Kalk drip

[Duberz]

Im wanting to set up a kalk drip. I have a Red Sea reefer 350 that I would like to keep the stock gravity fed ato. I can't add kalk to it because the drain is at the bottom of the resivore. I'm used to dosing kalk via a 5gal bucket through a jbj ato in previous tanks. If I set up a drip at 1/sec would I have to maintain this 24/7 to keep my levels steady? Or could I do at night until the container(thinking 1 gal)is empty?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I'm not sure I understand the question. You can put clear settled limewater in a reservoir with a bottom drain.

As to amounts, it depends on the evaporation rate in the aquarium and the demand for alkalinity (and calcium).

 

[Duberz]

Thanks for the reply Randy. I always thought that the kalk redivide had settled sludge on the bottom. I figured since the drain in my gravity fed top off would suck it up since its at the bottom. All my other topoff buckets had its intake an inch or so off the bottom. Also i want to let my stock top off keep up with evaporation. I wanted to use the kalk drip only to keep levels steady. That's why I was asking how long I would have to drip daily to accomplish this.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Once limewater is clear and settled, any new sediment that forms is only calcium carbonate (made by combining with CO2 from the air)and is not a concern if it gets into teh tank or not.

"Also i want to let my stock top off keep up with evaporation. I wanted to use the kalk drip only to keep levels steady. That's why I was asking how long I would have to drip daily to accomplish this."

I'm not sure how I could answer this without knowing what the demand is in the tank. If you do not know (like dKH per day, or "I dose X and it maintains alkalinity" then the best way is to guess a reasonable amount, and adjsut up or down as necessary to maintain alkalinity.

FWIW, I replace all evaporated water with 80-90% saturated limewater and it seems to be fine for my system, but it is not an SPS tank.

 

[Duberz]

Thanks. What's your opinion on not having an airtight lid on the kalk resivore.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Thanks. What's your opinion on not having an airtight lid on the kalk resivore.

There should be some sort of lid, but a lid like a trash can lid is adequate. Otherwise, CO2 will enter faster than you'd like, depleting the limewater.

I show that here:

The Degradation of Limewater in Air - Reefkeeping.com
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-05/rhf/feature/index.htm