Kalk

[AJreefs]

It's always something new in this hobby, something to learn and I was hoping you could help me! I was thinking of starting to add some more Kalk to my top off water and was told I would have to monitor my Ph closely! How many of you out there are dosing 1tbsp or less per gallon of top off and not monitoring the PH? I was using 0.5 tsp per gallon and figured I was safe with such a small amount but now im not sure?!

Thanks R2Rers

 

[Aquaph8]

It kinda depends but I think most people have low PH to start with so it's not usually an issue. I think keeping an eye on your PH while dosing Kalk is a good idea but in most cases won't be an issue. Do you have any idea of what your ph runs during the day and at night?

 

[Razor]

Check your ph before the ATO kicks in..then check it after the ATO pump shuts off..You don't want more than 0.2 change in the ph reading.Hope this helps..

 

[AJreefs]

The Ph's low has been 8.0 and high has been 8.2 those numbers were early morning and late afternoon. Are there specific times of days you need to worry about a swing becuase of carbon dioxide build up?

 

[Poseidon]

I set my ATO to only run from midnight to 8am, after lights had been out for a while, and before the lights came back on. I simple 24hr timer on the ATO and pump would be all you need for this.

 

[Aquaph8]

The Ph's low has been 8.0 and high has been 8.2 those numbers were early morning and late afternoon. Are there specific times of days you need to worry about a swing becuase of carbon dioxide build up?

Your PH is naturally going to be low at night for this reason. I run kalk 24/7 via my ATO and a kalk reactor and Ive never had a problem. My biggest issue with this set up is compensating for the rise in Alk I get in the summer when I get more evaporation. Not too big a deal at all. I do recommend monitoring your PH when you start dosing kalk just to be sure. The pinpoint monitors are pretty great IMO and its so easy to just give it a glance everyday on your way by.

 

[RaeRae]

I have a 110 gallon. And I use 1 tea spoon per gallon and have for years. I test my PH once a month and find that I still have to buffer it every once in a while "like this morning". Make sure you test your tank daily until you get a grip on the whole kalk thing. I run mine 24/7 with a ATO. So very lil goes in the tank at a time. Mix several gallons at a time then let it sit for a couple days and then dip out the clear liquid. Good luck. Kalk is a great thing to use as long as it is done right.

 

[AJreefs]

I have a 110 gallon. And I use 1 tea spoon per gallon and have for years. I test my PH once a month and find that I still have to buffer it every once in a while "like this morning". Make sure you test your tank daily until you get a grip on the whole kalk thing. I run mine 24/7 with a ATO. So very lil goes in the tank at a time. Mix several gallons at a time then let it sit for a couple days and then dip out the clear liquid. Good luck. Kalk is a great thing to use as long as it is done right.

Interesting; never heard of doing it this way but it really makes sense to get rid of inconsistancy within the water you are using. I seemed to have issues around the end of my top off every time unless my imagination running wild; thanks for the advice!!

 

[mcarroll]

Ajay:

While the pH of fresh mixed kalk is around 12 and thus good to be very aware of, in your case a better way to approach this (than from pH management) would be from an alkalinity management perspective. pH is secondary (and linked) to alkalinity anyway. Also, as long as you have a relatively normal tank (skimmer, not too overstocked) and are dosing kalk through an ATO (which is the only way I'd recommend doing it) you're not going to foul up your pH.....misplaced worry as there should be very little kalk added in any given dose.

What you do not want to mess up is your calcium or alkalinity level. Do you know what your high and low levels (before and after water changes, usually) are for both parameters?

Unless you are seeing some calcium depletion (at first you will only see alkalinity depletion) I would not recommend dosing kalk yet. I would suggest starting out with a two part system so you can add separate components - calcium or alkalinity by itself - as needed to keep things balanced.

This means you don't use any until you see a need for dosing both calcium and alkalinity.

Once you have demand for adding both, you have a choice to make: kalk, two part, calcium reactor? Or some combination? Kalk tends to be the cheapest, but is inflexible and slightly dangerous to work with due to high pH. Two part is the most flexible, but can be very expensive if commercial solutions are relied upon. Two part DIY solutions exist. Calcium reactors are probably the cheapest solution, but are by far the most complex to maintain and the most expensive in up-front costs.

I suggest starting with two-part for it's flexibility. Cost should not be a factor for you at this point - dosing without error should be your only goal. After some time of dosing two-part, when the quantity (and related cost) of what you are dosing has increased and your skill at testing+dosing has increased, you can bring kalk into the picture. Since kalk adds both calcium and alkalinity, you will be able to lower your two-part dosing rate.

-Matt

P.S. If you have any doubts or hesitations about using kalk, listen to your gut and don't use it! Kalk is not a requirement at all and it does have some downsides that other dosing solutions lack.

P.P.S. If you haven't already, check out the sticky!