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Dosing Kalk (1 Viewer)

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I was just curious as to whats really suppose to be dosed into the tank. When mixing the kalk and ro/di water. After hours, doesnt the kalk settle to the bottom? Or is that something that doesnt need to be put in. I just want to make sure i've been dosing right. I usually mix the kalk and water and let sit for an or so. Then i auto top off my tank with the kalk mix, but the only thing that goes in is the clear water. Is this the right way to do this or should some of the white gunky junk on the bottom be going into the tank also.

Thanks,
 

AggieBrandon

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The white gunk is the precipitate that isn't supposed to go into your tank. The lime water (clear water above the precipate) is what you dose. I usually clean my mixing bucket out after every third dose of kalk powder or so. So in short yes you are dosing right!

Brandon
 
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Guest

I use the kalk slurry method instead of dripping supersaturated limewater and it has been working reasonably well (i.e. it keeps my params where they need to be and no ill effects on the livestock).

Only negative I've seen to the slurry method was mentioned by Randy Holmes Farley, which is that when you use the slurry method everything in the kalk ends up in the tank, whereas if you use a supersaturated solution then any impurities in the kalk mix settle out and are part of the gunk at the bottom that you throw away. Of course, I use a lot less kalk with this method anyway, so even if there are some trace impurities, their concentrations will be relatively small. Something to think about, and I may eventually switch because of this, but for now I'm sticking with what works.

If I do decide to start dripping kalk the traditional way, I will most likely build a nilson reactor, because I don't want to be bothered with mixing up kalk every couple of days.

Here's a link to a discussion on this method:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=270555&highlight=kalk+slurry
 
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Mikester

****UPDATED**** :D

Mikester, your too right

I mix a super saturated kalk/lime, and drip right away. That means that I mix till my arm falls off, and then drip (1 drop per seond or so) and let about 1-2 gallons go into system over about 8 hours (after lights out to keep ph in check) try the vinegar method if ph swings too much. The stuff is super cloudy and hasnt settled into clear water. Most folks will let it settle out, the biggest diff is concentraion of calcium that makes it into your tank.

If you mix kalk with ro/di water then all the precipitate in the bottom of the bucket should contain minimal inpurities that would have been precipitated out with mix. City water may contain alot of impurities that mixing with kalk would help drag some of these out of the water and leave them in the bottom of the bucket, hence you shouldnt drip the stuff that settles out of water. They (they being most publications) reccommmend you drip the clear water (yes it contains the dissolved Ca. that you have mixed....)

If you drip the kalk water mix slowly you will affect the ph less than if you drip fast, or pour it staight into system. Pouring in large qty's of kalk too quickly then you can get a precipitate of magnesium, lowering those levels. If your mag is lower than what seawater contains, then your system has a hard time keeping a high level of calcium in solution (they work togther in harmony). But once we start trying to add more magnesium to make up for low mag, then it seems that we are knocking some other element out of whack. So if you cant test for it acurately, then its hard to add the correct amount to get it back into the correct range. I suggest administerring kalk slowly (ie. buy a 6 foot peice of flexible air tubing for an air pump, rubberband a rock to one end so it will sink into bucket, and then use a clamp to adjust the flow rate that drips into your sump, or tie a knot in the tubing and you can control flow by pulling knot tighter to slow flow, or looser to increase flow).. And I also suggest buying a mag test thats accurate (probobly pricey) before dumping mag into your system. Or start doing more water changes to help raise the level if you feel the mag levels have dropped.

Supersaturated (kalk that hasnt settled into clear water and powder on bottom, will give you a more concentrated calcium level that will be added to system, but must be dripped slower) kalk will help maintain levels and also seems to help maintain, and increase corralline algae populations.

BUT THE NUMBER ONE THING TO REMEMBER. Kalkwasser (lime water) is really only capable of maintaining calcium levels, rarely does it increase the levels in your system. If you have a low level of animals that use calcium in your system, then you may be able to raise the Ca. levels slowly with Kalk. If you maintain alot of LPS,SPS, Clams, then you will be able to maintain levels, but you may not be able to supply enough Kalkwasser to increase your calcium levels. And the reason is that you use water that your topping your system off with to make up your kalk solution. Most folks are replacing anything from a cup or two of top off water in those nano's, to 5 gallons + in those monster reef tanks. I run a 60 gallon with fuge and sump, the total possible volume of system is a guess at between 75 to 85 gallons(rock and coral and pumps and sand will displace water volume). I use about 1 gallon per day to top off my system to keep the salinity steady.
And at any given time I use kalk, lime, red-sea bio calcium powder, and kent two part buffer calcium additive. So if your Ca. levels are low, you need to pump the calcium level up with other additives before MAINTAINING it with kalk.
And if your worried about the white mud getting into your tank(dont pour it in your tank, but a little wont hurt anthing as long as its not settling in large clumps on your corals). The Neilsen reactor works by auto mixing a cylinder filled with water and kalk via a pump on a timer, and then slowly adds that to you system, and it has to dump some kalk power along the way as most have them set up on a drip, or top off switch that turns on the reactor empty spout (sorry for the vague terms) when top off needed, so there is not a realistic way to syncronize the mix pump, and the top-off pump to run on schedules that would keep the powder out of system.
I have super saturated for years, and no real problems I could ever link back to kalk. And I have even talked to Eric B about it, and he said that its OK! :wink:
 
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Guest

is there a article somewhere that wraps this up into one gooey newbie readable manual?
 
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Guest

sorry

Sorry, I tried :?
Guess I will throw in the towel, and back out of giving advice....
 

Cakepro

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Tony, great job! :D

Don't stop giving out advice. Your input is greatly valued.

~ Sherri
 
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Guest

Thanks for info hehe, your article is nice reefcreeper. If that aint a newbie article I dont know where you would find one :)
 
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Yea, don't stop giving advice reefcreeper.

I was enjoying it because I want to know more about Kalk dripping.
My problem is I'm A.D.D. and can't read anything for more than a minute.

My friends and family always have hated me because I went through school without opening the books.

GOD I HATE READING. It's amazing how much you can learn just by listening when you really really don't want to read it.
 
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FireMarshalBill said:
My problem is I'm A.D.D. and can't read anything for more than a minute.
My friends and family always have hated me because I went through school without opening the books.
GOD I HATE READING. It's amazing how much you can learn just by listening when you really really don't want to read it.
Thats me. Never opened a book and rarely made an A but always skated by with a B. Teachers didn't appreciate that I would read the news paper and absorb what they said at the same time.
I kept trying to read reefcreepers post today but kept skipping over it because it was long.
Reefcreeper-
Good Advice. I have been doing small doses of super saturated kalk for about a couple of months now. I put a shot glass kalk and RO/DI in when I wake up in the morning and some time at night if I remember. When I don't see explosive amounts of coralline. I substitute shot glasses of turbo
calcium. I need Sailfert test kits Hagen suck but I have had good results even though I am not absolutely sure of what my levels are every day. coralline everywhere new growth on the stonies.
 
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