Kalk question

[Calireefer92]

Hey reefers I’m setting up my new tank next month I’m going from a Red Sea 425 to a 200 gallon. So my question is I never used kalk before so I was wondering could a use a 5 or 10 gallon bucket to dose and how would I mix it to the buckets?

 

[chipmunkofdoom2]

You can use pretty much any container so long as it's reef-safe and it's loosely sealed. I have mine in a 10g Brute trashcan. I've been debating getting a larger trashcan so I can mix more limewater less frequently.

You'd mix it pretty much like any other limewater setup. Just add water, calcium hydroxide powder, and stir gently until mixed. I dose mine with a dosing pump, but there are many different ways to get it into the tank.

 

[Calireefer92]

You can use pretty much any container so long as it's reef-safe and it's loosely sealed. I have mine in a 10g Brute trashcan. I've been debating getting a larger trashcan so I can mix more limewater less frequently.

You'd mix it pretty much like any other limewater setup. Just add water, calcium hydroxide powder, and stir gently until mixed. I dose mine with a dosing pump, but there are many different ways to get it into the tank.

Would it be a slow drip like a drop every couple seconds? And you say loosely sealed what happens if it’s a tight seal

 

[joseserrano]

YouTube kalk dosing. You’ll get explication of methods and get a better grasp on what you may be trying trying to achieve

 

[Flippers4pups]

Would it be a slow drip like a drop every couple seconds? And you say loosely sealed what happens if it’s a tight seal

Actually it needs a semi tight seal on the container. Calcium hydroxide in solution can be effected by the rooms C02 and make it less effective.

 

[chipmunkofdoom2]

Would it be a slow drip like a drop every couple seconds? And you say loosely sealed what happens if it’s a tight seal

You could do a slow drip, although I don't like that method because the drip rate changes as the container empties. I use a dosing pump and dose an equal amount every hour.

I said "loosely sealed" because that's the minimum. Limewater degrades when exposed to air: CO2 causes calcium carbonate to precipitate. A sealed container prevents CO2 from interacting with the limewater, and thus precipitating. If you want to tightly seal your limewater reservoir, you can, but it is not necessary. Randy found over a period of three weeks, limewater potentcy remains stable even in a loosely sealed Brute trashcan:

In a still reservoir that is not aerated, however, the potency is stable for a period adequate to permit dosing. Figures 3 and 4 show the conductivity of the limewater in my 44-gallon limewater reservoir over a three-week period. It was simply covered with a loose fitting plastic lid. It is apparent from the conductivity that the potency does not decrease significantly over time.

 

[Anthony Scholfield]

I’ve been searching what others do for mixing the kalk with rodi water.....how long? Power head or stir stick? I can’t find anything mentioned.

I have been using a small power head and mixing for about 15-20mins.....thoughts, ideas?

@Randy Holmes-Farley

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I’ve been searching what others do for mixing the kalk with rodi water.....how long? Power head or stir stick? I can’t find anything mentioned.

I have been using a small power head and mixing for about 15-20mins.....thoughts, ideas?

@Randy Holmes-Farley

Mix until it is mostly dissolved, which depends on the particle size and turbulence, but mixing for 5-60 minutes is often fine and then I let it settle. Stirring overnight with a powerhead is also OK, as long as it is protected from air. Stirring it long term drives in CO2, degrading it.

 

[HuduVudu]

I wrote about this recently. Could help you with a way to approach Kalk.

Soda poppin' ... and how to dose infinite Kalk

Ok, how I arrived at this crazy simple stupid idea was kinda like this: It started a long time ago when wet dry filters were still dominant and only the cool kids built Berlins. I had gotten back into the hobby after being in the Philippines and I was absolutetly enamored with live coral, I...

www.reef2reef.com

Also this way doesn't have the same problem with the crusty crap on top of the water.

 

[Anthony Scholfield]

Mix until it is mostly dissolved, which depends on the particle size and turbulence, but mixing for 5-60 minutes is often fine and then I let it settle. Stirring overnight with a powerhead is also OK, as long as it is protected from air. Stirring it long term drives in CO2, degrading it.

Thanks a bunch!