Dosing your top off water

[dangros]

Thanks Randy.
Maybe I'll buy another can at some point. For now, I can mix some up, skim it after it settles, and dump it in the top-off container. I'm trying not to buy everything at once. The wife is already giving me the look every time a new box is delivered

Maybe I'm a bit too concerned about the kalk being so old - having said that, it's not expensive so just buying a new batch would at least give me peace of mind.

On a side note, would you mind detailing what you test for, how often, and the dosing routine you go through? I've seen some older threads that give some detail but I would love to at least try to get an idea of your current routine. I realize every tank is diff and mine would require different care but getting an idea of what you do could potentially help me with anything I may be missing.

Thanks again!! You've already helped me more than you know.

I mix limewater and salt water in Brute cans, but you wouldn't want much intermixing of those two solutions.

So if you try to use the same can, you probably want to fully empty it between types of use.

Some people use Tunze Osmolators for limewater, but I do not know long it might be before it clogs. Taking only clear water from above the bottom would help that.

Calcium hydroxide does have a shelf life, depending on how it is protected from air. Most of it is probably still good, but some is likely converted into calcium carbonate.

 

[dangros]

in thinking that limewater would help my skimmer, I placed the ATO hose in the sump's 1st compartment - which contains my skimmer and probes. I noticed a pretty significant spike in pH which you can see in the attached graph. I've also included the plunge in ORP as a result of the ATO kicking in at 8am when I first moved it. One thing to note, i adjusted the ATO as well to add a little bit of extra top off as my system seemed to be running a tad low. In other words: due to my adjustment, the ATO added a bit more water at 8 than it normally does in one shot.

- Should I be concerned about the sudden drop in ORP??? That didnt seem to happen when I had the ATO dumping off into the return compartment.
- So which compartment in the sump/fuge is best to receive it? In my case, the sump has 3 compartments - from left to right:
A) Skimmer section where water also enters from the tank above. I placed my probes here (pH, ORP, and Temp) - noticed an instant 0.32 spike in pH this am from the
B) Return pump section (in the middle of sump and smallest compartment, and where the sensors for the Tunze ATO are located)
C) Refugium this section is fed by a split in the return pump and throttled by a valve - it contains a huge ball of Cheato

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Thanks Randy.
Maybe I'll buy another can at some point. For now, I can mix some up, skim it after it settles, and dump it in the top-off container. I'm trying not to buy everything at once. The wife is already giving me the look every time a new box is delivered

Maybe I'm a bit too concerned about the kalk being so old - having said that, it's not expensive so just buying a new batch would at least give me peace of mind.

On a side note, would you mind detailing what you test for, how often, and the dosing routine you go through? I've seen some older threads that give some detail but I would love to at least try to get an idea of your current routine. I realize every tank is diff and mine would require different care but getting an idea of what you do could potentially help me with anything I may be missing.

Thanks again!! You've already helped me more than you know.

You're welcome.

This thread describes my system and how I maintain it:

https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/re...es-farley/172508-randys-tank-description.html

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

As rise in pH causes a direct drop in ORP, but it is no reflection of anything undesirable happening. It is part of the chemistry of ORP.

I'd add the limewater to a section of the sump away from organisms where there is a good amount of mixing.

 

[RajV]

I mix up 120 gallons in Brute cans and store it unstirred as I use it over several weeks.

Can you talk us through this process and how to execute it , products etc ? or if you have published an article please point to it @Randy Holmes-Farley . I ask because I am moving slowly to higher demands and I am finding it difficult to do this manually . At present I have no dosing system other than a 100 Gallon system with a sump willed with cheto ,a gfo and a skimmer . Would greatly help me move a bit forward in maintaining stable calcium and alk

EDIT: Found it http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-01/rhf/index.php

 

[Gene Ashton]

It seems there a lot of household items we can dose as I read and learn more. I have seen Hydrogen Peroxide for dosing and vinegar and now on this thread I see lime water. Should I start dosing something to spruce up my Zoya's? I checked water last night and Ammonia, Nitrate and Nitrate are 0/ PH is around 8.2 temp 77 and salinity 1.025 Running Steve's LED lights at about 40% intensity from noon until 10 with a two hour ramp up and down.