Kalkwasser Drip or Dose.

[Ef4life]

How much are you dosing, and do you see a difference in ph, stability, growth etc

I can’t really answer too much as the setup I’m using kalk on is newish. I haven’t bothered testing in a while, and don’t run any controllers or monitors for ph so that stuff I can’t answer. But what this is what I can answer

Mixed reef - mostly lps currently but a few sps and zoas and mushrooms.
50g display 10g sump approximately 50g volume.
70w mh with 2 reefbrite lumilite strips. (It’s technically temporary until I buy a new light but I’ve been using it on the old biocube for years, the new setup replaced that old tank) but it’s actually growing corals right now top to bottom.
Kalk mix - I use a 5g bucket to hold my mix, I started with 1tsp per gallon and am working the way up to full saturation slowly as I add more and the stuff starts growing. Currently at 7tsp/5g
Dose is around 2000ml day i adjust it up or down slightly with changing evaporation/seasons . Kamoer x1 dumps it in with 12 separate doses from 12am to 11am.
Everything is looking good, like I said corals are showing growth and good color. Stability is good enough imo, it’s a consistent dose. Adding it at night will help raise the ph so that’s why I do it. Is it 8.2+ Consistently probably not. None of my tanks suffer from super low ph as it is so it’s as good or better than my other systems I assume

 

[branbray07]

I can’t really answer too much as the setup I’m using kalk on is newish. I haven’t bothered testing in a while, and don’t run any controllers or monitors for ph so that stuff I can’t answer. But what this is what I can answer

Mixed reef - mostly lps currently but a few sps and zoas and mushrooms.
50g display 10g sump approximately 50g volume.
70w mh with 2 reefbrite lumilite strips. (It’s technically temporary until I buy a new light but I’ve been using it on the old biocube for years, the new setup replaced that old tank) but it’s actually growing corals right now top to bottom.
Kalk mix - I use a 5g bucket to hold my mix, I started with 1tsp per gallon and am working the way up to full saturation slowly as I add more and the stuff starts growing. Currently at 7tsp/5g
Dose is around 2000ml day i adjust it up or down slightly with changing evaporation/seasons . Kamoer x1 dumps it in with 12 separate doses from 12am to 11am.
Everything is looking good, like I said corals are showing growth and good color. Stability is good enough imo, it’s a consistent dose. Adding it at night will help raise the ph so that’s why I do it. Is it 8.2+ Consistently probably not. None of my tanks suffer from super low ph as it is so it’s as good or better than my other systems I assume

Hey whatever works for you. I too started slow and worked my way up to full Saturation. My tank is full sps (frags) im currently at 4.5 ML/min for 14 hours reverse light cycle. Puts me at 3780 ml a day , which is basically my daily evap. My low ph is 8.19 and high 8.3. So far so good

 

[rknapp]

Apex DOS doses all day, 2500ml in my approx 225g system volume.

 

[PocketGoose]

Apex DOS doses all day, 2500ml in my approx 225g system volume.

i couldn’t even imagine 2500 ml. I understand it’s relative to tank size but that’s a ton! Do you supplement with anything else or just kalk?

I really like using the micro dosing element of the DOS with kalk myself.

 

[Orito]

i couldn’t even imagine 2500 ml. I understand it’s relative to tank size but that’s a ton! Do you supplement with anything else or just kalk?

I really like using the micro dosing element of the DOS with kalk myself.

I'm starting to feel I'm doing something wrong, dosing 800ml daily in a 30 galon

 

[branbray07]

Apex DOS doses all day, 2500ml in my approx 225g system volume.

Dang . I imagine that no where near your evap right?

 

[branbray07]

I'm starting to feel I'm doing something wrong, dosing 800ml daily in a 30 galon

why do you feel you are doing something wrong?

 

[branbray07]

i couldn’t even imagine 2500 ml. I understand it’s relative to tank size but that’s a ton! Do you supplement with anything else or just kalk?

I really like using the micro dosing element of the DOS with kalk myself.

lol im at 3600 a day. Its my daily evap

 

[branbray07]

Here is my Kamoer Schedule.

 

[therootcause]

FWIW:
I’m currently the inverse of you. Dosing A4R with consideration to also do kalk for ph boost.
I’m VERY happy with all for reef. Like extremely happy.
I dose it based on alk consumption. I rarely test calcium but when I do it’s always between 440-470 which I’m happy with.
The odd time, I’ll test magnesium and it’s a bit low so periodically I’ll do a correction dose with Red Sea mag.
I’m currently deciding if I need to complicate my system by adding in kalk.

I also dose A4R, but have replaced that with Kalkwasser as of this morning (Waterbox 180.5) in order to better stabilize pH overnight. In regard to A4R, you will always want to measure your dosing amount by the calcium and not the alkalinity. A4R adds calcium directly to the tank but the alkalinity boost is gained through bacteria that consume the A4R. Lou Ekus mentions this in a MACNA talk or BRS video with Ryan. I do not know how quickly alkalinity will rise in your system, but if you are sampling around the times that you are dosing your alkalinity is likely rising higher after your sampling event.

I have stopped using A4R because my Calcium would be 500, magnesium near 1400, and my Alkalinity was <7.0dKH. As a result I was backing off of A4R and having to add Fritz Part 2 Alkalinity. Now I'm going to add Kalkwasser at night and trace elements periodically.

 

[branbray07]

I also dose A4R, but have replaced that with Kalkwasser as of this morning (Waterbox 180.5) in order to better stabilize pH overnight. In regard to A4R, you will always want to measure your dosing amount by the calcium and not the alkalinity. A4R adds calcium directly to the tank but the alkalinity boost is gained through bacteria that consume the A4R. Lou Ekus mentions this in a MACNA talk or BRS video with Ryan. I do not know how quickly alkalinity will rise in your system, but if you are sampling around the times that you are dosing your alkalinity is likely rising higher after your sampling event.

I have stopped using A4R because my Calcium would be 500, magnesium near 1400, and my Alkalinity was <7.0dKH. As a result I was backing off of A4R and having to add Fritz Part 2 Alkalinity. Now I'm going to add Kalkwasser at night and trace elements periodically.

This is great to know. I almost jumped on the A4R bandwagon. Matter of fact, i have it at home.

 

[Orito]

why do you feel you are doing something wrong?

guys are dosing 80 ml a day in tanks 3x bigger than mine...
gonna start checking for precipitation...

 

[legalizedreefer]

I also dose A4R, but have replaced that with Kalkwasser as of this morning (Waterbox 180.5) in order to better stabilize pH overnight. In regard to A4R, you will always want to measure your dosing amount by the calcium and not the alkalinity. A4R adds calcium directly to the tank but the alkalinity boost is gained through bacteria that consume the A4R. Lou Ekus mentions this in a MACNA talk or BRS video with Ryan. I do not know how quickly alkalinity will rise in your system, but if you are sampling around the times that you are dosing your alkalinity is likely rising higher after your sampling event.

I have stopped using A4R because my Calcium would be 500, magnesium near 1400, and my Alkalinity was <7.0dKH. As a result I was backing off of A4R and having to add Fritz Part 2 Alkalinity. Now I'm going to add Kalkwasser at night and trace elements periodically.

I’m not too worried. I’ve never once paid attention to whether or not I’m testing near a dosing time. Sometimes I test in the morning, sometimes at night and I always test between 8.1-8.3

I’m sure there’s a bit of fluctuation happening but for me, the color and growth in my tank is undeniable since the switch. I’ve decided against Kalkwasser (for now) and instead ordered an IceCap CO2 scrubber that I’m going to recirculate and have my apex turn off my skimmer over a certain pH threshold

 

[mjcoussens]

Kalk slurry here at ~4% weight/volume.

Setup on a continuous doser (20mL/minute) controlled by pH. The dosing pump kicks on when pH drops to 8.28 and shuts off when pH reaches 8.3. Daytime pH reaches 8.4-8.5+ depending on the number of people in the house. Alkalinity swings from 8-10, as high as 12.5 depending again on the number of people in the house. I'm starting to question the utility of continuous alkalinity measurements at this point. If pH is within range, then so should Calcium and Alkalinity.

My system also gets its magnesium supplement from 1% daily AWC and 2mL each day of Tropic Marin A and K.

Here are some recent pics as proof of my success with this approach.

Cheers,

Matt

 

[branbray07]

guys are dosing 80 ml a day in tanks 3x bigger than mine...
gonna start checking for precipitation...

800 not 80. That not much imo, but that could be close to his daily evap. Remember, you cant dose more than your evap, otherwise you throw off your salinity. Its always good to start of slow, i started with about 300 ml on a 82g at half saturation, worked it up to my full evap about 34-3600 ml. Then went full saturation, and started again at 300 ml, working my way up untill now.

I’m not too worried. I’ve never once paid attention to whether or not I’m testing near a dosing time. Sometimes I test in the morning, sometimes at night and I always test between 8.1-8.3

I’m sure there’s a bit of fluctuation happening but for me, the color and growth in my tank is undeniable since the switch. I’ve decided against Kalkwasser (for now) and instead ordered an IceCap CO2 scrubber that I’m going to recirculate and have my apex turn off my skimmer over a certain pH threshold

I do this, i have my skimmer set to turn of at 8.3. However nutriets are a rad high so i might stop this.

Kalk slurry here at ~4% weight/volume.

Setup on a continuous doser (20mL/minute) controlled by pH. The dosing pump kicks on when pH drops to 8.28 and shuts off when pH reaches 8.3. Daytime pH reaches 8.4-8.5+ depending on the number of people in the house. Alkalinity swings from 8-10, as high as 12.5 depending again on the number of people in the house. I'm starting to question the utility of continuous alkalinity measurements at this point. If pH is within range, then so should Calcium and Alkalinity.

My system also gets its magnesium supplement from 1% daily AWC and 2mL each day of Tropic Marin A and K.

Here are some recent pics as proof of my success with this approach.

Cheers,

Matt

Wow beautiful!!!!

 

[therootcause]

I’m not too worried. I’ve never once paid attention to whether or not I’m testing near a dosing time. Sometimes I test in the morning, sometimes at night and I always test between 8.1-8.3

I’m sure there’s a bit of fluctuation happening but for me, the color and growth in my tank is undeniable since the switch. I’ve decided against Kalkwasser (for now) and instead ordered an IceCap CO2 scrubber that I’m going to recirculate and have my apex turn off my skimmer over a certain pH threshold

Sounds like you've got it all worked out. I hope I can settle in around 8.5-8.6 pH with a recirculation line on my skimmer air. Right now I have it pulling air in from outside, then through a CO2 scrubber at about 8.3pH.

I do have a solenoid at home to T off of the skimmer airline and wire in to the Apex. I plan to just use the APEX pH control option to open and close the solenoid with a pH high (8.6) and low (8.5) value. Maybe @ChumminghamsReef can chime in. I think this is the same process that he uses.

Note: I chose 8.5-8.6 because it's most likely where my pH will top out. Will go higher if Kalkwasser and recirc take me there.

 

[legalizedreefer]

Sounds like you've got it all worked out. I hope I can settle in around 8.5-8.6 pH with a recirculation line on my skimmer air. Right now I have it pulling air in from outside, then through a CO2 scrubber at about 8.3pH.

I do have a solenoid at home to T off of the skimmer airline and wire in to the Apex. I plan to just use the APEX pH control option to open and close the solenoid with a pH high (8.6) and low (8.5) value. Maybe @ChumminghamsReef can chime in. I think this is the same process that he uses.

Note: I chose 8.5-8.6 because it's most likely where my pH will top out. Will go higher if Kalkwasser and recirc take me there.

Please report back on this.

I’m in a condo so I can’t run any exterior airline, hence the recirculating scrubber route.

My original plan was do what you just said - buy an apex solenoid and have it open or close to let in ambient air. The thing holding me back was that a few forum posts said the apex solenoid doesn’t do well with air pulling through. Something about needing a lot of force to push or pull air through it. If it actually does work that would be incredible

 

[therootcause]

Please report back on this.

I’m in a condo so I can’t run any exterior airline, hence the recirculating scrubber route.

My original plan was do what you just said - buy an apex solenoid and have it open or close to let in ambient air. The thing holding me back was that a few forum posts said the apex solenoid doesn’t do well with air pulling through. Something about needing a lot of force to push or pull air through it. If it actually does work that would be incredible

@branbray07 I am really sorry for hijacking this thread as it relates to pH but this is Kalkwasser adjacent info.

​

@legalizedreefer I am referring to using this $10 solenoid coming off of a T close to the skimmer intake. The resistance of airflow through this 1/2" valve has got to be less than that of the CO2 scrubber. A friend of mine gave me a Neptune DC24V to bare wire connector that I will solder on to the solenoid.

Amazon product

 

[mjcoussens]

- Scrubber media is so expensive compared to a bucket or sack of Calcium Hydroxide.

-Tying kalk dosing to your pH has the added benefit of automatically adjusting for increased consumption; either from excess dissolved CO2 or from coral growth.

- There's no more titrating to find the sweet spot or need to make manual adjustments.

- If the circulation pump in the bucket stops working, then it just doses saturated kalk until you can get the pump working again.

- 2(3)-part has the ionic balance to contend with, raises salinity, and needs 3 dosing pumps to automate.

It was a no-brainer for me to ditch 2(3)-part and switch over to slurry and stop buying scrubber media. I went from storing reagents in 4x 5 gallon buckets to 1.

There are lots of ways to accomplish the same task here. This method works for me and happens to provide exceptional value. Something that is rare in this hobby.

Cheers,

Matt

 

[FishTruck]

avast kalk stirrer, peristaltic pump at a constant rate for 24 hours. I use about 2 cups of kalk totally gone by two weeks.
My pH bumps up .1 to .2 when I refill it.

I have a trick to remove volume from my tank, so I can drip Kalk at a higher rate than the evaporation rate.