Kalk Question

[reefman MC]

I got a Ultralife float switch for an auto top off and filled my top off reservoir with ESV Kalkwasser. I mixed the kalk at the level that the ESV container says 2TBSP per gallon. My reservoir is a 10 gallon tank with a Maxi-jet 1200 return. My reef is 75 gallons. The float switch has an inch of play in the float barrel. So it lets the water drop 1in and then the float switch turns the pump on and fills it back up 1 inch. Will it hurt anything to have that much kalk water entering the tank all at the same time or does it matter?

[reefman MC]

No, I didn't notice till just now that my subject is the same as greg grassons other thread. sorry

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

So you are set then?

[reefman MC]

No I mean my subject name is the same as his, not my question.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Oh, that's OK. :D

How much water gets added with that 1 inch of rise?

Is it added to a sump or the main tank?

If a sump, how large? Lots of flow through the sump, or just a little?

[reefman MC]

Not exactly sure how much is being added with that inch. I would guess around a half gallon to a gallon. It is being added to my refugium area. The kalk water enters on the baffled side where the water enters my fuge. Then it travels about two and a half feet to the return pump on the other baffled side of the refugium and then it enters the main tank.

[reefman MC]

Do you think it will kill everything in my fuge area?

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

If you add 1.25% of the volume in limewater, the pH will rise by 0.4 to 0.7 pH units. It sounds as if you are adding a lot more than that, and I wouldn't recommend it.

[reefman MC]

Can I do a smaller pump? If so can you give me a suggestion and a good online source to get one?

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

The problem is not smaller, but much slower. Like a Reef Filler pump at 3 gallons per day. Champion lighting sells them. There are other dosing pumps available as well.

[reefman MC]

Would it be possible to put a ball valve on my maxijet and slow it down?

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

That might possibly work. I've never tried to throttle one back that much.

[reefman MC]

I took a chance and did it and its been running for three days now and no problems yet. It turns on about every 30 min and dribbles in some water. I've kept a very close eye on the ph and the highest it's ever raised so far is by 0.3. I didn't think this was lethal. Thanks randy.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

That sounds good. :)