Question for Kalk users

[Seraphim]

I have read a few methods of dosing kalk....drip......drip top off......dosing pump.....couple others. I have been adding a teaspoon per gallon and just dumping when i top off in a a high flow area of my sump. usually it is now more than 2 pints or so at a time......I top off two to three times a day.......morning lights off after work lights just turn on and bed time lights on. . Do you guys and gals think there is a problem with my method? I have been keeping a close eye on my parameters since i have been doing this...<about a week> No huge swings thus far. The only thing i get is cloudy water for 10-20 minutes....kinda like using purple up. It does not seem to affect my skimmer either.

thanks

 

[GROWSZOAS]

do you keep the kalk water sitting around or do you mix new everytime you top off?

 

[Seraphim]

Every time i top off. no more than 8 hour sit

 

[acer]

I "make" kalk water by the 5 gallon bucket - let it sit for 24 hours and then skim off the scum on the top - so if your mixing and adding right away - then your pouring in the scum that I skim off. I believe that the top scum is impurities- but that may not be accurate. I figure , better safe than sorry. I add the kalk water by running a line to the tank from the 5 gallon bucket with an aqualifter pump = slowly adding it. I have to add about 1 gallon per day.

 

[Tonycip]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15297856#post15297856 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by acer
I "make" kalk water by the 5 gallon bucket - let it sit for 24 hours and then skim off the scum on the top - so if your mixing and adding right away - then your pouring in the scum that I skim off. I believe that the top scum is impurities- but that may not be accurate. I figure , better safe than sorry. I add the kalk water by running a line to the tank from the 5 gallon bucket with an aqualifter pump = slowly adding it. I have to add about 1 gallon per day.

at what concentration do you mix it at or dose water only hold a certain amout in solution . I'm going to start adding kalk also and i wanted to do it as top off but I add about 2 gal of top off a day would you thing that would be too much kalk? if so what would bwe the resolt of over dosing
ph would go to high? or alk would go to high ? or both?

 

[DEERE G]

Not to hijack. I have a somewhat related question. Those of you using kalk reactors...do you use a simple timer for mixing or do you use your controller for a mixing schedule. I am very close to setting my reactor up. I am just kind of nervous about it. I also, (like Tony said) top-off about 2 gal. a day.

 

[acer]

I mix it by adding about 6-8 tablespoons per 5 gallon bucket - use a Maxi-jet 1200 for about 2 minutes and then just let it settle for 24 hours - skim off the top scum ( impurities and any extra Kalk that wont dissolve into solution ). I don't actually skim the top scum off - I put a maxi-jet ( or other small pump) in the 5 gallon bucket - about 2 inches from the bottom ( some kalk/impurities will also settle on the bottom of the bucket) and pump out about 4 gallons into another bucket- then use that water for top off "kalk" water. Strength = full saturated kalk water - Randy here on R/C has a number of articles about the exact ph/alk/etc of full strength Kalk water. These articles can be found by looking into the "reef chemistry" thread section here on R/C.

 

[donbmax]

Another idea for dosing the kalc in effectively is to buy a LiterMeter III automatic dosing pump - that's what I use. It automatically releases the kalc solution 150 x a day, that helps ph as well as stability of alkalinity and calcium. I have mine set to inject 2.6 liters a day. Your solution mixture sounds right, just make sure you dont let the top film or bottom most chalky white stuff enter your tank/system.

 

[Gary Briggs]

I use the aqua medic ks-1000 kalk reactor, adding about 2-3 tbl spoons of kalk powder every weekend. The ph stays 8.1-8.3
It runs 24 hrs a day, using a float sw, I've never found any reason to use kalk only at night (the ph never drops below 8).

 

[rbd0331]

I have my top off water flow thru Geo Kalk reactor...controlled by ATO level system. My pH always stays between 8.0 - 8.2

I add 2-3 spoons of kalk every weekend.

 

[silverking]

i mix about 25 gallons of it in a brute trashcan. then i have a aqualifter pump with a little valve on the end. i run the drip 24/7. i try to have the drip set to match my evap. doing it this way does take som monitering as the valve gets clogged and the drip stops. or sometimes i have to add a little freshwater to make up for the evap. but it works good without anything fancy.