kalk drip

mikeweb · Apr 12, 2010

ok so i have 46 galloon tank with lps and zoas, and i am think about adding a kalk drip to the tank. it would use a 5 galloon aquados deliver system, with a vary low consentration of kalk to keep the ph from spiking. my question is how long would the kalk drip be active, those meaning how offen would someone have to do something to it (fill with more/ new kalk mix, and or mix the 5 galloons up) i know, that a kalk reactor would be a lot better but the tank is on the 2nd floor, and i am thinking about doing this b/c i am living at college and the tank is at my parents house, those i am not there to add a 2 part mix or do kalk drips every night.
thanks for the help.
mike

killingseed2000 · Apr 12, 2010

really depands on how much epav you might have. 5 gal tank might be to much for that small tank. maybe 2.5 gal tank with 2 to 2.5 table spoons of kalk mixed in driped over night and clean out, you dont want the left overs, then the next day start again.

RBursek · Apr 13, 2010

I would use the 5gal and make sure the drip is not coming off the direct bottom of the container because you do get some sediment. Max saturation is 2 tsp per gallon and has a PH of about 12.4. You can add less per gallon but you still get some sediment. Set up an IV drip at about or less then what your daily evap loss is. Depending on if your top is open I would guess you have about 2qts of evap a day and that will vary with house humidity and barametric metric preasure.http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-01/rhf/index.php

mikeweb · Apr 13, 2010

RBurek: how many days could i use the same 5 galloons? is killingseed2000 right about that i would have make a new batch of kalk everynight?

killingseed2000 · Apr 13, 2010

well if you run out evernight you would need to make a new batch and clean the container out. if the container last you a wekk then weekly. the only reason i am saying to limit the amount you are trying to dose, if for somereason the drip pours in all the water you will have a problem. with less water you may have a less of a problem. i have seem people crash their tank when the IV system fales the whole container drains into the tank and can do one of two things. one over dose and kill corals and fish and or overflow the tank onto the floor. those are thing to be careful for.

RBursek · Apr 13, 2010

I understood your kalk container was a 5gal container, and you would IV drip it over a 24hr period, not all 5 gal over 24hrs. I thought you would drip at a rate of about 2qts a 24hr period and fill every week or 2.4qts=1gal 10days at 2qts per 24hr period. When I IV dripped out of a 5gal container, as the container emptied the drip rate would slow down do to a lack of head pressure.