Ok, ready to drip Kalk, but different method....

[Mooch18]

I want to do it a bit differently. I don't have the space for a conatainer to drip Kalk for all top offs, since i evaporate roughly 1-2 gallons a day, which would mean i would need 7-14 gallons of Kalk for the week. Plus, i don't want to be filling my container everyday/night with Kalk. So, ive decided since i have a stable PH at night and day due to a 24/7 photoperiod, thanks to a sump and fuge, i could drip Kalk all day at a very slow drip rate.

Now yesterday my Calcium was around 400, and Alk at 2.5 mg/l. I added Alk last all day yesterday, and last night and slowly have gotten the alk up to 3.5, but Calcium has dropped to 370. I plan on getting some kent turbo calcium today, and adding both Caclium and Alk to get my calcium up too 420, and alk around 4.0-4.5. Ofcourse with more addition of Calcium since it needs more raising, and to get the balanced effect.

Does that make sense so far?? Anything i should not be doing or doing on top???

If im ok, i'll go on. Once i get my levels of calcium and Alk right, i plan on dripping 2.5 gallons of Kalk at either 1-2 teaspons per gallon depending on reaction of PH in tank, each week continously (24/7). Water top-off will be done like i normally do it, with just plain R/O water daily.

My question is, will this work?? Will i have any problems??

Also, if i need to skip one day a week of adding Kalk to the tank, to remake more Kalk for the next week, will my tank drop in PH over a matter of 24 hours or 1 full day???

Im ready to give Kalk a go, but need to be totaly sure what im doing before i kill anything. that's the last thing i want.

[Navyblue]

FYI.

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/20...hf/index.php#5

[Mooch18]

Ive read that, thanks. It doesn't help me though since im thinking of using a different method.....

but thanks anyways.

[Navyblue]

Actually, I don't get what you mean by you are using a different method, to me yours are pretty typical. Many are dosing 24/7. As for how fast/slow you are dripping, that would vary according to each tank's need.

I don't see a problem if you are skipping the drip for a day, in fact I believe there are many who doesn't drip everyday. Your pH would swing a bit, but IME I have not seen any adverse effect in SPS and clams, but that would also depend on how much kalk you are actually dripping. In my old system my pH is normally around 8.2 and can reach up to 8.6 at times when dripping kalk, but was at 8.4 most of the time during the drip

Many kalk drippers would add two parts once in a while too. Basically kalk is good at maintaining Ca and alk and not so good in raising them, unless your tank consumption is very low.

The only problem I see is that you'll find you don't get a lot more kick (if any) by having 2 ts/g of kalk instead of to 1 ts/g. Kalk dissolved poorly in water, most just won't dissolve, and some get precipitated as calcium carbonate.

[TekCat]

Navyblue, you get precipitated CaCO3 regardless of the kalk concentration, because it'll precip due to presense of CO2 in water.

AFAIK, 2 tbs/G is the ratio to achieve kalk's maximum saturation.

[KAiNE]

I drip about 4.5 gallons of kalk over a 24hr period.
I also add 300-400ml of 2-part every night, targeting 3.2.
I add the CA part immediately but slow drip the ALK part over 5-6 hours at night. If i see a ph of 8.3 it means my reservoir is low and i am sucking solids. My normal PH is 8.2 during the day.

If I didnt drip, my PH will sink to 7.8.

[jpitts101]

im new to the kalk thing too, sorry for my ignorance. i've been doing alot of research and still dont know the drip rate? how long shold a 5 gallon mix last you?

[jpitts101]

you answered my question before i posted it. thanks!

[KAiNE]

Originally posted by jpitts101
im new to the kalk thing too, sorry for my ignorance. i've been doing alot of research and still dont know the drip rate? how long shold a 5 gallon mix last you?

I base mine on the amount that evaporates in a day. I wish I could push more but i already run dehumidifiers in my sump room.
Some people dont replace all their topoff with kalk and some do, I do.

[jpitts101]

kaine, you use 4.5 gallons in 24 houres, can you make your kalk a little more concentrated and let it drip slower? im looking to do something that i dont have to mess with but once ever couple days. i do test alot, just dont want to have to change this and change that every day.

[Mooch18]

Originally posted by Navyblue
Actually, I don't get what you mean by you are using a different method, to me yours are pretty typical. Many are dosing 24/7. As for how fast/slow you are dripping, that would vary according to each tank's need.

I don't see a problem if you are skipping the drip for a day, in fact I believe there are many who doesn't drip everyday. Your pH would swing a bit, but IME I have not seen any adverse effect in SPS and clams, but that would also depend on how much kalk you are actually dripping. In my old system my pH is normally around 8.2 and can reach up to 8.6 at times when dripping kalk, but was at 8.4 most of the time during the drip

Many kalk drippers would add two parts once in a while too. Basically kalk is good at maintaining Ca and alk and not so good in raising them, unless your tank consumption is very low.

The only problem I see is that you'll find you don't get a lot more kick (if any) by having 2 ts/g of kalk instead of to 1 ts/g. Kalk dissolved poorly in water, most just won't dissolve, and some get precipitated as calcium carbonate.

Ok, let me explain. Most people make enough Kalk to top-off evaporated water. My method im pruposing is different because i still use R/O water to top off, which has a very low PH, but drip Kalk all day and all night for close to 7 days a week, excluding days where i need to make a new batch of Kalk.

My concern is. Lets say my Kalk has a PH of 12, and i drip enough all day and all night to keep my PH consistent at 8.3-8.4

Now when i add a gallon of R/O water everynight for top-off, which has a much lower, will that not shift my PH since im adding Kalk coninously??? Or would a gallon a night of plain R/O water not effect anything??

Do you see how im being different??

[KAiNE]

Originally posted by jpitts101
kaine, you use 4.5 gallons in 24 houres, can you make your kalk a little more concentrated and let it drip slower? im looking to do something that i dont have to mess with but once ever couple days. i do test alot, just dont want to have to change this and change that every day.

Not unless i added vinegar, which i'd rather not do. I'm fine with that amount, my reservoir lasts right at a week.
If anything I'd like to automate the 2-part addition or go with a CA reactor (where i am heading anyway based on consumption).

[KAiNE]

Originally posted by Mooch18
My concern is. Lets say my Kalk has a PH of 12, and i drip enough all day and all night to keep my PH consistent at 8.3-8.4

Now when i add a gallon of R/O water everynight for top-off, which has a much lower, will that not shift my PH since im adding Kalk coninously??? Or would a gallon a night of plain R/O water not effect anything??

Do you see how im being different??

The amount of kalk you drip will effect how much topoff is required on a given day. If your tank needs 2 gallons of topoff and you dripped 1 gallon of kalk you'll only be adding 1 gallon of ro/di to make up the difference.
RO/DI additions hasn't effected my PH that i can speak of. Unless you added a high percentage of your total volume but in that case I'd be concerned about salinity more than PH

[KAiNE]

Originally posted by Mooch18
and i drip enough all day and all night to keep my PH consistent at 8.3-8.4

The most you can add is however much you evaporate in a 24hr period, otherwise you will reduce your salinity.
I cant add enough to hit those PH numbers