Any magic in Kalkwasser?

[WaterDogs]

If my CA is kept up at 420-450 for example using "Seachem Reef Advantage Calcium" and no Kalkwasser drip I'm I missing out on something the corals need? It seems like people have CA reactors and still drip kalk why is this? If there is something special about kalk that would benefit my system I will start adding it since I have both the powder and the drip bottle but will the clams and corals gain from it?

Thanks,
Dwaine

 

[Katchupoy]

Dwaine, I dont think you are missing anything... but please do check/test your water also for Alk... if you are not dosing anything to supplement your alk.... I believe... Seachem "reef builder" or "reef buffer" is the alk side of seachem...

when you use kalkwasser, it adds both calcium and alkalinity at the same time proportionately. No guessing of how much calcium or alk to put... You can only add as much because it has a saturation level of 2tsp per gallon of "FRESH WATER" to replenish your evaporated water. If you dont have too much evaporation (specially these winter days) then your supply of calcium and alk maybe low also. Also Kalk tends to raise up PH dramatically. Thats why it is recommended that you drip it to your sump... specially at nights where your ph is low.

Here comes the Calc reactor.

If you are using Calc reactor.... then you can supply calcium and alk as much as your tank needs... It is in the matter of controlling how much you want without depending on evaporation loss. But, but, but.....in tends to lower your PH because of introduction of CO2 to the system. Thats why they use Kalk drip in addition to the CALC reactor.

Hope this helps

BTW... If your Calcium is 440... then your Alk should be around 4.0 meg/l

please check this out...
http://66.213.194.54/myreef/misc/calciumcalc.htm

 

[WaterDogs]

Thanks Katchupoy, I'm glad I don't need to add it because it's a little bit of a pain to mix and adjust kalk daily compared to adding a powder twice a week and be done with it! I do watch my Alk also.

 

[Katchupoy]

Dwaine, actually not that really hard... we just mix the kalk together with the fresh water that we supply to the tank... How do you replenish your fresh water... Just one gallon every time you mix sea chem? and dump it or you drip it...

what i have is a gravity feed that is connected to a float valve that checks the evap.... then it just drips fresh water on it with kalk...

I then add water every 10 days or so... thats it... no daily thing... specially useful when going long trip/vacation....

 

[WaterDogs]

I add above a half gallon of fresh water (ro/di) a day and just dump it in. If the system needs buffer or CA they are added separately mixed first in freshwater and dumped in. Nothing is dripped unless I go back to kalk.

 

[mattseattle]

Cesar - that's a great idea. thanks for the visual as well.

i need to find a way to do auto top off now. i just bought a calcium reactor so i don't have to do the additive crap any more. i just need to automate the water additions and my tank would almost be automated now. without feeding, of course.

 

[Jeff]

Some small but additional benefits of Kalk are that it can increase bubble tension, thus making skimmers very slightly, if at all, more effective. It can also precipitate phosphates and some heavy metals out of your top off water. And one final benefit if you use pickling lime it is an extremely cost effective way of maintaining both calcium and alkalinity. Right now I have a 300 gal that I keep calcium at 450 using lots of Kalk and B-ionic. With out the Kalk B-ionic would be insanely expensive for a tank this size.

 

[WaterDogs]

Good points Jeff...!

 

[Katchupoy]

Matt, I bought my float valve here...

 

[cwcross]

Matt, I bought my float valve here...

I saw your aquarium as a reservoir. This is a great setup. What I use is a 7.5 gallon plastic container. You can get them at walmart in the camping section. I have two of them so I can keep one topped off with my RO/DI as a spare. That way I just switch them out when one is empty. They only cost like 6$ apiece. That was the biggest reservior I could find with a handle and weight I can manage easily that would fit under my cabinet for such a cheap price. I also have a float valve with gravity drain as you do. A very convenient system. Now I just want some sort of a wet/dry sensor that will beep at me when the water level begins to drop so I remember to switch out. Yesterday, I had been busy replacing my computer motherboard that crashed. I looked at my tank when I got home from work. The water level in the pump intake portion of the sump had dropped to about 1/2 inch above the intake. The pump was cavitating. About 2 more hours and it would have sucked air and burned up. This is the second time this has happened. One of these days it will get me.

Do you know of any such wet/dry alarm?

Sincerely...Collin

 

[Katchupoy]

Collin, why not use float valve? do you have a pic of your sump/reservoir setup?
let me see.....

 

[DonW]

Collin,
You can go to floatswitch.com and get two one for high and one for low. Hook it to what ever you want.

Your door bell
Piezo buzzer (radio shack)
x10 power flash module (will turn lights off and on)
110 v to your desk chair (should get your attention)
Your house alarm system
Smarthome phone dialer
Old alarm clock

You get the point there are many things you can do with a $6 float switch.

Don

 

[cwcross]

Thanks. I'll look into it. I think I will connect it via wireless right to the side of my head with electroshock! That will help train me not to forget LOL.

regards...C

Collin,
You can go to floatswitch.com and get two one for high and one for low. Hook it to what ever you want.

Your door bell
Piezo buzzer (radio shack)
x10 power flash module (will turn lights off and on)
110 v to your desk chair (should get your attention)
Your house alarm system
Smarthome phone dialer
Old alarm clock

You get the point there are many things you can do with a $6 float switch.

Don