Alk low. Need dosing advice.

[Sdoutreefer]

Having automatic dosers is really the only reasonable way you get a vacation of more than a couple days away from an SPS tank.

Putting a sitter in charge of an SPS tank where water changes or dosing will be involved is a dicey, dicey proposition. Even if they are "SPS-aware". If not, I'd trust your cat just about as much as a sitter. I've seen it go wrong so many times that it literally may be better just to have your tank left alone while you're gone. Dim the lights to minimize alkalinity usage a little. Maybe run the tank a little cooler as well...maybe by 2 degrees or so? Fragging back your corals a lot will also reduce consumption.

There's no ideal way to go about leaving an un-automated SPS tank.

-Matt

Ya I agree with you. I might have to show them water changes..

For kalk, do I have to know exactly how fast evaporation occurs and how much?

 

[Shrimpfuzz]

How often do you do water changes in your tank?

 

[Sdoutreefer]

How often do you do water changes in your tank?

It was weekly. Like I said previously I'm trying every 2 weeks.

 

[Shrimpfuzz]

It was weekly. Like I said previously I'm trying every 2 weeks.

That is crazy your dKH dropped that low when you are doing water changes that often...

 

[mcarroll]

Ya I agree with you. I might have to show them water changes..

For kalk, do I have to know exactly how fast evaporation occurs and how much?

Yes. Yes.

How far your ATO bucket empties is your answer to both. :thumb:

Are you going to add the kalk to your ATO? If I were handing this over to someone else, I'd pre-mix a vinegar+lime(kalk) solution that they can measure out into the top-off bucket.

This eliminates most of the disaster scenario possibilities. No difficult measuring of kalk powder, no spillage, etc. Even if they mess up and just dump the whole week's dose in the tank instead of the ATO it probably won't screw anything up too bad. Much more safe to handle in this form as well.

You do have to know what daily dose your tank requires (testing + Reef Chemistry Calculator)...and knowing how long it takes between top-off refills (i.e. how many daily doses to throw in your reservoir).

Most open tanks that are well-aerated in HVAC conditions seem to evaporate about 5 gallons per week....some a little more, some a little less; especially so for very large or small tanks. If you have to guess, you can probably start here.

-Matt

 

[Sdoutreefer]

That is crazy your dKH dropped that low when you are doing water changes that often...

All params were great while doing them weekly. I may need to retest.

 

[Shrimpfuzz]

I recommend Red Sea Coral Pro salt if you are not using it.

 

[Sdoutreefer]

I recommend Red Sea Coral Pro salt if you are not using it.

I do too. That's what I'm using and the stuff rocks

 

[mkoop]

My opinion and the way I handle things is I do not combine dosing, meaning if I need to raise alk, I target raise alk specifically. I do not combine alk dosing with calc dosing if I only need alk.

Baked baking soda is your friend. -- 350 degrees for 1 hour -- you can not over bake it. Just add slowly and monitor dkh / ph. Do not allow your dkh to increase more than 1.5 and do not allow the ph to swing more than 0.2 per dose.

 

[Shrimpfuzz]

Also, if you have ever added Alk right after Calcium (in same container) it creates a chemical reaction which gets super hot.

Always dose with a good time in between.

 

[Sdoutreefer]

My opinion and the way I handle things is I do not combine dosing, meaning if I need to raise alk, I target raise alk specifically. I do not combine alk dosing with calc dosing if I only need alk.

Baked baking soda is your friend. -- 350 degrees for 1 hour -- you can not over bake it. Just add slowly and monitor dkh / ph. Do not allow your dkh to increase more than 1.5 and do not allow the ph to swing more than 0.2 per dose.

Do you add baking soda to your top off or just directly to the tank?

Also, if you have ever added Alk right after Calcium (in same container) it creates a chemical reaction which gets super hot.

Always dose with a good time in between.

And if they find eachother, don't they basically cancel eachother out? I dose Alk and calc on seperate days so I don't have to worry about that issue..

I'm looking more into going the kalkwasser route.. that seems to be the safest

 

[Sdoutreefer]

I've been reading more into kalkwasser and I have one concer. My ATO pump fills pretty fast. It isn't an aqua lifter or whatever they're called. I think it's a Rio 250? 300? Idk...

It says to add kalkwasser VERY slowly to your tank. Should I buy an aqua lifter pump or will I be ok using my current pump?

 

[mcarroll]

Even an Aqualifter may pump too fast. You want a drip.

You could try putting a valve on your Rio's output line for better control, but have you tried the valve attachment that (usually) comes with Rio pumps? Quality isn't that great, but it could work. I'd try it.

If you end up having to use something else, here's my recommendation for best control:

Needle Pinch Valve | Flow-Rite

Google around for a source (some "buy" links are at the bottom of that page) and the right size. I'm guessing you have 1/2" tubing, so the PV-4 would be correct. Verify the OD of your tubing though - 1/2" is the max for those.

I even used one of these (a PV-2) on my Aqualifter in the past, FWIW.

-Matt

 

[Sdoutreefer]

Even an Aqualifter may pump too fast. You want a drip.

You could try putting a valve on your Rio's output line for better control, but have you tried the valve attachment that (usually) comes with Rio pumps? Quality isn't that great, but it could work. I'd try it.

If you end up having to use something else, here's my recommendation for best control:

Needle Pinch Valve | Flow-Rite

Google around for a source (some "buy" links are at the bottom of that page) and the right size. I'm guessing you have 1/2" tubing, so the PV-4 would be correct. Verify the OD of your tubing though - 1/2" is the max for those.

I even used one of these (a PV-2) on my Aqualifter in the past, FWIW.

-Matt

Just some clarification, although its mixed in my top off water, it still needs to be added slowly? Currently my ATO is the JBJ ATO. Would I need to change this? Or is the kalk coming from a completely different line?

 

[Sdoutreefer]

Was talking to my LFS about kalk today... is a kalk reactor a must?

Bump.

 

[mcarroll]

Will make dosing kalk nicer (I love my Tunze 5074...super simple.) but I wouldn't say its a must. Go for it if budget allows. It won't do much/anything for the pH spike though.

Also another thought...if you can reduce the amount of water the ATO has to add per cycle, it may do the trick for your pH spike. A more sensitive level sensor (e.g. standard reed switch or optical like Tunze) or a smaller return chamber are two ways to do that. You might think up some more.

-Matt

 

[mcarroll]

Just some clarification, although its mixed in my top off water, it still needs to be added slowly? Currently my ATO is the JBJ ATO. Would I need to change this? Or is the kalk coming from a completely different line?

Getting my replies out of sync...sorry.

Saturated lime water (what you've turned your ATO water into) has a pH of about 12, so yes adding slowly and/or in small quantities is key.

In essence you are limited by the dissolved CO2 in your tank. Once the CO2 is all tied up from neutralizing that lime water, your pH just climbs with every successive drip after that.

-Matt