dosing of kalkwasser
- Thread starter Eric Oslund
- Start date
There isn't a set amount that you want to dose for a particular size tank, it all depends on your evaporation rate and the calcium/ alkalinity needs of your tank.
I would start by dripping one gallon of kalkwasser per night, and then in a week or so test your water and see if this gets the Ca/alk closer to where you want to be, and then you can start dripping more if it looks like you need more.
This is how I started dosing kalk on my 155g, over time I decided to go ahead and have a top off system that replaces all evaporated water with kalk, but I think a gradual increase is probably best.
I would start by dripping one gallon of kalkwasser per night, and then in a week or so test your water and see if this gets the Ca/alk closer to where you want to be, and then you can start dripping more if it looks like you need more.
This is how I started dosing kalk on my 155g, over time I decided to go ahead and have a top off system that replaces all evaporated water with kalk, but I think a gradual increase is probably best.
A pH probe might also be usefull. Kalk can quickly raise your pH too high and a probe might help you keep it within range...
Also, nightly dosing will help offset the pH crash that happens after lights-out. That is how I do it on my 135, and it does help keep that pH up when the lights go out...
Dave
Also, nightly dosing will help offset the pH crash that happens after lights-out. That is how I do it on my 135, and it does help keep that pH up when the lights go out...
Dave
I have to disagree on that one, ck.
pH probes are pretty much essential for a first time Kalk doser. It's scary how little of it can quickly raise the pH, even with good aeration.
It's also essential to get a good calcium and alkalinity test kit. Salifert is an excellent brand. It's a bit more money than the cheaper kits, but well worth it. Stony corals need more than just high calcium levels to grow, it's a combination of all three of these parameters in the correct range.
A gallon is a good start on a tank that large, but you may eventually need to add more. For comparison, my 30 used to use a gallon of full strength Kalkwasser as topoff every day, and that barely kept up with the calcium demand in the tank. Test frequently and make any changes slowly.
pH probes are pretty much essential for a first time Kalk doser. It's scary how little of it can quickly raise the pH, even with good aeration.
It's also essential to get a good calcium and alkalinity test kit. Salifert is an excellent brand. It's a bit more money than the cheaper kits, but well worth it. Stony corals need more than just high calcium levels to grow, it's a combination of all three of these parameters in the correct range.
A gallon is a good start on a tank that large, but you may eventually need to add more. For comparison, my 30 used to use a gallon of full strength Kalkwasser as topoff every day, and that barely kept up with the calcium demand in the tank. Test frequently and make any changes slowly.
There is always a bad way to do the "right" thing. If you drip kalk on a high flow area with good aeration, the CO2 in the air will pretty much drop the pH down to very manageable level before it is further dilute by the water.
But I guess you are right that it is better not to do without the safeguide, since it can be a hazardous thing to do if done improperly, esp. in a high eva. system with small total water volume.
But I guess you are right that it is better not to do without the safeguide, since it can be a hazardous thing to do if done improperly, esp. in a high eva. system with small total water volume.
"There is always a bad way to do the "right" thing."
Exactly.
I don't use one anymore except to check the tank pH occassionally. When I first started adding Kalk, I left it on at all times and checked the pH whenever I walked by the tank, and I don't regret it. Once you get the feel of how much you add every day though, you're right, they're not really necessary.
Exactly.
I don't use one anymore except to check the tank pH occassionally. When I first started adding Kalk, I left it on at all times and checked the pH whenever I walked by the tank, and I don't regret it. Once you get the feel of how much you add every day though, you're right, they're not really necessary.
I think the most important thing with kalk is just to drip it slowly. I had a disaster in my 75 when a gallon of kalk went in all at once due to a fualty dripper. I lost allot of SPS then. In any case I dont mis those kalk mixing days the kalkreactor and spectra pure liter meter are a must in all my future systems.
IMHO, PH probe are not exactly neccessary to use for the purpose of dripping kalk...the idea is to drip kalk slowly & in a high flow area so that any PH fluctuation will be very minimal...well that's my opinion
Personally I drip kalk at 1drop per second into my main tank
Personally I drip kalk at 1drop per second into my main tank
IMO a pH probe is totally necessary when beggining to drip kalk. I was shocked to see how fast (minutes) kalk can raise pH a couple points. So with this in mind I would monitor pH WHILE adding kalk, at least for the first few times until you get a handle on what kalk is doing to your water parameters.
- Location
- Palatine IL
I have a Nielsen reator & calcium reactor on my 180g. Everything is controleed by a Neptune controller. If pH goes up higher than 8.4 the controller shuts off the Liter Meter pump that feeds my Nielsen. Most of the time this happens in mid day. If the pH drops below 7.9 my controller will shut off the CO2 to my calc reactor. I also always look at my controller measurements for temp, pH & Orp. Great expensive toy for our hobby. take a look at my 180g. In process of ading a 320g. http://www.theculturedreef.com/featured.htm
If you're dripping kalkwasser, you need to check your pH somehow. You can do it with a monitor, or you can do it with one of the cheap color changing tests.
IMO, it's essential to have one just like it's essential to have a refractometer and a good thermometer.
IMO, it's essential to have one just like it's essential to have a refractometer and a good thermometer.
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