kalk drip ?
- Thread starter kevinbeth
- Start date
I am probably not the best to answer but I have a total of 110 gallon system with about 5 sps corals, clam and some soft corals. I lose about 2 gallons a day and top off with a kalk drip. I don't have a problem with PH, I still have to dose alk and calcium.
Once I started topping off with kalk my alk and calcium became more stable and I did not have to dose alk and calcium as much.
Once I started topping off with kalk my alk and calcium became more stable and I did not have to dose alk and calcium as much.
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I have to topoff about 7 gallons a day on a 300 gal. system and I drip kalk 24/7 to make up the difference. as long as you ph does not get to high you will be fine what is you total water volume?
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what are your levels cal. ph .mg alk ??? bulkreefsupply.com has a calculator that you can enter your values in and what type buffer etc. you are using and will tell you what to add to get all things in order. Once that is done you can start a dosing regime for your tank depending on it's needs. To answer your first ?? you can by all means drip a gallon of properly mixed kalkwasser in that size system but watch your ph. It should be fine but monitor just the same. hfeming is correct it will help stabalize alk and calcium levels.
I went through the same thing, that is one reason I started dripping kalk. My alk was dropping 1.3 dkh per day. I am now following the bulk reef supply 2-part recipe using baking soda and calcium, but my consumption is not balanced, the alk drops more than calcium.
I dose 100 ml of the baking soda liquid per day and 50 ml of calcium every other day.
I dose 100 ml of the baking soda liquid per day and 50 ml of calcium every other day.
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what is your alk and calcium at ?? and what is your target levels??
...grouper is right, I used the reef chemistry calculator to establish what my consumption rates were. After that I could determine how much alk and calcium to dose.
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which buffer are u using???
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Red Sea has the lowest value ALK of just about any SALT. Good for Zeo users.
"Here is a list of what I measured for the big three in a number of the salt mixes we use today. This is intended as a guideline and I, in no way, guarantee these figures. All I can say is they were all tested under the same conditions, with a number of different brand test kits, using the same methods for each test. I believe these numbers are reasonably what you can expect from these salts mixed at 35 ppt or 1.0264
A special thanks to Bertoni for putting it in nice form."
<span style="color: red;">Calcium</span> Alkalinity Magnesium
Aquatic Gardens <span style="color: red;">430</span> 8 1240
CoraLife <span style="color: red;">560</span> 9 1380
Instant Ocean <span style="color: red;">350</span> 12 1070
Kent <span style="color: red;">540</span> 11 1200
Oceanic <span style="color: red;">580</span> 8.5 1650
OceanPure <span style="color: red;">510</span> 10 1320
Red Sea <span style="color: red;">400</span> 8 1300
Red Sea Coral Pro <span style="color: red;">490</span> 7 1300
Reef Crystals <span style="color: red;">420</span> 12 1260
SeaChem Marine Salt<span style="color: red;">500</span> 10 1400
SeaChem Reef Salt <span style="color: red;">540</span> 10 1450
Tropic Marin <span style="color: red;">375</span> 10 1230
Tropic Marin Pro Reef <span style="color: red;">450</span> 8.5 1380
ALSO:
http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/showthread.php?t=12379">http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/showthread.php?t=12379</a>
change your Salt
"Here is a list of what I measured for the big three in a number of the salt mixes we use today. This is intended as a guideline and I, in no way, guarantee these figures. All I can say is they were all tested under the same conditions, with a number of different brand test kits, using the same methods for each test. I believe these numbers are reasonably what you can expect from these salts mixed at 35 ppt or 1.0264
A special thanks to Bertoni for putting it in nice form."
<span style="color: red;">Calcium</span> Alkalinity Magnesium
Aquatic Gardens <span style="color: red;">430</span> 8 1240
CoraLife <span style="color: red;">560</span> 9 1380
Instant Ocean <span style="color: red;">350</span> 12 1070
Kent <span style="color: red;">540</span> 11 1200
Oceanic <span style="color: red;">580</span> 8.5 1650
OceanPure <span style="color: red;">510</span> 10 1320
Red Sea <span style="color: red;">400</span> 8 1300
Red Sea Coral Pro <span style="color: red;">490</span> 7 1300
Reef Crystals <span style="color: red;">420</span> 12 1260
SeaChem Marine Salt<span style="color: red;">500</span> 10 1400
SeaChem Reef Salt <span style="color: red;">540</span> 10 1450
Tropic Marin <span style="color: red;">375</span> 10 1230
Tropic Marin Pro Reef <span style="color: red;">450</span> 8.5 1380
ALSO:
http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/showthread.php?t=12379">http://www.atlantareefclub.org/forums/showthread.php?t=12379</a>
change your Salt
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Ive done some testing between the h&w,IO and tropic marin. Unless I mixed the entire content of the container whether it was a bag or bucket or box, the results would vary. I am guessing some of the different add ins such as calcium mag etc. probably settled and was causing the differences. finally i settled on the instant ocean although it was lower in most of the cat. It was the most consistant and least exspensive. I always have an idea what I needed to add at water changes.
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You got to test the magnesium to get the proper balance
Magnesium usually only impacts the calcium so I don't think it is low, however everyone is correct, you need to test for it.
Your sitution is very similar to mine. I don't run a calcium reactor and I drip kalk but my Alk drops about 1 dkh per day.
Your alkalinity is low, you can raise it by adding sodium bicarbonate (baking soda).
If you raise alkalinity too much it will drive down calcium, there is a balance between the two - too much of one drives down the other.
Because of this I am now using the http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/a5/Recipe-2-Instructions-for-Bulk-Packaged-Materials/article_info.html">Bulk Reef Supply 2-part recipe</a>. Their bulk calcium and magnesium are very affordable.
Alkalinity: Mix 1-1/8 cups of baking soda per gallon of RO water
Calcium: Mix 1 cup of calcium chloride per gallon of RO water
They have a good [IMG]http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/i6/Calcium-and-Alkalinity-Calculator./information.html">reef calculator </a>that will determine how much you need to dose.
Once your levels are correct, dose equal amounts of each part of the recipe. The key is to dose equal parts of each that way you don't drive down one component or the other.
Give me a call if you want and I can explain further. My system has been real stable since I set up this routine. 678-283-0031
Heath
Your sitution is very similar to mine. I don't run a calcium reactor and I drip kalk but my Alk drops about 1 dkh per day.
Your alkalinity is low, you can raise it by adding sodium bicarbonate (baking soda).
If you raise alkalinity too much it will drive down calcium, there is a balance between the two - too much of one drives down the other.
Because of this I am now using the http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/a5/Recipe-2-Instructions-for-Bulk-Packaged-Materials/article_info.html">Bulk Reef Supply 2-part recipe</a>. Their bulk calcium and magnesium are very affordable.
Alkalinity: Mix 1-1/8 cups of baking soda per gallon of RO water
Calcium: Mix 1 cup of calcium chloride per gallon of RO water
They have a good [IMG]http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/i6/Calcium-and-Alkalinity-Calculator./information.html">reef calculator </a>that will determine how much you need to dose.
Once your levels are correct, dose equal amounts of each part of the recipe. The key is to dose equal parts of each that way you don't drive down one component or the other.
Give me a call if you want and I can explain further. My system has been real stable since I set up this routine. 678-283-0031
Heath
