Am I ready for Kalk?

DannyB · Oct 19, 2015

True but it is a good indicator more oxygen is needed if it raises when a window is opened.

Jizu Puentes · Oct 20, 2015

Man that would be one long run of tubing to get it outside haha

Jizu Puentes · Oct 27, 2015

Alright I am on day 5 (well 6 since its 1am) after adding a 1/4 teaspoon per gallon into my 5 gallon ATO jug. All week my Alk has stayed around 8.4 and my nightly PH reading has gone from 7.9 to 8-8.1. I just did some tests since my WC day is tomorrow and my CA is 420, Mg is 1400, Kh 8.4 and Ph is 8. These results almost match what i got two weeks ago after doing a wc except CA was 450 then and Ph was 7.6. Based on these numbers should I be safe to go to half a teaspoon per gallon? Also I though ph climaxed during the day but mine seems to be highest around 11 pm

Harry_Y · Oct 27, 2015

I have my skimmer in take and outtake plumbed to outside
It has helped keep my PH higher and a little more stable.

I ran Kalk for a long time and have just recently switched to a CA reactor
but I'm thinking of still running some Kalk at night

Jizu Puentes · Oct 27, 2015

Harry_Y said:
I have my skimmer in take and outtake plumbed to outside
It has helped keep my PH higher and a little more stable.

I ran Kalk for a long time and have just recently switched to a CA reactor
but I'm thinking of still running some Kalk at night

What do you mean by Intake AND outtake outside? I understand intake but outtake?

I'm nowhere near using up enough CA to need a reactor but i like all the parameters Kalk covers and would probably still use it later

Randy Holmes-Farley · Oct 27, 2015

He presumably means the skimmer air outflow. I do not have any intake from outside, but I do send the skimmer air outside to reduce the amount of moisture in the basement where my skimmer is.

I do not force the skimmer to push it outside, which I think would deter the performance of my skimmer, but I send the liquid and air outflow of my skimmer into a salt bucket with a loose fitting lid. In that bucket are a sump pump which sends the liquid to a drain when it reaches a certain level, and a large diameter thin plastic tubing that is connected to a bathroom type of exhaust fan that creates a constant suction in the bucket, taking the air and blowing it outside.

Harry_Y · Oct 27, 2015

Jizu Puentes said:
What do you mean by Intake AND outtake outside? I understand intake but outtake?

I'm nowhere near using up enough CA to need a reactor but i like all the parameters Kalk covers and would probably still use it later

On my Skimmer (Lifereef) I have a line that normally goes from the collection
cup to the air intake (reduces smell, and the moist air keeps the venturi open).

I split that line, Outside air goes into the venturi and the line from the collection cup is vented to outside.

My old needle wheel skimmer has vent holes in the Lid, it would be easy to just route a
hose from one of them to outside (may need to enlarge it a little) and seal off the others.

Harry_Y · Oct 27, 2015

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
He presumably means the skimmer air outflow. I do not have any intake from outside, but I do send the skimmer air outside to reduce the amount of moisture in the basement where my skimmer is.

I do not force the skimmer to push it outside, which I think would deter the performance of my skimmer, but I send the liquid and air outflow of my skimmer into a salt bucket with a loose fitting lid. In that bucket are a sump pump which sends the liquid to a drain when it reaches a certain level, and a large diameter thin plastic tubing that is connected to a bathroom type of exhaust fan that creates a constant suction in the bucket, taking the air and blowing it outside.

I run a basement sump to I have the output line routed in a way that any
moisture that builds up in the outtake line drips back into the collection cup.

I may increase the diameter of the hose to allow the air to flow a little more freely,
but even as it is I have not noticed any decrease in performance.

One thing to note is to think about where the air is being drawn in from,
I routed the intake off the back of the house away from the driveway.

Jizu Puentes · Oct 27, 2015

That is interesting about venting the cup outside. I was confused at first because I though you guys were saying that you have an actual output line. Here is my skimmer. It's a reef octopus 150nw. On mine I would have to plug the small holes in the lid and make a larger one I guess. Is the moisture put out my the skimmer really that much?

My sump is in my laundry room which has two doors leading into it on either side. One from the kitchen and one from the den, it also has a door leading to outside. With the configuration of this room should I worry about humidity? Also since the kalk is raising my ph is it advantageous for me to run the air intake outside to let it be naturally raised? I would think that addig a long line of tubing to such a small opening would lessen the airflow into the skimmer

Jizu Puentes · Oct 27, 2015

Oh by the way my house is single story so the laundry room mentioned is on the same level as the rest of the house and has one 6" ac duct feeding air and heat into the room

Randy Holmes-Farley · Oct 27, 2015

Jizu Puentes said:
That is interesting about venting the cup outside. I was confused at first because I though you guys were saying that you have an actual output line. Here is my skimmer. It's a reef octopus 150nw. On mine I would have to plug the small holes in the lid and make a larger one I guess. Is the moisture put out my the skimmer really that much?

My sump is in my laundry room which has two doors leading into it on either side. One from the kitchen and one from the den, it also has a door leading to outside. With the configuration of this room should I worry about humidity? Also since the kalk is raising my ph is it advantageous for me to run the air intake outside to let it be naturally raised? I would think that addig a long line of tubing to such a small opening would lessen the airflow into the skimmer

If you do not notice a humidity problem, perhaps you do not have such an issue. Mold concerns me a lot,a nd I wan't my basement air to be not more humid than the outside, if possible.

Whether outside air is advantageous depends on the pH of the tank. It's effect and the effect of limewater will be essentially additive.

Jizu Puentes · Oct 27, 2015

Well I don't notice the humidity yet because only the sump is in the room but soon I will have my display in there as well one I finish my in wall build. I'll have to keep an eye on it. Well feel for it I guess haha

The pH before kalk topped out at 7.8 and opening doors brought it to 8.4. Now with a 1/4 teaspoon of kalk it tops at 8.1. I just refilled my ATO jug with 4 gallons of water ( it holds 5 but i refill when it reaches 1 left) and added a half teaspoon for each of the 4 gallons so I'll see if it changes the ph much or not.

Jizu Puentes · Oct 27, 2015

Oh another thing to add. When i originally mixed 5 gallons of kalk at 1/4 teaspoon per gallon the ph measured 11. When i just topped off with 4 gallons at 1/2 a teaspoon the ph measured 11.8. From now when I top off should the ph of the kalk stay at 11.8? That is the only way I can measure saturation since I don't have a conductivity probe

Randy Holmes-Farley · Oct 27, 2015

Jizu Puentes said:
Oh another thing to add. When i originally mixed 5 gallons of kalk at 1/4 teaspoon per gallon the ph measured 11. When i just topped off with 4 gallons at 1/2 a teaspoon the ph measured 11.8. From now when I top off should the ph of the kalk stay at 11.8? That is the only way I can measure saturation since I don't have a conductivity probe

pH is not very sensitive to potency. A difference of 0.3 pH units is about a doubling of potency, and the calibration of your meter may also not be very accurate in this range. Saturated limewater is well above pH 12. To compare, make a truly saturated solution (say, 2 teaspoons in a cup of RO/DI), and compare that by pH to what you are making.

Jizu Puentes · Oct 27, 2015

I guess I'll have to get a conductivity probe then. Do most people measure the strength of it or do they just keep adding the same amount? If i continue to refill my jug when it hits the 1 gallon mark will the saturation eventually go up from the left over on the bottom?

Randy Holmes-Farley · Oct 28, 2015

Most people judge potency by the amount added. That can work OK for a settled reservoir, but not a limewater reactor. Still, even most of those folks do not measure it.

Jizu Puentes · Oct 28, 2015

Since the amount the sludge on the bottom increases over time it seems like some sort of change in potency would happen

Randy Holmes-Farley · Oct 28, 2015

Jizu Puentes said:
Since the amount the sludge on the bottom increases over time it seems like some sort of change in potency would happen

Do you mean in a reactor? Many people are surprised that many reactors do not really put out saturated limewater because the mixing is not as effective as they think, but that aside, as long as there is substantial calcium hydroxide present, the presence of useless calcium cabonate doesn't necessarily reduce the potency.

Maximus · Oct 28, 2015

Randy, I plan on adding kalk to my top off reservoir and was wondering if you would recommend mixing it with a powerhead? I used to mix 15-20 teaspoons of kalk in my 17g top off reservoir and just threw in a mj powerhead to mix it for a few hours. Do you see anything wrong with that? Or, would the preferable method be to stir it gently. Thanks.