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If You are going to use a solenoid put the kalk reactor after the solenoid and only fresh ro will flow through the solenoid.
DIY Kalkwasser Doser
- Thread starter sammy33
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Ok, there is where my confusion was/is. When I was dosing Kalk, I was making the solution, and using it specifically for my top-off water. It was constantly dosing it though a float, which is why/where the buildup occured, and why my floor became wet 
Seems like the proper way to do it is with a dosing pump, 1 drip every 3-4 seconds.
Seems like the proper way to do it is with a dosing pump, 1 drip every 3-4 seconds.
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I'm more confused now after re-reading some other posts.
Are you guys dosing kalkwasser AS your top-off? My float valve ended up getting stuck open because of CA deposits on the float valve, causeing it to stick open = freshwater flood.
If you are using a dosing pump that only drips every 3-4 seconds, are you still needing to top-off the system with RO?
I'm trying to aviod the flood, which automatically dosing kalk. I do not want to dose the kalk through a float valve anymore. What are my options?
Are you guys dosing kalkwasser AS your top-off? My float valve ended up getting stuck open because of CA deposits on the float valve, causeing it to stick open = freshwater flood.
If you are using a dosing pump that only drips every 3-4 seconds, are you still needing to top-off the system with RO?
I'm trying to aviod the flood, which automatically dosing kalk. I do not want to dose the kalk through a float valve anymore. What are my options?
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Dang, no edit, sorry!
Seems like using a pump-type system would prevent the flood due to a hanging open float valve. Has anyone used a dosing pump with a float switch to do the top off, instead of the powerhead coming on and off, on and off, on and off..etc...
Seems like using a pump-type system would prevent the flood due to a hanging open float valve. Has anyone used a dosing pump with a float switch to do the top off, instead of the powerhead coming on and off, on and off, on and off..etc...
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Figured it out! LOL...you guys are going to hate me for the dumb questions.
Use a DIY kalk reactor, drip like normal into sump with a float valve for top off. Run a solnoid in front of the RO feed into the kalk, and rig up a electronic float switch to provide backup cut off if the float VALVE gets stuck.
I suppose you could get FANCY, and run 2 lines to 2 different float switches. Use 2 solnoids one as above, one on a straight RO line. Then you could use a pH controller to regulate which feed the sump sees, depending on the pH of the tank.
WOw....I think I need to get out more or something.
Use a DIY kalk reactor, drip like normal into sump with a float valve for top off. Run a solnoid in front of the RO feed into the kalk, and rig up a electronic float switch to provide backup cut off if the float VALVE gets stuck.
I suppose you could get FANCY, and run 2 lines to 2 different float switches. Use 2 solnoids one as above, one on a straight RO line. Then you could use a pH controller to regulate which feed the sump sees, depending on the pH of the tank.
WOw....I think I need to get out more or something.
to stop this happening place the solenoid valve before the kalkwasser reactor...ie where the fresh water enters the reactor...this way the solenoid is only exposed to the incoming fresh water... water will not come out of the reactor and into your tank because the pressure is held back by the solenoid.
The JBJ ATO has the two float switches with one for the sump to dose top-off and one for the reservoir as a fail-safe to turn the system off if the reservoir is empty. The controller for the ATO also has a fail-safe that turns the system off if runs for more than 14 minutes. This is so you don't dose 5 gallons of top-off (Kalk) all at once.
So using the ATO with the Kalk Doser is pretty safe. I feel fairly confident that I will not overdose my tank...hopefully. :unsure:
man its sooo great to not have to add ph buffer to my tank now, this kalk reactor is sooooo easy to make and it works so amazing! I have also noticed that kroger sells ms wadges pickeling lime!!!! Well at least the one on 26th and peachtree in buckhead does. Check in the fresh veggie area, mine was under the onions.
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I have also found Mrs. Wedges at Piggly Wiggly....go figure!
Well...I have been quite impressed with this little Kalk doser. After using for almost 2 months it has done a good job keeping up with the calcium demands on my frag tanks. This is a 75g system with about 18 or so small SPS colonies, a Crocea clam and a bunch of softies. My calcium and alkalinity before the doser was always a bit low around 350ppm ca and 7dKH for Alk. Now the test are always around 420ppm ca and 9dKH for Alk. :thumbs:
I have kept the doser about a 3rd full of Kalkwasser and have had to fill it about once a month to keep the performance up. If the Kalk level drops to low it just reverts back to topoff only with minimal calcium additions.
I did find the timer handy for spreading the dosing out overnight. I have the timer set to come on right about when the lights are going out with 15 min intervals. This keeps the pH a steady 8.3 and constant...makin' me happy.
I have kept the doser about a 3rd full of Kalkwasser and have had to fill it about once a month to keep the performance up. If the Kalk level drops to low it just reverts back to topoff only with minimal calcium additions.
I did find the timer handy for spreading the dosing out overnight. I have the timer set to come on right about when the lights are going out with 15 min intervals. This keeps the pH a steady 8.3 and constant...makin' me happy.
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Hey Sammy!
Glad that the Kalk doser is still working so well. I have been having some issues with my little set up. I basically had mine running from a 20g long tank as the holding tank and fed by one of those expensive medical dosing pumps. Well the medical Reef Dosing Pump is failing. It is getting super weak and can hardly turn at all even with out the rubber tube around the spinning drum part. I need to call the owner of the company and see if he has any suggestions. Or I may try and fix it more like how you are running it with the ATO controller.
Glad that the Kalk doser is still working so well. I have been having some issues with my little set up. I basically had mine running from a 20g long tank as the holding tank and fed by one of those expensive medical dosing pumps. Well the medical Reef Dosing Pump is failing. It is getting super weak and can hardly turn at all even with out the rubber tube around the spinning drum part. I need to call the owner of the company and see if he has any suggestions. Or I may try and fix it more like how you are running it with the ATO controller.
Is the rubber tube replacable on your pump? I know those santoprene hoses have a life span of a few years (or less).
I am using a cheapo Aqua Lifter pump from Oscar Tominaga. I am contemplating an upgrade to peristaltic pump. The Aqua Lifter does OK but the dosing rate is a bit too slow.
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Yes the peristaltic pump has a replacable hose. I had a problem with this before and the owner of Reef Dosing Pumps could not figure it out. I sent one or two pumps back to him. It just seemed like the pump would get too tired to spin with the rubber hose on it. He said I was probly putting the hose around the drum too tight and it was too much stress on the motor. I cant figure out any way to do it any less tight. He never commented on the pump or two that I sent back? Anyway he ended up sending me two pieces of clear really soft rubbery hose that is an "upgrade" hose. It worked really well until now. The unit will only rotate around very slowly once or twice without the hose on the drum. I promise it is like the pump motor is too tired or weak to spin even without anything on it. ???
I may have to switch to the AquaLifter pump as well.
I may have to switch to the AquaLifter pump as well.
I think I have it, but how do you control the amount of calc you are dosing per day if you are running your topoff through the "reactor"? Lets say you need to double up on the calc but your topoff remains constant or the reverse your topoff goes up due to weather but your calc demands remain the same. Do you run direct from the topoff to sump and then another set of tubes going from topoff to reactor to sump? I am sure it is something I am just not getting.
Next question. Could you connect this directly to the RO/DI and use a float switch to do topoff and bypass a holding tank since the canisters are sealed?
Thanks in advance, Cameron.
Next question. Could you connect this directly to the RO/DI and use a float switch to do topoff and bypass a holding tank since the canisters are sealed?
Thanks in advance, Cameron.
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Cameron, This is just a top off and you are right it is not going to be perfect at keeping the Calcium pegged at just where you want it. This might be too much or little depending on your coral stocking levels.
That said... I have found the Calcium, Alkalinity, pH, salinity, and water level to be much more constant in my system since using this in my system.
That said... I have found the Calcium, Alkalinity, pH, salinity, and water level to be much more constant in my system since using this in my system.
I think it is still a great system and much better than mixing calc in the topoff directly. I am going to give it a try since it is cheap enough. I was just wondering if there was some trick to getting more or less calc popping through. If it doesn't work, I have a LiterMeter and I may do something simple like run a top off seperate and then pump topoff water through the system just for dosing. A little more complicated but still simpler than the alternatives.
Do you think you can do a two part formula in two canisters with this system running one canister into the next?
Do you think you can do a two part formula in two canisters with this system running one canister into the next?
How about this. You can use the ball valves to choke down either the direct flow or the calc flow. Not exactly precision, but it would allow some control over how much is actually dosed. You may only need one ball valve on the straight through after the split.
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glxtrixDosing saturated Kalkwasser will raise Calcium, Alkalinity, and pH of a system that is low or loosing these due to the calcification of the corals in the system. It is commonly used to maintain the parameters at or nearly at the desired level. Randy Holmes Farley has lots of really good articles on it at Reefkeeping.comMy computer at this office cannot cut and paste so here it goes:
