Any idea on dosing kalkwasser

[ckpeh]

Need advise from the experts on using kalkwasser or lime water.

Any positive or negative feedback?

Thanks!

[Tanzy]

The best and cheapest form of calcium and alkalinity supplement.

Can be mixed using tapwater and is self-purifying.

Problem is that dose is determined by rate of evaporation for system.

[ckpeh]

Hi Tanzy,

Any way to DIY a top-up system (is it called Neilson reactor)?

Thanks.

[newdamsel]

Been dripping kalk for a week,... initially had problems controlling the amount to use for top up and got a emergency situation when pH shot to 8.6 so becareful really.

However, I saw this on seachem's calcium label " Unlike limewater (kalkwasser), reef advantage calcium does not have a caustic pH and will not deplete magnesium." I do have problems perking up my calcium levels recently, no matter how much calcium i add in, it remains at 330....issit really due to the reason that kalk depleted my magnesium? I do not have a test kit though....

[Tanzy]

ckpeh,

I'm not good with DIY, so I can't advise you on how to make a nielsen reactor.

newdamsel,

What's your alkalinity and pH? That seachem stuff is either calcium gluconate or chloride, should be quite potent to raise calcium levels.

[newdamsel]

dkH is at 9, and pH is at ard 8.2... dunno leh, have been adding a teaspoon every other day, but still it stays at 330.... when i mean no testkit, is that i do not have a alk test kit and a magnesium test kit... have been dripping kalk for 2 weeks, not one. typo on the other msg, after the 8.6 incident, did a 50% water change...

thats why i suspect got magnesium problems

[onghm]

Read somewhere that kalk is best drip from an airtight container.

If not, CO2 will get into the mixture and produce calcium carbonate.

any comments ?

Thanks

[Tanzy]

newdamsel,

How big is your tank? I think you need to add much more than that, around 10-20 teaspoon per day for a week to get the calcium level back up, so you might find it easier to do a large water change first.

onghm,

An airtight container won't drip, a small hole to allow air in to equilibrate will do. That's why it's best to use freshly prepared kalkwasser, preferably done one hour before dripping for max saturation.

[onghm]

onghm,

An airtight container won't drip, a small hole to allow air in to equilibrate will do. That's why it's best to use freshly prepared kalkwasser, preferably done one hour before dripping for max saturation.

Thanks Tanzy.

[Achilles Tang]

Read somewhere that kalk is best drip from an airtight container.

If not, CO2 will get into the mixture and produce calcium carbonate.

any comments ?

Thanks

It doesn't have to be airtight.

What should be done is to prevent air interaction with the kalk solution water surface.

Your drip container can be an open pail. All you need to put a closely fitted piece of round styrofoam sheet to float on the water surface... that's it!

[onghm]

Ok, understood.

Thanks AT.

[eprouve]

So how do you estimate the dosage from the evaporation rate? My tank evaporates about 1/2 a gallon a day... (ie: I top up using a 1 gallon apple juice bottle which is depleted every 2 days).

So how much kalk?? Equivalent, as in 1/2 gallon a day, dripped in??

[newdamsel]

newdamsel,

How big is your tank? I think you need to add much more than that, around 10-20 teaspoon per day for a week to get the calcium level back up, so you might find it easier to do a large water change first.

onghm,

An airtight container won't drip, a small hole to allow air in to equilibrate will do. That's why it's best to use freshly prepared kalkwasser, preferably done one hour before dripping for max saturation.

10~20 teaspoon~!!!! i using those chicken rice disposable spoons leh~! Maybe thats for a 4 ft with lotsa sps maybe??... mine is only a humble 2 footer + 2 footer sump.. like you said, water change might be easier... but i just wanna know why such things will happen... sigh...

[Tanzy]

So how do you estimate the dosage from the evaporation rate? My tank evaporates about 1/2 a gallon a day... (ie: I top up using a 1 gallon apple juice bottle which is depleted every 2 days).

So how much kalk?? Equivalent, as in 1/2 gallon a day, dripped in??

I think you answered your own question.

You should try to find out the rate of calcium depletion in your tank too.

newdamsel,

That's a tablespoon. A teaspoon is used to stir tea with (~5mL). If it is a 2' tank then just do a massive water change. I guess you'll never really know why. Might be magnesium depletion.

[newdamsel]

haha.. okok.. sorry for the trouble Tanzy... real thanx~!

[Tanzy]

No trouble at all.

Adding additives too quickly without adequate mixing in the tank can cause inbalances in the calcium and alk levels too.

[ckpeh]

Hi Tanzy,

How do I calculate the calcium depletion rate? Please advise.

Thanks.

Rgds,

CK

[Tanzy]

Measure the calcium level of the water once and another time one day or three days later depending on the load of your tank. The difference in calcium level divided by number of days will give you the tanks's daily calcium consumption.

For example, initial reading was 450ppm, 3 days later it dropped to 420ppm, therefore daily consumption is about 10ppm.

To find out how much calcium your kalkwasser adds to your tank, measure the initial calcium level, drip kalk and measure the level again 24 hours later.

Calcium contributed by kalkwasser = (Level 24 hours later) - (Initial level) + (Daily consumption)

E.g. 450ppm - 440ppm + 10ppm = 20ppm

These simple calculations will give you a rough estimate and can be applied to calcium chloride or other supplements not just kalkwasser.