first hand experience with this practice and if they noticed and benefits or any negative affects from doing so because sometimes those articles really get into detail on a scientific level that gets a bit hard to understand. But I fully agree with doing your own research first then ask questions, and I have done some research and have read a few articles besides the one he just posted just like input and knowledge to come from all angles, ya know?
 
Feel free to start slow, it's won't hurt. That said, that article was more for the concentrations, it is a bit outdated in its procedural application. Vinegar has been shown to be a very safe organic carbon source. It typically takes very large doses to cause any issues in aquaria. With a 120 gallon aquarium you should be able to add the full dose.

Think of it this way, are you going to stop carbon dosing every time you add something new so that it can acclimate? No, and no one else does either. If you experience a bacterial bloom, cut back. The only thing you really need to worry about is the potential for pH swings due to the extra kalk dissolving. With a well setup ATO, this isn't much of an issue. Just watch your pH.
 
120reefermadnes said:
Agreed Dapg8gt, I'm just curious to get a little feed back from people with actual knowledge and first hand experience with this practice and if they noticed and benefits or any negative affects from doing so because sometimes those articles really get into detail on a scientific level that gets a bit hard to understand. But I fully agree with doing your own research first then ask questions, and I have done some research and have read a few articles besides the one he just posted just like input and knowledge to come from all angles, ya know?
Click to expand...

I totally understand. The scientific part of this hobby is so far above most of our heads that it's really hard to grasp something without first hand experience. So as said before I wasn't tryin to sound like a douche LOL..

I swear If I spent as much time and commitment to research in school as I do my reef tank I prob would be in a way higher tax bracket than I am :-).

I think the take it slow advice is the best way to chart into new to you or I territory in reefing... And test, test and more test.. And don't forget to hurry up and wait.
 
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