Using kalkwasser

[fireguy98]

I'm about to start running kalk for the first time and I'm looking for any useful input anyone might have. I can run it in my ato or I do have a dosing pump that I was going to set up to run cal alk and mg but kalkwasser I think is a better solution for me right now. Only issue I have with running it from my ato is the tank doesn't evap the same amount of water on a daily basis. So should I run my mix through my doseing pump small amounts through out the day?

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[Aquattro]

I always just added it to my make up water. Worked fine for years.

[Aquattro]

Further, since the kalk is mixed with fresh water, you don't want to add more than you evaporate, as that could lead to a long term shift in salinity

[fireguy98]

Okay sounds good. Ato it is

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[Myka]

What speed is your dosing pump? I use dosing pumps just for calcium and alkalinity. Magnesium is easily supplemented by adding a bit extra to weekly waterchange water.

I just started dosing limewater on my SPS tank. I haven't used it for years, but it is great stuff. I don't like adding it to top off water because top off volume varies from one week to the next which means limewater dosing will vary. I prefer to use a doser.

I'm using a Drew's Doser that runs 1.6 mL per minute which means the maximum it can dose in 24 hours is 2300 mL. So that limits things. Saturated limewater is 2 tsp per 1 gallon of RODI water. If you add 45 mL vinegar you can increase that to 3 tsp per 1 gallon of RODI water. Although vinegar is something that should be added in slowly increasing increments and monitored closely as vinegar is a carbon source so you can get excessive bacteria growth (which can deplete tank of oxygen).

So, there are a few options for you to consider. Also, if you're going to dose limewater I would suggest you monitor pH with a digital pH meter (not drop tests) since limewater has the ability to raise pH drastically and lethally.

[fireguy98]

I have a bubblemagnus doser. How many millaliters do you dose a day.

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[Myka]

I just started it up on this tank a couple days ago. I'm dosing 1.6 mL per minute for 6 hours per day which is about 575 mL right now which replaces about 1/8th of my dosing. In a few days or a week I will double this, and eventually work up to dosing it 24 hours per day (2300 mL). Then I will start adding vinegar and increasing the amount of lime. I like to make changes slowly. Of course I have to monitor pH to make sure I am able to dose this much without increasing pH too much.

Oh, I forgot to elaborate above that adding vinegar, with it being a carbon source, will help to lower nitrate and phosphate.

[PurpleMonkey]

I use a gravity powered drip of saturated Kalk solution. Super easy to setup, maintain and cheap.

[Aquattro]

Originally Posted by PurpleMonkey

I use a gravity powered drip of saturated Kalk solution. Super easy to setup, maintain and cheap.

Pretty much what I used for top off. No math involved

[Myka]

I tried the gravity drip method years ago and the hose always got plugged. I had one of those Kent Aqua Dosers. You guys don't have that problem?