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Who drips kalkwasser? How has it benefited you system? If you do not use Kalk why not?
Kalkwasser
- Thread starter grouper therapy
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I just started dripping it as mt calcium levels were low. But I'm lazy and just drip the whole concoction. I don't let it sit for a month and then take out the middle layer. I haven't seen any problems. My coral are looking good. But hopefully, this weekend I am setting up the calcium reactor I got from you Dave! If anyone wants to come over and help me set it up, I will be your best friend! Anyone? Bueller?
I tried it for a couple months but stopped last month. For me it's easier to maintain stable Ca and Alk using 2 part with dosing pumps on a timer. My Ca & Alk usage is more than kalk in the top off would maintain and not enough to justify a Ca reactor.
been using it in my ato for a couple weeks to keep ph up and so far so good.
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Care to elaborate?
My calcium was dropping too low so I jumped on dripping kalkwasser. Mag and calcium was doing great, but I noticed that a lot of my sps were loosing color and looking chalky. My Bali green slimer turned white with no pigment except for the green polyps. I conducted my normal tests and couldn't find any issues. I didn't even consider testing my KH, for some reason. I needed a second opinion so I carried some water to Chris at Einstein and the look on his face when he saw how high my KH was. I don't even wanna say what is was, ha. I had to do many water changes to bring it back down and now everything is back to normal and I've learned my lesson. I think I may have let it drip too fast. I haven't figured out exactly what I was doing wrong.
Edit: Guess I should add that we believe the huge jump in the KH was from the drip.
Edit: Guess I should add that we believe the huge jump in the KH was from the drip.
I'm very pleased with it in that it's a small footprint under the stand. And as opposed to the DYI reactor I previously made from a water purifier canister, each time the ATO turns on, a little wand/stirrer kicks on from the water pressure to stir the kalk at the bottom.
The only negative drawback is, as you noticed, it feeds from an ATO pump. So my reservoir tank cannot be higher than the reactor (I didn't want to hang it off the back of the tank, but wanted it to feed into the sump), which would have caused it to siphon the reservoir the first time the pump turned on.
Edit:
I seem to have the reverse effect. I've noticed my KH dropping very low and having to buffer to bring it back up.
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Anyone else?
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I used to use kalk. I don't really need it anymore.
I use a kalkreactor at timed intervals at night (one minute "doses"). This is in supplement to my calcium reactor and my overall top-off volume.
I purposely time the dosing during lights-off to better stabilize pH in a 24-hour cycle. The kalkwasser also counteracts the pH-reducing effect of my calcium reactor effluent. My pH fluctuates 8.15 - 8.20.
I also like the side-benefit of facilitating phosphate precipitation and more efficient removal.
I purposely time the dosing during lights-off to better stabilize pH in a 24-hour cycle. The kalkwasser also counteracts the pH-reducing effect of my calcium reactor effluent. My pH fluctuates 8.15 - 8.20.
I also like the side-benefit of facilitating phosphate precipitation and more efficient removal.
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I drip Kalk through my ATO. I have it controlled by my Apex to only top off at night and have it dose only 90 seconds in a 10 minute period to avoid large pH spikes. No topoff during the day and 90 seconds per 10 minutes topoff through the dark hours is just about perfect amount to keep my system topped off and provides a consistent, even pH boost through the night. I also suspend topoff if pH gets too high. I have remarkably consistent pH levels throughout the entire day using this method, not that it gets me anything. 
I use an aqualifter for the pump and evaporate about 12 gallons a week.
I started running Kalk to offset the pH drop caused by my CA reactor. I was able to dial the CA reactor way back after starting Kalk.
I use an aqualifter for the pump and evaporate about 12 gallons a week.I started running Kalk to offset the pH drop caused by my CA reactor. I was able to dial the CA reactor way back after starting Kalk.
Crap Rich, now you're going to make me have to type LOL. And thanks BTW.
I use a precision marine kalk reactor and a litermeter III to replace almost all evaporated water. I have it dilled in so that I only have to manually add 1-2 gallons of ro per week. I know I have about as much in this setup as a calcium reactor, but I did not have room under my stand for that, so I chose the kalk reactor instead. Once a month I wash out the kalk reactor and add new kalk. I must say I am pleased with how well it does for my system and the maintenance is super easy. Not really sure about the po4 precipitation, but I do not run GFO and my po4 is very low with very minimal algae in the DT.
Questions/Comments?!
I use a precision marine kalk reactor and a litermeter III to replace almost all evaporated water. I have it dilled in so that I only have to manually add 1-2 gallons of ro per week. I know I have about as much in this setup as a calcium reactor, but I did not have room under my stand for that, so I chose the kalk reactor instead. Once a month I wash out the kalk reactor and add new kalk. I must say I am pleased with how well it does for my system and the maintenance is super easy. Not really sure about the po4 precipitation, but I do not run GFO and my po4 is very low with very minimal algae in the DT.
Questions/Comments?!
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