Help with Kalk

[Guest ethandvm]

Can someone give me a easy way to dose Kalk in my 120 gal tank. My Ca is running a little low (380) and instead of replacing with the more expensive liquid calcium, I have Kalk and would prefer to use what I have. Can some give me an easy formula to add the Kalk to my tank to get my Calcium to high 400 low 500?

[JC Pollman]

My experience has been that kalk will hold the calcium at a level, but will not raise it much. For raising it, I use the calicium as listed in this article:

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/april2004/chem.htm

Walmart had the Prestone Driveway Heat during the winter, and for 10lbs I think I paid about $10. Might be hard to find right now, but if you ask, they may have some in the back.

 

As for raising the calcium, I use this calculator:

http://home.comcast.net/~jdieck1/chem_calc3.html

which has Randy's formula's listed as well.

 

Hope this helps.

JC

[Guest ufans]

What is your Alk and pH?

 

Kalk will affect Alk the most and Ca and pH second. Kalk is really a maintenance additive and not a solution to fix an unbalanced aquarium. Use liquid Ca if just your Ca is low. Remember, Kalk has a very high pH (~12) so don't add it fast. You need to drip Kalk; typically 2-3/minute but can be more for larger tanks. Dosing kalk should be the 1-1 replacement of evaporation so just figure out the dosing rate based on that and spread it out throughout the day as much as possible.

 

Kalk dosing typically employs either a doser (e.g. Kent Marine Aquadoser) or a dosing pump (e.g. http://www.reefdosingpumps.com/products/sentry5a.html)

 

For a 125gal I would suggest nothing less than a 1-2gal kalk resovoir.

 

Also, as far as mixing kalk... you can't overdose on kalk...but you can waste it. Kalk becomes saturated once pH reaches around 12 and then the kalk percipitates and stays at the bottom of the container.

[Guest oracleoca]

Also, as far as mixing kalk... you can't overdose on kalk...but you can waste it. Kalk becomes saturated once pH reaches around 12 and then the kalk percipitates and stays at the bottom of the container.

 

So, how much kalk should you add per one gallon?

[dhoch]

You absolutely can overdose kalk... In fact it's one of the most common causes of tank crashes....

 

kalkwasser (kalk & water) has a pH of 12.00 add to much to fast and it will raise your pH to high and kill things in your tank.

 

2 table spoons / gallon of water is saturated kalkwasser...

 

Dave

[GaryL]

i was dosin with calcium reactor and a kalk reactor and my alk went to 15dkh. blew the polyps right off my buetiful elegance coral.

[wolfman]

I have been using it ever since i have set up my tank and i love it, no problems at all. What i did is bought a 5 gallon drip container and i mix it every night with two table spoons per gallon of water and let it sit for a couple of hours and than let it drip on in not to fast. You will see a little bit at the bottom of the container and i poor that out and start the process over again.

[Guest oracleoca]

I thought the maximum amount of kalk you should add is 2 teaspoons otherwise you are just wasting it.

[dhoch]

2 tbps is want Randy Holmes-Farley recommends for saturdated lime water.

 

Dave

[Guest oracleoca]

Dave, can you provide a link to Randy's article? I cannot seem to find it on reefCentral.

 

Janie