I have an auto top off and have been adding Salifurts calcium. I have heard off kalkwasser drips and was thinking I could use my ATO to deliver the kalkwasser rather then the saliferts calcium. But have no clue how to do this. Anyone have any idea how to do this or a link to help me figure it out. Thx for the help.
Adding Kalkwasser- how to?
- Thread starter Fishead77
- Start date
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Dosing Kalk is an easy way to keep your calcium levels up. You can replace or supplement your top off water with kalk saturated water. You basically add several tablespoons of kalk or pickling lime (same thing) to a bottle like a 2liter bottle, add RO water, shake and let it settle. You can add the fluid from the top, but avoid adding the precipitant at the bottom of the bottle as it has some of the impurities.
Then you top the bottle back off with RO water, shake and let it settle. You can reuse/refill the bottle with water several times. Hard to tell when it is all used up and needs to be replaced, but the precipitant that settles will change from white to more of a grey/tan color. That is when i change it.
You can use kalkwasser if you like, but lots of us use pickling lime. Mine is Mrs. Wages brand. it is much much cheaper. I purchased 3 of their 1 pound bottles last year and am still using the first bottle.
Here is another thread on Kalk dosing:
http://www.reeffrontiers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10281&highlight=dosing+kalk
And here is a couple links for where you can purchase Mrs. Wages:
http://www.americanspice.com/catalo...AGE=&_ssess_=10faa68030552e0c69241136ba8bd3c1
or here:
http://mrswages.stores.yahoo.net/mrswagpiclim.html
Then you top the bottle back off with RO water, shake and let it settle. You can reuse/refill the bottle with water several times. Hard to tell when it is all used up and needs to be replaced, but the precipitant that settles will change from white to more of a grey/tan color. That is when i change it.
You can use kalkwasser if you like, but lots of us use pickling lime. Mine is Mrs. Wages brand. it is much much cheaper. I purchased 3 of their 1 pound bottles last year and am still using the first bottle.
Here is another thread on Kalk dosing:
http://www.reeffrontiers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=10281&highlight=dosing+kalk
And here is a couple links for where you can purchase Mrs. Wages:
http://www.americanspice.com/catalo...AGE=&_ssess_=10faa68030552e0c69241136ba8bd3c1
or here:
http://mrswages.stores.yahoo.net/mrswagpiclim.html
steve-s
Well-known member
Test the rate of depletion. Basically test the alk/Ca daily or every second day for a weeks time. During that time do not make any additions or water changes. Based on that information you will know on average how much your tank uses in a day/week. It will vary some from week to week and you will most likely still need stand alone additives for "correction" but the kalk will be a great way to maintain it otherwise.
Once you know your depletion rate, use this calculator to determine usuage. What you use/need will also be affected by your evaporation rate.
http://jdieck1.home.comcast.net/chemcalc.html
If your need is small, try to break up the amounts to equal daily parts instead of week corrections, maintaining a constant level is much healthier than yo-yoing numbers.
Cheers
Steve
Once you know your depletion rate, use this calculator to determine usuage. What you use/need will also be affected by your evaporation rate.
http://jdieck1.home.comcast.net/chemcalc.html
If your need is small, try to break up the amounts to equal daily parts instead of week corrections, maintaining a constant level is much healthier than yo-yoing numbers.
Cheers
Steve
kalk
Yeh Steve, I've been tracking the use for a few months now. I have a good idea of how much calcium it is using. I have been thinking about swithing from a straight calcium to either kalk drip or 2 part mix. Is the 2 part calcium and alkiline? My alk is fine, don't really need any buffers. Also on the calcium/kalk would a daily doser work better then using the top off pump? The daily doser would probably be more consistant. Hmmmm. Thnx for thehelp.
Yeh Steve, I've been tracking the use for a few months now. I have a good idea of how much calcium it is using. I have been thinking about swithing from a straight calcium to either kalk drip or 2 part mix. Is the 2 part calcium and alkiline? My alk is fine, don't really need any buffers. Also on the calcium/kalk would a daily doser work better then using the top off pump? The daily doser would probably be more consistant. Hmmmm. Thnx for thehelp.
steve-s
Well-known member
That sounds backwards unless you have a heavy SPS population? Alk would normally deplete faster than Ca. 1 mEq/l alk per 20 ppm Ca on average. I would recheck things just to be sure.
What levels do you normally maintain each (alk/Ca) at, how often are you doing water changes/what volume and what are the chem stats for the salt you use?
What water volume is the tank?
If all checks out and you truely do have a faster Ca depletion, you don't want a two part chem or kalkwasser. Kalk replenishes both alk and Ca, not just one side of the equation. You just need a stand alone CaCl additive (dry preferabley) if that's the case.
Cheers
Steve
What levels do you normally maintain each (alk/Ca) at, how often are you doing water changes/what volume and what are the chem stats for the salt you use?
What water volume is the tank?
If all checks out and you truely do have a faster Ca depletion, you don't want a two part chem or kalkwasser. Kalk replenishes both alk and Ca, not just one side of the equation. You just need a stand alone CaCl additive (dry preferabley) if that's the case.
Cheers
Steve
Well I just checked the water and the alk is low 7.0 and the ca is good 420. My records show that my alk has been low since the last test 2 weeks ago (and I haven't done anything about it, shame on me). I try to do a 10% water change per week, sometimes it goes 2 weeks. I have a 50g with a 10g sump. I haven't tested my salt mix just the salt level. I use instant ocean brand. I have been having problems with high nitrates. I just changed my sump pump, it has about twice the turn over as the old one. I think that will help out. Also added a MH and a chiller. I've heard of using baking soda to raise the alk. Just as a short term solution. I'm also having diatom blooms. Boy Howdy!steve-s said:
steve-s
Well-known member
If your pH is good and stable then baking soda can make a fine stand alone buffer. As for your salts chem stats, if your anywhere close to a NSW salinity, you'll have a 390-400 ppm Ca and a 3.25-3.75 alk. That would explain a little on the lack of alkalinity additions and the higher demand for Ca. It's not the tank consumption but rather the backwards chem in the saltmix. 10% weekly water chnages would not normally make much impact unless demand was minimal. Eventually the tank chemistry will match the salts chemistry.
Instead of dosing the tank, try an experiment over the next few weeks. Tweek the tanks chem initially to get it back in balance. After that rely soley on your water changes but with a slight alteration. Test the chem of the salt and augment the Ca side of the equation to balance out. A simple dry CaCl product should do easily enough. Personally I prefer Kents Turbo Ca. Cheap and works very well. Use the calculator link above.
I'm pretty sure you'll find the skewed tank results are mainly from the salt you use. No harm in that nor is there any reason to switch salts. Once you know a products limitations and how to work around it, there no reason to. IO has obviously worked for you otherwise so no reason to abandon it.
Cheers
Steve
Instead of dosing the tank, try an experiment over the next few weeks. Tweek the tanks chem initially to get it back in balance. After that rely soley on your water changes but with a slight alteration. Test the chem of the salt and augment the Ca side of the equation to balance out. A simple dry CaCl product should do easily enough. Personally I prefer Kents Turbo Ca. Cheap and works very well. Use the calculator link above.
I'm pretty sure you'll find the skewed tank results are mainly from the salt you use. No harm in that nor is there any reason to switch salts. Once you know a products limitations and how to work around it, there no reason to. IO has obviously worked for you otherwise so no reason to abandon it.
Cheers
Steve
DonW
R.I.P.
Check your mg also. Io is usually low and this would explain your ca issue.
Don
Don
plack
Sea Otter
"thinking I could use my ATO to deliver the kalkwasser"
I have a small pump from my auto top off that is fed into my kalkwasser reactor then to my sump. That is one way and how I am adding it automatically.
I have a small pump from my auto top off that is fed into my kalkwasser reactor then to my sump. That is one way and how I am adding it automatically.
Boomer
Well-known member
steve-s
Tanks bud . I have been really busy on Randy's forum. He is gone for three weeks. 4 more days and then I can breath again :lol: I never looked here yesterday. So the day I do not look ====>POST and I missed it again
Tanks bud . I have been really busy on Randy's forum. He is gone for three weeks. 4 more days and then I can breath again :lol: I never looked here yesterday
. So the day I do not look ====>POST and I missed it again
Boomer
Well-known member
Fishead
Your Alk is actually not low but right at NSW, which is 7 dKH. However, with Ca++ @ 420 you are slightly out of balance. 1/4 tsps of baking soda / 10 gal will bring it to 8dKH, 3.0 meq/ l, which is balanced with your Ca++. Some like to run their Alk a liltle higher as steve-s has suggested.
Your Alk is actually not low but right at NSW, which is 7 dKH. However, with Ca++ @ 420 you are slightly out of balance. 1/4 tsps of baking soda / 10 gal will bring it to 8dKH, 3.0 meq/ l, which is balanced with your Ca++. Some like to run their Alk a liltle higher as steve-s has suggested.
plack
Sea Otter
"How big is your tank?"
180 gallon recently upgraded from a 55 gallon
180 gallon recently upgraded from a 55 gallon
I ended up going to the LFS and picking up some Kent super buffer. I like your idea of using the 2 liter bottle and lime pickle. How do people come up with these methods using common baking items? Must be smarter then mebc_slc said:
steve-s
Well-known member
Simple baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) will only affect alkalinity for the most part. Washing soda (hydrated sodium carbonate) will also work for alkalinity but has a much higher effect on pH and must "cut" if you will before it can be used in the aquarium. The ratio being 6 parts bicarb and 1 part carb.
FWIW, you can easily turn baking soda into washing soda by bakining it in the oven.
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/april2004/chem.htm
Be sure when adding a buffer that will impact pH as well as alk, do so as early in the AM as possible. It will mean less of an impact on the overall pH shift throughout the day. Less stress on the tanks inhabitants.
Cheers
Steve
FWIW, you can easily turn baking soda into washing soda by bakining it in the oven.
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/april2004/chem.htm
Be sure when adding a buffer that will impact pH as well as alk, do so as early in the AM as possible. It will mean less of an impact on the overall pH shift throughout the day. Less stress on the tanks inhabitants.
Cheers
Steve
So let me see if I understand the logic here. If my alk is low but ph is fine I can add baking soda to raise alk but not ph. If alk and ph are low add 6 parts of baking soda to 1 part washing soda to raise alk and ph? My ph is around 8.0 to 8.2, what is the optimum for ph?
