ACI Method.... I've watched this video and read a few articles, still not sure the exact method.
ACI Kalkwasser Method.... I've watched this video and read a few articles, still not sure the exact method.
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reef_ranch
Well-Known Member
I’m trying to figure it out as well. Best I can tell, it’s dose your entire day’s evaporation at night with saturated kalkwasser kept in a closed container. I.e., if you evaporate 5 gals a day, get a 5 gal contained, fill it with RO water and 6 tbs per gallon of kalk, mix it up and dose it between lights out and lights on. Apparently this results in a higher pH boost than a kalk reactor.
reef_ranch
Well-Known Member
He does though. Your opinion of the aquarium behind him notwithstanding.
Take any claims from Chris with a major grain of salt. Every questionable chemistry related claim he has made has been checked by true chemists and proven totally false. Less than a year ago he claimed you needed to use a special 4 ingredient alkalinity supplement or you'd never have consistent alkalinity in your system.
I asked Randy about it and Randy scientifically shut it down in less than a couple minutes.
pH is extremely important and completely overlooked within the hobby but dumping in a ton of kalk every night isn't the fix for 99% of tanks.
I asked Randy about it and Randy scientifically shut it down in less than a couple minutes.
pH is extremely important and completely overlooked within the hobby but dumping in a ton of kalk every night isn't the fix for 99% of tanks.
Ultra Aquatics
Well-Known Member
I’ve dosed kalk slurry for a couple month’s and can give some opinions on my experience…
it’s very difficult to dial it in consistently. I run a 400g system with a lot of sps and am using a 32g brute filled with kalk constantly mixed with a pump. When refilling it can be hard to get the same concentration as the previous batch, unless your completely draining it every time.
PH definitely increased but with it I have seen tons of carbonate buildup in my sump, pumps, heaters and valves. Here is my skimmer volute after a few months..
I have since dialed the usage back a lot and started using my Cal reactor in addition to 2 part.
it’s very difficult to dial it in consistently. I run a 400g system with a lot of sps and am using a 32g brute filled with kalk constantly mixed with a pump. When refilling it can be hard to get the same concentration as the previous batch, unless your completely draining it every time.
PH definitely increased but with it I have seen tons of carbonate buildup in my sump, pumps, heaters and valves. Here is my skimmer volute after a few months..
I have since dialed the usage back a lot and started using my Cal reactor in addition to 2 part.
Looks like he’s invented kalkwasser additions by dosing pump, lol. I was doing that 18 years ago. I’m sure loads of others were also. BTW, I still do it.
Dennis Cartier
Valuable Member
I don't have any issue with his method, though I don't see anything novel or new in it, but his explanation about unlocking unavailable carbonates is a bit odd.
For the record he is not suggesting dosing a slurry. He cautions against it in fact.
He is essentially suggesting dosing up to your daily evaporation with saturated kalk solution everyday.
Dennis
For the record he is not suggesting dosing a slurry. He cautions against it in fact.
He is essentially suggesting dosing up to your daily evaporation with saturated kalk solution everyday.
Dennis
drawman
2500 Club Member
Basically his method is pick a pH to stay above by dosing Kalk to keep it constant. I think you would want to start with a lower pH (ie the middle of your daily swing currently) so you don't totally increase your alk. In exchange you will get an alk swing throughout the day that is sinusoidal with a more stable pH...
Dennis Cartier
Valuable Member
Ya, kalk reactors are notoriously hard to keep saturated. Once I started using an EC probe to monitor, I found they are only saturated the first run after being emptied and refilled. After that it is a slow steady fall into partial saturation.
I tried the K1, K2 and now I am running a Geo 8", but in reverse. I only use the pump to mix once on re-fill and then I pull from the factory input (extended down to 1" from bottom) and have a reversed check valve on the old exit. At least I know it's saturated now, lol.
Dennis
So Alk stability goes out the window in preference of pH? No, I don’t do that.I Just ramp up kalk with Alk uptake.
Ultra Aquatics
Well-Known Member
My mistake, I didn’t watch the videos but have seen him discuss using kalk slurry in the past for his aquaculture facility.
Dennis Cartier
Valuable Member
I don't think that is what he is proposing at all. He is just saying to dose up to maximum evaporation and let the pH and Alk rise to whatever level that provides. The only limit he seemed to suggest was having his CaRx kick in if the Alk fell to 8.6 dKH. He also mentions that eventually it will not be able to keep up, which is what everyone already knows ...
I don't really see anything new here.
Dennis
Hermie
Valuable Member
Kalkwasser absolutely helped my nano tank, but one time I messed up bad and overdosed (my timer was left "on") and I had a bad tank crash after that.
I dosed with a dosing pump (Kamoer/DIY) in a 3 gallon container and I was eventually dosing all of my evap with kalkwasser. I basically did as Randy Holmes says, oversaturate your container and then let it settle and just don't put the slurry at the bottom in your tank.
My problems? I need a bigger container to hold enough kalk because a 3 gallon container doesn't last long enough. I need to find a place to put said container. And I need to buy 2 of said containers because I want a backup container of kalk ready to go to change it out.
I'll probably end up buying some 5 gallon water jugs and using those.
I dosed with a dosing pump (Kamoer/DIY) in a 3 gallon container and I was eventually dosing all of my evap with kalkwasser. I basically did as Randy Holmes says, oversaturate your container and then let it settle and just don't put the slurry at the bottom in your tank.
My problems? I need a bigger container to hold enough kalk because a 3 gallon container doesn't last long enough. I need to find a place to put said container. And I need to buy 2 of said containers because I want a backup container of kalk ready to go to change it out.
I'll probably end up buying some 5 gallon water jugs and using those.
Koigula
Active Member
I do not agree entirely. There are green thumb experts, technical experts and forum warriors. We have all three here as different people.
I have learned the hard way as a chemist, you pay most attention to the green thumb experts what they do and less to technical aspect. I am chemist and tank did better copying a few youtubers
On the Reefdudes vid, he said his Alk was up to 13, from 8.6, about 22min 20sec or so. Now, that’s a swing.
reef_ranch
Well-Known Member
I think what he’s proposing is that keeping pH steady at or about 8.3 with limited diurnal changes is as or more important than keeping alk steady. So while dosing kalk is obviously not new, his method of dosing it and other high pH hydroxide solutions (he mentions potassium hydroxide) using his Trident and Apex in order to maintain a very steady pH is worth looking at.
Well he is dosing mainly at night, I have mine split over 24hrs to maximize night pH whilst minimizing Alk swings. I'm game, dosing kalk at night should suck less CO2 in from the air, when there’s nobody around. Not doing it fully saturated though, just at my current Alk uptake for now.
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