[cokipoint]

My tank is about 2 months old now my calcium is 360. I want to start a Kalk drip. What is a good method for administering a drip. Was going to use a IV bag, but I read you do not want to get to settled sludge in you tank. I am thinking of using a gallon bottle drilling a hole through the lid and siphoning it out in a drip. At a rate of 1 drop every 2 seconds.

[dinor2]

I'd like to know about this also, I have the same idea for my tank. My calcium levels are good but read that kalk is good for a reef anyways....

[pogodzib]

I've never used the IV bag method, but think that it would plug up easy since kalk likes to settle on the container bottom. I used to use the siphon method that you're talking about and it worked good. Make sure that you drill two holes in the lid though. One for the kalk siphon and a second to allow air back into the kalk container.

[zplay]

I'm currently using a homemade drip on my 100 gallon reef tank.
Like Pogodzib said, make sure you drill 2 holes. Also make sure when you insert the air line tubing inside the bottle that you allow about 1 inch from the buttom. You don't want all the gunk that's going to settle on the buttom of the bottle on your tank. I was using a valve to adjust the drip until I bought the Kent Marine Aqua Dose replacement hose kit. It's much earlier to adjust the drip with this kit.

[doctor T]

I have a very simple method that works well for KW and fresh water top offs.
I use 2 different CLEANED 1 gallon milk jugs, 1 marked 4 fish only for FW and the other marked for Kalkwasser. Take a length of semi ridgid tubing (I used a leftover piece from my RO / DI filter) and attach it to one of those 90 degree air valves used to control the air intake to powerheads. On the other port, attach a length of the standard flexible air line used to plumb air stones. You want the ridgid tube to be about 1/2 short from reaching all the way to the bottom of the milk jug when the device is in place. Do not go to the bottom as this will suck up the KWSR sediment and you only want to add fully dissolved solution. The flexible part can be whatever length is convienient for your set up. I simply place the filled bottle on the top of my aquarium hood, start a siphon and let the fluid drip down through into the back where the area for the over flow to the W / D fiter is sectioned off. Use the air valve to adjust the flow / drip rate. I used the 90 degree air needle valve because the adjustment knob points up and makes it very easy to adjust. Like I said, I use the same set up for top offs as I can meter a gallon into the system at a nice constant rate. I have a 75G reef tank and it loses about 2 gallons a day from evap. Used to have a chiller but once I removed the glass canopy it wans't need - just had to dramatically increase the top offs. Hope this helps. I has worked just great for me.

[dinor2]

Ok, well, I'm going to start with this: take one gallon of freshwater (ro/di of course) and syphon that into the dt using the air tubing. I know if you make a knot in the tubing you can adjust flow rate that way as well. This will be my top off 'machine'.

The second gallon jug will have the kalk mixed h2o in it for that and I'll do the same with the air tubing with it as well.

Question: Since you guys are using kalk already, how do you know how much to add to the system? I'm a little hesitant about starting the kalk simply because my three corals are doing so well so far without it. I do weekly 10% water changes, do not overfeed so water levels are great.... but I know that kalk is important for corals in how they use the calcium.... anyone feel like explaining the benefits of kalk in laymans terms?

Thanks!

[jimw369]

I mix vinegar with my kalk and just pour it in. Been doing it for a while now and all seems fine. Been sparingly using buffer to help maintain the ph. Lot easier than the slow drip thing. Just the way I choose to do it. Others may disagree. Wanted to learn some about this method anyway.

[doctor T]

cokipoint, I assume you have a test kit for calcium. You want the level to be at 450. Dose the tank and then test after a few hours. If you are still below, dose again. The calc. usage is dependent on your invert stcking level. Do you use a salt made for reefs?

[dinor2]

Originally Posted by doctor T

cokipoint, I assume you have a test kit for calcium. You want the level to be at 450. Dose the tank and then test after a few hours. If you are still below, dose again. The calc. usage is dependent on your invert stcking level. Do you use a salt made for reefs?

My calcium levels stay between 450 and 480 consistantly.... would it be ok for me to wait on dosing kalk till i'm about to add more corals? I need to go find this book I have and read up on it, for the third time!

[doctor T]

Jim w
Kalk is a base
vinegar is an acid
what's the point?

[doctor T]

With only one coral your calcium consumption will be quite low. Be easy on the dose.

[jimw369]

Originally Posted by doctor T

Jim w
Kalk is a base
vinegar is an acid
what's the point?

Im in the middle of a water chemistry course and my head is swimming with all this stuff jumbled up. Here is a small piece of an article I read some time ago that got me interested in this. If you want all the techno-jargon I will post the link for the whole article.

Some time back many of us here at RB discussed this very issue and I was surprised to find a couple here doing it or that had done it and had nothing bad to say about it. Its just something I wanted to try and become a little more educated about. Probably shouldnt have posted it in this forum.

By using enough Vinegar, we can mix to our heart's content right in the container, and don't need to worry as much about dripping the solution slowly into the tank. We have already driven the reaction all the way to the desired outcome, and provided ample CO2 to produce a balance of free Calcium ions and free Bicarbonate ions. This, incidentally, is why Kalk is said to be "ionically balanced" - it produces a one-to-one balance between Calcium and Alkalinity.

[jimwil22]

? if you add vinegar to calcium hydroxide you
get some calcium acetate ? is this more soluble ?

[pogodzib]

Jim

See if this article clarifies some things for your regarding vinegar and kalk. kalkwasser

[dori9941]

Originally Posted by pogodzib

Jim

See if this article clarifies some things for your regarding vinegar and kalk. kalkwasser

your links are helpfull to me. thank you for your thread cokipoint. I don't use kalkwasser but
I'm reading everything I can find for the Alk. issue I had. I was thinking about carbon d. causeing miy alk to drop. The link talks about it.
so thank you both, good luck

[CyberJester]

I would not bother with the drip. I have a top of resevor with an ATO. I had to put a pump in there that runs consistintly to keep the mixture stirred. When I didn't after about a day the water was almost clear and the kalk was settled out of the water.

If you do do it that way, cut the bottom of the jug off and find a way to mount a small circulation pump in there.

although, just read the article put up by pogo, and I might try this to see if the solution remains more stable.
Thanks pogo!