do you use Kalk with your nano?

[mahalamata]

I've been thinking of adding Kalkwasser as my top-off(5L gravity fed DIY system).I just wanted to ask if anyone has used this stuff with a nano,and if so what are your results and thing to look out for.Since i have never used Kalk before what is the "proper" procedure for using it?

thanks

[NanoReefWanabe]

that would be far too much kalk for a nano's top off i would think...

since there is no way to mix it strong or weak...it just is...you have to figure out what your calcium requirements are for your tank...

you should drip kalk at night, this will help keep your PH stable...

i was going to do it, but never got around to buying the kalk...you have basically the same setup i have (tanks) i was going to use a 500ml water bottle and likely only drip about 300ml at night, and at that i think i was going to do it every other night..

however since daily dosing with 2 part isnt keeping my calcium up i may start dosing kalk too now..

i find my ph to be chronically stuck at 8.0 so kalk may be the best way to go for me..

you will have more luck and info in the reef chemistry forum i would think

[NanoReefWanabe]

check this web site to determine how much kalk (limewater) to use
depending if you want to raise your calcium or maintain it you can calculate how much to use..

**EDIT** for got the website...LOL
http://home.comcast.net/~jdieck1/chem_calc3.html

to raise it by 40 ppm you need almost 1.5 litres...but i sure dont think i would do that daily..like break it up over the week or a couple days anyway..

once your up to par and know how much your tank uses daily you can figure out how much to dose everynight to make up the consumption..

[mahalamata]

hmm,good points...
i lose about 5 litres a week in evaporation so was thinking of using kalk instead of just palin RO water.i am trying to come up with some solution without having to spend on a dosing pump etc etc.lol
might have to make my credit card in the end LOL

[NanoReefWanabe]

Five litres a week...man what kind of lights and pumps you running...JK i see it in your sig...but damn that is low...what are your tank temps like?

i lose about 1 to 1.5 litres a day..

[mahalamata]

5 liters is an estimate...cos a 25litre drum of RO/DI lasts me 3 weeks.i buy 2 a months one for top off one for changes.temps are around 25.2 during the day-24.8 during the night.both tank and sump/fudge are open top.even at 1 liter/day thats 7 a week...not much more than me..

[ezcompany]

each tank is different. as long as you can determine your calcium consumption it should be fine dosing kalk. I have been dosing 2 parts and kalk in my old nano for awhile with no problems.

[mbunakeith]

i dosed kalkwasser in my 20L nano with no issues. i just mixed 2 tbsp in a 5g modified bucket and dripped it slowly. i went through about a 5g bucket every week. i had a pretty decent bioload too. clam, frogspawn, torch, bubble, monti, etc.. andi had good growth and no bad from it. dosing kalk will also reportedly reduce your phosphates too. i always had zero phos. in my tank with no phosban reactor.i modded my bucket by drilling a hole about 3" from the bottom, installed a 90 deg. elbow on a nipple and put a small ball valve on the outside. i hooked up 1/4" tubing to the ball valve and slowly dripped kalk 24/7. i had the elbow an inch or two off the bottom of the bucket so it wouldnt pick up the slurry on the bottom of the bucket.
another great way to dose kalk is to just add a small amount (however much you need) of kalk powder to a few ounces of water and add it to the refugium every night. Anthony Calfo teaches this method. you have to experiment with the max you can add because it can/will make your ph move depending on how much you add. your ph will fall at night anyway and this will help keep the ph higher during that time.
great question by the way.

[mahalamata]

hey thanks man!
very insightful answer!i've been reading about kalk for ages and seems a good way to maintain calcium/alk,but every thread ive come across always seems to assume we know how to dose it and goes of into the when how much etc.now its abit more clear to me...24/7 very slow drip sounds good to me. i don't have a huge bioload so i can get away with a very slow drip!ill go out tomo and get some kalk and some "stuff" for to make a drip and ill keep you posted on how it goes!

[bad santa]

If i run a reverse photo period for my fuge, does the ph still drop at night? also does anybody know of any conversion charts to dose kalk to raise calcium?

[mahalamata]

right got all the bits to build the kalk drip
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e316/mahalamata/kalkdrip.jpg

of to start building will be posting as i go along!

[cherubfish pair]

One thing you have to remember about using kalk: don't let air into the top-off bucket. Carbon dioxide from the air will enter the water at its surface and chemically react with the calcium hydroxide (kalk) and become calcium carbonate which is worthless in this type of application. So keep the lid tight on the top-off.

[cutegecko3]

I was using it on my 22 gallon with great results.I dripped it 24 hrs. a day to keep salinty stable so i only used 1/2 teaspoon a gallon.I stopped using it because the undisolved powder would clog the the thumb vaulve and stop dripping.I have the 1400 ml kent aquadose and it is dripping superbuffer dkh without clogging.But i do miss the kalkwasser,wish it would completely dissolve.

[mahalamata]

hmm ok i didn't know that..i have used a normal food container,not the air tight ones.will this be ok or should i go for an airtight?

[cherubfish pair]

If you can't find a decent airtight container, seal up the holes with duct tape or something.