kalk dripping

wastemanagement · Dec 23, 2007

OK I alike many other am wanting to do what seem best for the health and well being for my tank.
It seems to me that I am needing to go to the next step of tank care and introduce a drip into my tank---KALKWASSER , I have spent endless hours reading thread after thread but still it does not stick.
I would like to know if it suppose to just drip non stop or am I supose to only drip a a certin time of the day and what are the key peramiters I need to watch when I start this dripping?

Matt Rogers · Dec 23, 2007

Generally it's a non-stop drip calibrated to replace your evaporated water.

I used a kent-marine float switch and a 5 gallon reservoir. Kept it clean, never failed.

Watch your pH. It can spike if you pour it in.

Otty · Dec 23, 2007

I had Inwall (Curt) forward this to me so I will pass it on.
I use a Kalk reactor that Tangster made and let it add to the tank any time I need top off water with an auto top off. Just remember you can use Mrs. Wages Pickling Lime instead of buying that expensive Kalk solution, same stuff just sold in grocery store instead of fish store.. Fish store seems to mark prices up a bit.
You will need to watch your Ca and PH when adding this stuff.

When kalkwasser is dosed or dripped into the tank, the following procedure is more or less used. One to three teaspoons of kalkwasser are added to a gallon of water that is to be used for makeup water. The kalkwasser is then gently mixed to saturate the water with the kalkwasser. I say gently, because an important consideration in using kalkwasser is to minimize the amount of air that enters the water during mixing. When kalkwasser is combined with highly aerated water, it forms calcium carbonate, which is not useful in the aquarium. After the gentle mixing, the kalkwasser mix should then sit for a period of a few hours to allow settling of any calcium carbonate that has formed. This, along with some unmixed kalkwasser, will form sediment on the bottom of the container. After settling, the saturated kalkwasser (the liquid above the sediment) is siphoned off to be used for dosing. (More on dosing in a minute.) When using this method of kalkwasser addition, it is important to use the mixed kalkwasser within a few days. Old kalkwasser mix will lose its concentration of calcium in solution, which results in little calcium addition to the aquarium. And it is important to not dose the sediment, which is a mixture of calcium carbonate and calcium hydroxide. Dosing this can result in calcium precipitation, excessive elevation of pH, and decline of alkalinity.

The other method, and generally more preferable method of mixing and dosing kalkwasser, is through the use of a kalkreactor. These devices may go under the name of a calcium reactor, kalkreactor, and Nilsen reactor, to name a few. In fact, there is another type of reactor (to be discussed later) that is also called a calcium reactor that is quite a different device. For the sake of this discussion, I will use the term "kalkreactor". A diagram of this device may be found in Sprung and Delbeek's "The Reef Aquarium, Vol. I", pg. 245. There are also a number of do-it-yourself (DIY) projects on the Internet for building one of these. Essentially, a supply of kalkwasser is inserted into a sealed reactor chamber. Within the chamber is a magnetic stirrer/spinner. Using a dosing pump, water is drawn from a fresh water reservoir and pumped into the reactor chamber, where the magnetic stirrer periodically mixes the water and kalkwasser. The pressure build-up from the dosing pump within the reactor forces the saturated and milky kalkwasser then to be dosed into the aquarium. The advantage of this method is that the calcium concentration of the kalkwasser remains higher, and the mixing procedure requires far less attention.

The procedure for dosing kalkwasser is important. A saturated kalkwasser mix will have a pH that can exceed 12. If added too quickly, the aquarium pH can rise significantly, which stresses the tank inhabitants. Beyond this, a significant pH spike (usually above 8.5 - 8.7) can cause a calcium/carbonate/magnesium precipitation. This leaves the tank with stressed livestock and often less calcium than before dosing. Ideally, a pH monitor and/or controller should be used when dosing kalkwasser to insure that tank pH remains below 8.5, however this is not a requirement. If dosing kalkwasser without a pH monitor, it is important to drip it slowly (around 1 drop/second maximum) into a water stream in a sump or in the tank itself.

The disadvantages of kalkwasser may be fairly apparent. If mixing it for makeup water, it can take time and diligence to mix it properly, and dose it properly. A kalkreactor greatly reduces the inconvenience, and can provide a highly saturated kalkwasser mix.

The advantages of using kalkwasser are many. First, kalkwasser, when mixed properly, is highly saturated in calcium, and leaves no other residues in the aquarium. This accomplishes the primary goal of kalkwasser use, namely increasing calcium availability to aquarium inhabitants. Kalkwasser helps to maintain alkalinity in the aquarium. On this point, I want to highlight that kalkwasser does not increase alkalinity, but rather helps maintain alkalinity by neutralizing acids that would usually be neutralized by resident buffering agents. The result is that carbonates in the aquarium, and thus alkalinity, is preserved. Kalkwasser helps maintain pH. This occurs not only due to the preservation of alkalinity, but also because of the high pH of kalkwasser. When properly dosed, kalkwasser can be used as a tool to gently increase pH to more desirable levels in the aquarium. This is useful in combating the natural trend in closed systems of pH decline. Finally, kalkwasser is known to precipitate phosphates out of solution. What this means is that when calcium hydroxide enters the water, it causes phosphates to fall out of solution. This is helpful in preventing/removing problem causing algae and cynobacteria blooms.
Click to expand...

cuttingras · Dec 23, 2007

You can get it in Wal Mart, in their clearance section. I got Mrs. Wages for $ .25 a jug. If they still have any left..

Otty · Dec 23, 2007

I got mine at Rule King which is a store just like Tractor Supply.
Or you can order here: MRS. WAGES® Pickling Lime

wastemanagement · Dec 24, 2007

Fish store seems to mark prices up a bit.
You will need to watch your Ca and PH when adding this stuff.[/quote]

OK that was a good read .I went donw to my lfs and the guy could hardly understand what I was trying to say when I was asking what were the more important peramiters to watch as he only speaks french and mine aint that good just yet haha.

reef_guru · Dec 24, 2007

kalwasser is calcium hydroxide (CaOH2) which fixates CO2, meaning it uses the CO2 and in doing that raises the pH. CaOH2 does not add alot of Ca or dKH but helps keep them constant and is best used with a Ca reactor.

there are two forms of CaOH2 saturated and supersaturated. when using a CaOH2 reactor the thick milky water at the bottom that you cannot see through is the supersaturated. the saturated is at the top that you can see through.

when using a CaOH2 reactor with a Ca reactor back off on the Ca reactors effluent. Ca reactors are actually dKH reactors, so adjust the Ca reactor to the tanks dKH consumption rate

CaHO2 is best used with ro/di water using aatoc (auto top off), two different ways to do this is either opposite the main lights or 24/7. the pH of the main tank will let you know which one to use. CaOH2 reactors are actually pH reactors, so adjust the CaOH2 reactor to the tanks pH consumption rate.

my sps dominated tank is set up with aatoc 24/7 using saturated CaHO2 reactor on a constant stir. hopefully this helps.

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