DIY KALK doser Help

[reefer55]

Ok Ive searched the threads for this topic but wonna clarify things for the post are a couple years old and maybe out dated?

I wonna dose Kalk for my new tank (250g reef) but i wonna keep it cheap and simple, I plan on doing a ATO system but dont wonna do it that.


Is it possible to use a 1g or 5g bucket and make it work via drip method? Can someone help me out and keep it simple/stupid lol thats the best way for me in the hobby!!!

Yes cost is issue lately so Im doing this to save some money on my build but yet see the benefits of using Kalk

 

[lofty78]

I mave a 2 gallon bucket with RO filter (hard plastic) line. There is one line going in to blow into for getting the siphon started and the other line goes into the sump and has a valve (found in the RO water section of home depot) I mix 2 TSP of Mrs. Wages 1 day before I start drip. When I start the drip, I make sure the drip line is not at the very bottom to avoid getting kalk sludge in the system. Once the drip is going, I adjust it to the least drip possible... enough to keep up with evaporation, so it doesn't over fill. During the drip I have my ATO turned off.

Here are pics:

Let me know if you have any questions :smile:

 

[reefer55]

This seems easy for sure, so looks like you did this with out any pump? do you recommend a pump for sometimes im away from my tank for 48hrs at a time due to work. Can i do this under $30 you think?

 

[lofty78]

This seems easy for sure, so looks like you did this with out any pump? do you recommend a pump for sometimes im away from my tank for 48hrs at a time due to work. Can i do this under $30 you think?

No pump needed and if you want ti to last that long, you may want to make it in a 5 gallon.... I use 1 Tsp per gallon, but if you are trying to raise calcium, you may want to go 2 tsp per gallon... search Mrs wages on any reef forum and you'll get a lot of info... thats how I came up with this.... also... if you spend more than $15 dollars I'd be surprise... Mrs wages is only 3-4$ at walmart... bucket 3$, drip line 5$ and valve 3$... maybe +/- on each... I would recommend getting 2 lids though because you want a sealed lid when it is settling over night....keeps out mammal type critters, like dogs, cats and kids.

 

[reefer55]

thats awesome man!! So Im a little still confused tho, assuming I'll have to sit the bucket higher than my sump? and then let gravity take affect?

Do you run this constantly, only when needed how do I manage this, sorry for all the questions Im new to the KALK world but due to my new 250g i feel like this is the way to go to maintain proper parameters for SPS and LPS corals.


thanks again

 

[reefer55]

Whats the ration for Vinegar I should use and what ration for Lime Powder do i use?

 

[lofty78]

I dont use vinegar, so I can't advise you there... and as I said above, I use 1 teaspoon per gallon, but your needs may differ... you should test your calcium say today... then again in 4 days at the same time of day (assuming you haven't done anything else dosing wise to your system)... then take the difference and divide it by 4. That will tell you how much calcium your corals are system is consuming.... I don't know the exact calculations to determine how much you need to keep up with you calcium draw as I somewhat randomly do the kalk drip, but I need to get better about it as my SPS and LPS load is growing.... please don't just take off with what one person says on a forum though... do the research find out what works best for you.

 

[reefer55]

I dont use vinegar, so I can't advise you there... and as I said above, I use 1 teaspoon per gallon, but your needs may differ... you should test your calcium say today... then again in 4 days at the same time of day (assuming you haven't done anything else dosing wise to your system)... then take the difference and divide it by 4. That will tell you how much calcium your corals are system is consuming.... I don't know the exact calculations to determine how much you need to keep up with you calcium draw as I somewhat randomly do the kalk drip, but I need to get better about it as my SPS and LPS load is growing.... please don't just take off with what one person says on a forum though... do the research find out what works best for you.

+1 on advice I appreciate it tho, I'm trying figure out why drop rate ppl use what I'm hearing is 2-3 per second, seems a lot but understandable


"You might be a firefighter if your kids are scared to get in a water fight with you"


Go Gators!!!

Christian

 

[Pappy]

The simplest is dose through ato...can't screw it up

 

[lofty78]

The simplest is dose through ato...can't screw it up

as long as you mix your ATO in batches... My ATO is fed into a holding tank which is gravity fed into the sump.

 

[reefer55]

The simplest is dose through ato...can't screw it up

What's the formula you use for adequate dosing, I'm thinking of using that but I hear that it can't sit stagnate and I'm away from my tank for days at the FD so I need something that's gonna uphold my levels while I'm away





"You might be a firefighter if your kids are scared to get in a water fight with you"


Go Gators!!!

Christian

 

[Pappy]

I use 1tsp per gallon of ato. Think u can go up to 2 tsp.

 

[mcarroll]

First, you should drop in on the Kalk sticky thread in the Chemistry section and read it front to back: https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/reef-chemistry-forum/54889-kalk-all-s-cracked-up.html

A few other thoughts...

First, it's not clear why you want to dose kalk in the first place and it's good to be clear on this. Your questions make me suspect you don't actually need it, so at least be aware that you can cause real problems with kalk if you overdo it - and you will likely overdo it if you aren't testing. You wouldn't be the first to go down this road either. FWIW, nobody here can tell you the correct dose rate because it will be dictated by your alkalinity testing. Once you have your alkalinity test result that shows you need to dose, you can use Jose Deick's Chemistry Calculator to see how much limewater you need to add to correct your tank's alk and calcium. (In fact the way you asked you may be asking about mixing the kalk....you always mix to a saturated solution, which doesn't take much in plain water.)

Second, you really should dose kalk via your ATO if you have one. Why do you not want to? The TLF reactor mentioned in the thread linked above is dirt cheap ($50-$70) so there's almost no reason not to go this route. Put off implementation to save up for a few weeks to afford the reactor if you have to. You could probably even build something like that or the Tunze 5074 reactor if you really have to do it for as cheap as possible.

Third, if you want to use vinegar, read the thread above as well as this link.

Last, don't do anything with kalk or any other dosing chemicals if you're not testing your alkalinity and seeing a need for dosing and/or don't fully understand how it works.

Good luck!

-Matt