Ohio Reef
Reef Discussion => Water Chemistry => Topic started by: woltersb on February 09, 2013, 00:33:50
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Getting my ReefKeeper set up and part of it is an ATO. Been having problems with low pH so decided to start dosing some Kalk in my top off water. Here's my set up:
-ATO set up with 3.5 GPH pump - slow addition of Kalk (picked up kent brand)
-bucket with mixed Kalk water - sealed to prevent air movement as much as possible
-power head on a timer from RKL to stir calk at preset time
Here's my questions:
1) what should I start with concentration wise? I was thinking 1/2 tablespoon per gallon
2) how often should I have the pump stir the water to prevent layering
Please give me your thoughts
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The kalkwasser will reach saturation levels and will not absorb any further amount of the kalk powder. What you want to do is put your ATO water in at the bottom of the bucket and push the clear kalkwasser out the top for the best results. I put a 1/2 lb of powder into my reactor and fuggeddaboudit until my alk starts dropping. You should stir the kalkwasser reservior with the pump for 15 minutes a day twice daily. For the best result, your ATO takes RO water and pressurizes the kalwasser reactor, and that in turn feeds kalkwasser into the tank. It is a bad idea to suck freshly-mixed kalkwasser into your tank - "hot dose" of alkalinity. Things die that way if you go that route. Been there, done that, got a T-shirt that says "I'm poor and depressed" after that mistake.
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I'm confused... So I should buy a kalk reactor? I was going to premix 5 gallons or so at a time and have it pumped into my tank
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Kalk reactors are great, that is what I use. Like Katz said....add powder and forget about it. I have mine mix for 5 minutes, 3 times a day. Alk stays nice and steady all of the time.
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How's your alkalinity redaings? I'm no "expert", but I just add @ 125ml of soda ash solution to every 5 gal of RO/DI water added to the ATO water resivoir and alkalinity/Ph seem pretty consistent.... just be careful about getting any salt water in the ATO resivoir - or the soda ash precipitates out of solution - I use the same container for RO/DI resivoir & salt water mixer and once I did not remove all the salt water and "POOF"... snow LOL!
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Mine stays around 10.2DKh and the PH is a solid 8.3 consistently. You said it, though, if you add kalkwasser (not powder) to the ATO water, then it works. Adding powder to the water, not so much. A reactor is the best way to go IMO.
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Mine stays around 10.2DKh and the PH is a solid 8.3 consistently. You said it, though, if you add kalkwasser (not powder) to the ATO water, then it works. Adding powder to the water, not so much. A reactor is the best way to go IMO.
That was my question, I was reading online that people add the powered directly to the top off water.
Any recommendations on a kalk reactor? Need to get my pH up
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Well, George at GEO makes a nice one. The TLF and PM units are really nice and don't cost a huge amount. Vertex makes a nice one. I have an older PM (Precision Marine) unit that I bought off of RC for around $50 and it's big enough for the new 300g in the garage that I use on my 90g. Fill, forget, check alk weekly. Replace the pump once a year. A mechanical stirrer might be cheaper in the long run over a pump-type stir because Kalkwasser is HARD on pumps.
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So Ive been sitting at work doing research all morning on this,hard job ;). My tank is a 33 gallon cube. has all the pumps/sumps etc built into the back of the tank. Anyways, seems to me that the Kalk water may be overkill with such a small tank?
I do weekly water changes which helps some but pH is still 7.8-8.0 (pH probe on Reef Keeper). What if I just add a pH increases like Brightwells pH+?? Its RO water with carbonate. My Ca and Alk levels have always been fine as well....
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pH is a different beast with different fixes. Kalkwasser is generally an alk and calcium fix, not a pH fix, although it will raise pH temporarily. Club soda may be used IIRC to raise pH. Fresh air in the house can raise pH. Is your pH probe calibrated? If not, do that first. 7.9 is ok, 7.8 is a little low but not dangerous. If your levels have been fine for calc and alk, then look on RC for some advice from Dr. Randy Holmes-Farley on this issue.
For a reactor, try this http://premiumaquatics.com/store/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=PA&Product_Code=TLF-KWR300&Category_Code= (http://premiumaquatics.com/store/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Store_Code=PA&Product_Code=TLF-KWR300&Category_Code=)
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Thanks for advice, I was looking into maintaining the ca and alkalinity due to the Amount of coral I am adding
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Ya I calibrated the probe and took a sample to WSU to run in my lab haha