looking to start dosing Kalkwasser any DIY plans

[Athena]

Any help with dosing plans -very good with DIY projects - also how much is kalkwasser - does it come in concentrate form or is it premixed -

- thanks

 

[Anonymous]

I dose mine from a rubbermaid type container.

I bought a container that would hold apporximately 5 gallons of water. I drilled a whole in the side about and inch from the bottom. Then I got an IV dripper and put that in the hole, cut the line to length and used the roller clamp to control drip speed. It sits on a milk crate type storage container and drips into my sump.

I got the idea from someone that the same thing with a gas can. Only I couldn't find one for under $25 at the time and like how easy it is to clean mine - its a rectangular container.

Kalk comes as a powder. I mix a tablespoon or so in 3 gallons of water. I use this to top off my system and 3 gallons lasts me 2 days. But don't go on my measurements - rely on other people's advice for that.

Have fun

[ January 04, 2002: Message edited by: tangirl ]</p>

 

[Athena]

thanks for the reply tangirl-

How long does kalk and if I dose reef solution stay "fresh" or "good" - lets say if I get a 10 gal container and this lasts me 10 days -

would I need a small power head -

Thanks

 

[Anonymous]

You don't want to let it sit around that lone. I believe 3 days is tops for it once you mix it.

You don't want a powerhead. What happens is you mix it into the water and let it settle out for a little while. There will be a ton of sediment on the bottom of the container. You don't want that in your tank, that's why you drill the hole an inch from the bottom.

Do a search here on kalk - there's lots of info!

 

[Anonymous]

Type this into the search -

kalk breefcase

breefcase is a member and he had some fantastic threads on kalk. I tried quite a few good threads came up.

 

[Anonymous]

I dose mine using a Nielsen reactor based on plans by Bill Esposito and Fabrice Poiraud-Lambert. I requires some type of top off system, but it makes dripping Kalk (or more to the point not having to drip it) a breeze. I provide the reactor with fresh Kalk ever two to three weeks and that's it and the whole top off and Kalk system only cost me about $100. Links to the plans are below. My 2 cents.

Bill Esposito Plans

Fabrice Poiraud-Lambert Plans

[ January 04, 2002: Message edited by: SKBok ]</p>

 

[Athena]

what type of kalk do you use - the artical says the PL will clog up the impeller - also do you wait untill the chambers is empty with kalk before added more or do you judge how much kalk to add by your test results on ph and cal-

 

[fishfarmer]

This is how I dose. I bought a 3.5 gal plastic container with a screw lid to make it seal tight. The container I used was a large chicken waterer from a local feed store. You may be able to find similar sealable containers through lab companies.

I drilled a hole in the bottom of the container, near a corner, to receive a ball valve type fitting and 3/4" inch tubing. Make sure the fitting extends off the bottom of the inside of the jug to keep the undissolved kalk out of your tank and seal the edges with epoxy. This unit will sit above your sump or tank and the 3/4" tubing will be cut so it extends to the water level you wish to maintain in your sump.

I works on the principle of creating a vacuum in the container, so when the sump level drops, air glugs into the container, water comes out until the level is stabilized. The ball valve helps you move the unit around without releasing all the water, it's not used for regulating the flow. I noticed that a large diameter tubing was required or it would air lock, 3/4" to 1" was good.

This has generally worked very well for me, low maintanance and I can leave my tank for a long weekend. My 38 gal loses 1/2 gal a day to evaporation. I use 1 tsp hydrated lime per gal of toppoff water, sometimes more or less depending on how fast my evaporation rate is.

Figuring out your kalk additions will come through trial and error. Start by adding half of what's recommended and test, do this for a few weeks and slowly boost you dosing rate until you get it where you want it.

[ January 05, 2002: Message edited by: fishfarmer ]</p>

 

[Anonymous]

I have used both ESV and Kent, stayed away from the PL based on the problems noted in the atricle. As far as how much, I did pretty much the same as fishfarmer mentions when I first added the reactor, starting with a little and building up the amount based on frequent testing. Now I just look at the PH on my monitor to know when to add more and when it is below norms, add a hepaing tablespoon to the reactor. I test Ca and Alk once or twice a month and the results have always been consistent. Here is another good article on Nielsen rector which also includes a formula on the deminsions based on your evaporation rate.

"http://ozreef.org/diy/calcium_reactor_ca(oh)2.html"

For some reason the board doesn't like the parentheses and the URL, so you will have to copy and paste it.

 

[Athena]

Thanks -Great site - so you find the a small pump works better than the mag- also where is the best place to get kalk - online? since you dont recomend PL -

 

[Anonymous]

I don't know if the small pump works beter than the magnetic stirer, I went for it more for cost, ease of assembly, and availability. I usually get my supplies from a couple of locally owned fish stores. I know I pay more than online, but I like helping to support them. Maybe someone else could suggest the best online supplier.

 

[strazdas]

Fishfarmer - Great description of your Kalk drip system. If you could help me with a couple of questions, that would be great.

If you don't use the ball valve to control the flow, then what do you use?

If I understand you description correctly, you have the ball valve directly in the hole you drilled in the container (with the hose going through the ball valve) right?

Thanks for the great info. I'm going to be setting one of these up soon.

 

[strazdas]

Fishfarmer - Great description of your Kalk drip system. If you could help me with a couple of questions, that would be great.

If you don't use the ball valve to control the flow, then what do you use?

If I understand you description correctly, you have the ball valve directly in the hole you drilled in the container (with the hose going through the ball valve) right?

Thanks for the great info. I'm going to be setting one of these up soon.

 

[fishfarmer]

I have the ball valve coming out of the bottom, both ends are barbed, one jammed in the hole and sealed, the other end has a piece of flexible tubing. The ball valve/tubing should be verticle, no kinks or elbows which may cause air locks. The flex tubing should extend to the water level of your sump. Open the ball valve and water will rush out until the level in the sump is just over the end of the flex tube, thereby sealing the container from the air. The kalk container must be airtight in order for this to work right. This is basically how office water coolers work.

Evaporation from your sump causes water/kalk to leave the jug when needed. This is where you have to experiment via frequent testing to see if the delivery of kalk is too great. This works great as at water topoff device even if you don't use it for kalk.

The ball valve I used was some type of grey plastic unit from the hardware store. You could also use all PVC fittings, even have pvc pipe extending down into the water instead of flex tube. I liked using the flex tube because I could cut it easily if I wanted to change the depth of my sump. Make sure the fittings are straight and don't have any inner ridges or lips for air to cling to. I had to modify my ball valve a bit because air was getting trapped inside.

 

[Rich-n-poor]

Ok I dose with a sitzbath bag i got free from the hospital. It basically looks like an IV bag with a flow adjustment on it. perfect for a small tank.
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