Dosing calc...which method

[XxDutchxX]

Right now I am adding tropic marin about 3x a week so I think im gonna start dosing kalk. Looking for the pros and cons. What are some good dosing units...links? I may end up going with the kent IV style. Whats a good way to go. I dont have a stand or sump, its on granite.

[pbs911]

I am by no means an expert on the results I am achieving, but I do dose Kalk. Currently I use a 2 gal jug above the sump that I add Pickling Lime to RO/DI water and shack. I have an airline hose running from the jug to a drip controller (the plastic .50 version) in the sump. I just match the drips to the evaporation. Works fine for dripping the kalk and cost about $3.00. I am planning on building a Kalk reactor, and feeding with a 10-15 gal container via gravity with the same drip controller.

Hope this helps.

[XxDutchxX]

^

[pete_ra]

some help on this topic too. Does anyone use just really small tubing with a knot in it(cyphon) to dose? How long should it take for two gallons to go in the tank?

[reefworm]

I use the Kent IV drip bottle and drip into the sump. You can control the drip rate with the roller that pinches the air tube to whatever you need to match evaporation. That will vary considerably with tank size, temp., lighting, cooling fans, etc.

As to the benefits, it does a great job of stabilizing ca++ and alkalinity levels and keeping them up where they should be. I also add 10-12ml of white vinegar per gallon to the kalkwasser for the additional carbon ions. On occasion I'll "bump" the levels as needed with Kent Turbo Calcium and Kent's Supper Buffer [there are other comparable products]. It also precipitates phosphates which is a Good Thing.

hth,
-rw

[pete_ra]

cant dosing kalk also work as a top off? This seems like another great benefit.

[tanker]

On my 2 reef tanks all my top-off is with kalk. I mix about 1/2 teaspoon of kalk to each gal of RO water. With this low concentration I do not worry about PH swing (also my refugy helps the PH swing low also).