Is Kalk all it’s cracked up to be?

[Murfman]

My biggest issue is the volute air intakes on my skimmer are getting clogged with Kalk. My outlet is right near the intakes to my skimmer so I need to run a drill bit through the air inlets every week or so. I might just reroute the Kalk lline around the back of the skimmer and have it drip near my return pump.

 

[btkrausen]

Yeah, i would put the outlet after the skimmer, that way it has plenty of time to go through and mix with the water. You'll find that no matter where you put it, you'll have some type of calcium buildup. Mine builds up on the water on the sump, so I scrape it every once in a while, but it comes off in like sheets.

My kalk drips in a section in the sump that is after the skimmer, but before the return. Seems to be working well.

 

[Paul_N]

I actually ran my output from my kalk reactor up to the DT and had it drip right in front of a powerhead. The flow from the powerhead was breaking the surface of the water so it worked well.

 

[btkrausen]

Agree Paul. Anywhere that you can get some nice flow is a great place to put your output. Just remember that it will still clogs things up, especially your dosing tubes, so clean them out every so often.

 

[Paul_N]

You should clean not only the tubes but the entire reactor as part of routine maintenance. I flush mine and clean with vinegar including tubes every 6 months.

 

[VelasCorals]

I just added a small rio powerhead in the sump pointed straight up at the output line for the reactor. As soon as it starts dribbling into the sump the small powerhead mixes it very fast. That is probably the easiest thing you can do.

 

[btkrausen]

You should clean not only the tubes but the entire reactor as part of routine maintenance. I flush mine and clean with vinegar including tubes every 6 months.

yeah, i agree there. I have to clean the end of the tube more often, but I completely take my reactor out of service for an hour, take it to the kitchen sink, and completely clean it out. Then it gets brand new kalk, new water, and back in service it goes. I also put a label on my reactor for the clean date and when I put new kalk in.

 

[Paul_N]

Ya the end of the tube requires more frequent cleaning definitely.

 

[VelasCorals]

Day # 18 dosing Kalk!


Results are awesome. Calcium is at 420 and the Alk is steady at 12dkh. Here's a chart that shows my results so far.

 

[dougers31]

Would an aqualifter pump be good for kalk top off, or would a small maxi jet with restricted flow be a better option?

 

[VelasCorals]

My tank loves Kalk! The results are even better!

 

[Tabasco1]

When I think of kalk dosing, I think of high maintenance. Does it just seem like it is complicated... or does it add alot of time to the routine?

 

[Murfman]

When I think of kalk dosing, I think of high maintenance. Does it just seem like it is complicated... or does it add alot of time to the routine?

I throw a quart full of Kalk in to my reactor and leave it alone. My top off pushes the kalk slurry in to my sump and keeps it balanced. I don't have to anything but keep the reactor full of kalk.

 

[florida reef]

Awesome write up. Thanks for the info. I think you have convinced me to go with the exact same set up you have. For about $150 it seems you can't beat the stability! Thanks again.

 

[VelasCorals]

Perfect! That was goal in doing this!

 

[JWorth]

Could you also just set this up on a timer to run for, lets say 30 min, in the morning to account for the evaporation? You could then adjust the timer according to changes in evaporation rate.

 

[Bilk]

I'm interested to know what the Ph is in your tank. You haven't posted numbers for that. Also, many dose Kalk after the lights have gone off as to not spike the Ph. Kalk is very high in Ph and can shock your corals and burn them if too much is added to the system at once. How about some more comparison pics to follow up? By the way your tank looks great.

I think this is a good read for you to understand exactly what the addition of Kalwasser does and the possible ramifications if used incorrectly. What Your Grandmother Never Told You About Lime by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com

There are other valuable articles on that site as well. Always find it a wealth of information.

 

[kevantheman35]

How do you think this set up would work on my 34g solana all in one? I have a jbj ato in a container under the cabinet, i was thinking i would but the reactor in the container like you have it, then just run the line up and into my display tank since i have no sump. I bught some brightwell kalk+2 and was planning on just adding that straight to my top off water

 

[repoman95]

Thanks for starting this thread. I have always been interested in kalk dosing and this inspired me to start. If I had known it was this simple I would have done this YEARS ago. I started by adding to my top off water about two weeks ago and the stability of my parameters is amazing. What few SPS I have are really starting to respond well. I just ordered a reactor to make this even easier.

 

[korndogg091]

Id be interested in the effects it has on ph also. For example my tank is shallow but very wide so my tanks evaporation rate is high. Do I need to do anything different if its hooked up to my ATO?