Kalkwasser -Issues?

[sen5241b]

I've heard that kalkwasser can cause issues with high Ph? Anyone use it or had problems with it? I'm trying to dose both alk and cal from one source. My alk keeps dropping to 6dkh and my cal drops to 340 after about 5 days of no dosing or 5 days after a water change.

[Happyfeet]

Only issues I've heard are with people dosing too much to fast, or equipment failures.

[Origami]

Kalk provides the benefit of high pH but can cause pH issues if overdosed (spill, accident, or ?). Typically, you want to keep pH below 8.5. You shouldn't have that problem if you're using kalkwasser as your topoff and your evaporation is reasonable.

[zygote2k]

I've skipped the Kalk altogether and just adopted a daily dosing system consisting of 3 part and weekly 10% water changes. Going too long between w/c can affect the water chemistry.

Kalk has a pH of 12, so you must be careful when dosing it. Follow the directions on the can and you'll be fine.

I was gonna say- "Where's Tom when you need an answer" and POOF, there he is above.

Edited March 8, 2010 by zygote2k

[Coral Hind]

It works great but you have to make it as safe as possible. The best thing is to only add a little powder at a time and just refill the unit weekly, rather then monthly.

 

 

[bshriver]

Also put ato units on timers to limit the amount they can add. A controller that turns the kalk off above a certain ph is also a good thing. The more safeguards the better.

[ctenophore]

The best way (IMO) to do kalk is with a dosing pump that has a max output that is roughly equal to your average evaporation rate. Then it becomes hard to overdose via pump. Control the dosing pump with both a float switch and a pH controller. Float turns it off if output exceeds sump water level, pH turns it off if pH gets too high.

[OldReefer]

I have used kalk and Ca Reactors together. It is a great way to keep the pH up while gaining some calcium. Like the others have said, you have to be careful. I don't know anybody who doses kalk that has not had some sort of disaster with equipment of human failure.

 

For me I am using BRS 2 part with dosing pumps. It is safe and fool proof (at least so far).

[Highland Reefer]

I use kalk water and find it works well, but like stated above, you will need to take precautions to prevent overdose. Dripping or using a dosing pump are the safer methods. Fully saturated kalk water (2 teaspoons per 1 gallon of rodi water) has a pH of around 12.5. Kalk water will provide twice the pH boost that sodium carbonate (baked baking soda) will. When first starting to use kalk water it is generally recommended to start at around 1 teaspoon kalk per 1 gallon rodi water and make adjustments from there.

 

This artcile goes into more details regarding using kalk water:

 

What Your Grandmother Never Told You About Lime

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-01/rhf/index.htm

[Origami]

... I don't know anybody who doses kalk that has not had some sort of disaster with equipment of human failure.

 

Here's one (knock on wood). But, then again, I've read about the experiences of others, listening to their precautionary advice and tried to make adjustments accordingly. Normally this involves adding multiple levels of redundancy to fail-safes and never, ever loading up the kalk reactor with weeks and weeks of kalk powder.

[Der ABT]

as all have said more redundency the better,

but i use min in a kalk reactor (with ms wages pickling lime) for top up, it just recently hasnt been enough to keep up with demand. though it is darn close. things grow but arent going nuts.

 

i have my reactor set up so it doesnt mix it all the time to ensure there is never a time if it sticks it all goes in, i just had a snail block a return and spill about 5-10 gal the other night and because i dont consistently stir there was still most of the dose i had just added at the bottom of the reactor

 

again only adding enough for several days really can make a difference, otherwise ive never had a problem, i used to just drip it outta gallon containers and boy that was easy.

Edited March 8, 2010 by Der ABT

[Glenn]

... i used to just drip it outta gallon containers and boy that was easy.

 

that's the method that I'm using and it's working just fine ...

[sen5241b]

I'm thinking the BRS dosing pump with a digital timer. That pump can't dump a ton in at once.

Edited March 9, 2010 by sen5241b

[flowerseller]

I also use a Ca reactor for Alk support since kalk can only be expected to do so much for an actively growing reef. Maintaining proper ALK and Ca above 370 long term is not going to happen. Of all the things I've learned about kalk over the years is freshness and quantity in the mixing vessel are the most important factors.

 

I'm not quite on the same page as RHF from a calcium carbonate creation stand point only. My use over the last 18 years clearly shows that calcium carbonate is in fact created with calcium hydroxide, water, and air mixed together and has a substantial impact on the quality of the kalk mix. This, combined with the safty issue of accidential overdosing is the primary reason I have always suggested to keep no more than a weeks run through supply of kalk in the mixing vessel, re fresh weekly and clean monthly. The monthly cleaning is to rid the vessel of calcium carbonate build up, which is useless in this application.

It clearly would have saved 99 percent of the AOD's we've heard of here and the primary reason I always suggest this one week technique.