Kalkwasser Dosing

[WVReefJunkie]

I dose esv alk through Dos, I have a ph range of 8-8.3. Looking for input on dosing Kalk, with a Kalk stirrer and a Neptune Dos to increase higher ph levels for increased sps growth. I do not currently use a Calcium reactor. Small bioload currently with 10 sps frags and some lps in a 315 gallon display.

 

[BanjoBandito]

Oh god I just got creamed by the 2 part police....I started the thread about kalk dosing without a controller! ANYWAYS, I'm a believer in it and am working on a new system. My plan for the new one is a wifi dosing pump with a kalk stirrer. It's gravity fed return so the flow will be controlled by the pump. I'll prob start around 500ml a day (total water volume is 106 gallons) and test PH 2-3 times (am, pm, night) and monitor it. Your PH can still go up even after lowering or stopping the kalk dosing so be careful. Don't dose until you hit your PH number, kinda ease it back when you are close. Good luck! I run an algae scrubber to keep CO2 down too. The kalk is just part of the PH equation. Gotta watch that CO2 level.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I dose esv alk through Dos, I have a ph range of 8-8.3. Looking for input on dosing Kalk, with a Kalk stirrer and a Neptune Dos to increase higher ph levels for increased sps growth. I do not currently use a Calcium reactor. Small bioload currently with 10 sps frags and some lps in a 315 gallon display.

There are many ways to increase pH, such as switching to a higher pH two part or more fresh air in the room or to the skimmer.

I'm not a fan of kalk stirrers, but I did dose limewater/kalkwasser for 20 years from a settled reservoir and it is an OK (but not better) plan.

 

[nereefpat]

I dose esv alk through Dos, I have a ph range of 8-8.3. Looking for input on dosing Kalk, with a Kalk stirrer and a Neptune Dos to increase higher ph levels for increased sps growth. I do not currently use a Calcium reactor. Small bioload currently with 10 sps frags and some lps in a 315 gallon display.

How much ESV are you dosing per day? Or what's your alk consumption?

We can calculate how what volume of kalk is needed to replace it.

 

[WVReefJunkie]

How much ESV are you dosing per day? Or what's your alk consumption?

We can calculate how what volume of kalk is needed to replace it.

24.5ml

 

[RedReefer]

24.5 ml of ESV in a 315 gal display? Sounds like your system is not consuming enough ESV two part , to worry about your ph of 8-8.3.

 

[WVReefJunkie]

Tank, doesnt have alot of coral load. It has ten sps frags and some lps. Tank is fairly new, year and half old roughly

 

[haitian_reefer]

I’m no expert, but your ph seems good to me. I would focus on keeping your alk and nutrients stable and ignore the ph

 

[Shooter6]

Look at the kamoer X1 Pro T for a kalk stirrer doser. I run this doser to feed my avast marine kalk stirrer. You can run it on continuous mode and dose less then 1ml a min to about 999ml a min or more ( not sure the limit but it's a steady stream. )

 

[nereefpat]

24.5 ml of ESV in a 315 gal display? Sounds like your system is not consuming enough ESV two part , to worry about your ph of 8-8.3.

That would equal about 1/2 gallon of limewater, if I'm looking at the right ESV product, if you completely replaced it with saturated kalk.

 

[outhouse]

Been running Avast kalk stirrer for a decade or so, its hooked into my ATO. Hard to screw this up

 

[Rjramos]

Look at the kamoer X1 Pro T for a kalk stirrer doser. I run this doser to feed my avast marine kalk stirrer. You can run it on continuous mode and dose less then 1ml a min to about 999ml a min or more ( not sure the limit but it's a steady stream. )

I just got the Avast stirrer and Kamoer X1 Pro. Not happy with this pumps capabilities at all.
1st, in continuity mode, it allows you to slow down rate to ideal 20-30mL/min, but around the clock only. You can’t dose night time only if you wanted to.
2nd, in plan mode, you can’t slow rate down from factory set 64mL/min. So, on every hour, “a too fast for me”, dose of kalk goes in. Also, In plan mode, you can’t make a single plan from say, 9pm- 9am, it doesn’t allow. You have to plan a group from 9pm-12am, and then another from 12am-9am. I don’t like this either. Please let me know how you are running this pump with Kalk stirrer? I’m already looking at other single channel pumps, maybe eco techs Versa pumps would allow what I want.

 

[Shooter6]

I just got the Avast stirrer and Kamoer X1 Pro. Not happy with this pumps capabilities at all.
1st, in continuity mode, it allows you to slow down rate to ideal 20-30mL/min, but around the clock only. You can’t dose night time only if you wanted to.
2nd, in plan mode, you can’t slow rate down from factory set 64mL/min. So, on every hour, “a too fast for me”, dose of kalk goes in. Also, In plan mode, you can’t make a single plan from say, 9pm- 9am, it doesn’t allow. You have to plan a group from 9pm-12am, and then another from 12am-9am. I don’t like this either. Please let me know how you are running this pump with Kalk stirrer? I’m already looking at other single channel pumps, maybe eco techs Versa pumps would allow what I want.

I doubt any pump on its own will do what you want! You will need to put it on a timer, or a controller like the hydros to accomplish what you are attempting.

 

[Rjramos]

I doubt any pump on its own will do what you want! You will need to put it on a timer, or a controller like the hydros to accomplish what you are attempting.

Lol, I don’t think it’s much to ask for automation. That’s why I’m willing to pay $160. for the pump.
Basically, allow me to program a total volume dose of say, 1000mL overnight, in 10 hours, and deliver it at 20-30mL/min in 10 increments on the hour is all I want it to do. Only problem, in Plan mode the rate is not adjustable, and I don’t want 60+mL/minute of kalk going in every hour.
Can I put it in continuity at 20mL/min, and start it and stop it on a timer? Will it start on its own when powered up?
If it allows me to do this, continuous feed overnight, at 20mL/min, in an hour, that’s 1200mL, which is probably already my evaporation top off volume. Over 10 hrs, that’s 12000mL!
How are you using this Kamoer pump with avast kalk stirrer?

 

[Shooter6]

Lol, I don’t think it’s much to ask for automation. That’s why I’m willing to pay $160. for the pump.
Basically, allow me to program a total volume dose of say, 1000mL overnight, in 10 hours, and deliver it at 20-30mL/min in 10 increments on the hour is all I want it to do. Only problem, in Plan mode the rate is not adjustable, and I don’t want 60+mL/minute of kalk going in every hour.
Can I put it in continuity at 20mL/min, and start it and stop it on a timer? Will it start on its own when powered up?
If it allows me to do this, continuous feed overnight, at 20mL/min, in an hour, that’s 1200mL, which is probably already my evaporation top off volume. Over 10 hrs, that’s 12000mL!
How are you using this Kamoer pump with avast kalk stirrer?

The issue is the only at night part that your wanting, instead of 24hrs a day.

Yes it will restart automatically if you put it on a timer. I know because mine has went through the extended power outages we have suffered in Texas.
You may want to look into the app and make sure theres not a timer built into it for only on continuously for portions of the day.

The 160.00 you paid is less then half of the cost of the other kamoer continuous duty pump that still doesn't have the only at night you want! As for the versa good luck finding one and dealing with the issues it's had.
Any reason you don't want to just run it on continuous with a lower flow rate?

 

[Rjramos]

The issue is the only at night part that your wanting, instead of 24hrs a day.

Yes it will restart automatically if you put it on a timer. I know because mine has went through the extended power outages we have suffered in Texas.
You may want to look into the app and make sure theres not a timer built into it for only on continuously for portions of the day.

The 160.00 you paid is less then half of the cost of the other kamoer continuous duty pump that still doesn't have the only at night you want! As for the versa good luck finding one and dealing with the issues it's had.
Any reason you don't want to just run it on continuous with a lower flow rate?

Thanks for helping me. Good thing it starts automatically on a timer. As far as a timer on the continuity mode, I haven’t seen on app or user manual. I saw the price on the Kamoer STP, almost jumped on it, but it’s good to know it doesn’t do only night. The Versa pump I’ve read the problems and unavailability.
So, if you don’t mind sharing, how are you running it 24hrs?
What is your evaporation rate and are you adding 90% through the stirrer, and the remaining 10% left thru your top off?
Knowing the above, what is your rate mL/min set at in continuity mode?
I have a 120 gal frag/grow out set up I wanted to add this to. Haven’t figured daily evaporation yet, but I would imagine it’s over 1 gal in 24 hrs.
Also, dosing 2 part b-ionic via doser, which would have to be tuned down, when and if I incorporate this.

 

[Shooter6]

Thanks for helping me. Good thing it starts automatically on a timer. As far as a timer on the continuity mode, I haven’t seen on app or user manual. I saw the price on the Kamoer STP, almost jumped on it, but it’s good to know it doesn’t do only night. The Versa pump I’ve read the problems and unavailability.
So, if you don’t mind sharing, how are you running it 24hrs?
What is your evaporation rate and are you adding 90% through the stirrer, and the remaining 10% left thru your top off?
Knowing the above, what is your rate mL/min set at in continuity mode?
I have a 120 gal frag/grow out set up I wanted to add this to. Haven’t figured daily evaporation yet, but I would imagine it’s over 1 gal in 24 hrs.
Also, dosing 2 part b-ionic via doser, which would have to be tuned down, when and if I incorporate this.

My system is currently over 700g. 400g display, 300g open tote sump and 2 frag tanks.
I'm pushing 5gal per 24 hrs through my stirrer now. On top of that I dose 200ml of tropic marin all for reef per day.

The ml per min I will check but I believe it's about 50ml a min. I started at 2ml per min.
And have slowly increased to this point. I'm currently at the max I can dose without adding fans to increase evaporation. I'm going to mod the stirrer and add zipties to the shaft to help suspend more of the kalk powder in the water column, making a slight slurry. I currently add a 1/4 to half a cup of the kalk powder to the stirrer every week.

 

[Rjramos]

My system is currently over 700g. 400g display, 300g open tote sump and 2 frag tanks.
I'm pushing 5gal per 24 hrs through my stirrer now. On top of that I dose 200ml of tropic marin all for reef per day.

The ml per min I will check but I believe it's about 50ml a min. I started at 2ml per min.
And have slowly increased to this point. I'm currently at the max I can dose without adding fans to increase evaporation. I'm going to mod the stirrer and add zipties to the shaft to help suspend more of the kalk powder in the water column, making a slight slurry. I currently add a 1/4 to half a cup of the kalk powder to the stirrer every week.

Wow 5 gallons is a lot but understandable with the amount of total volume.
I did the math on your system and 50mL/min rate will give you 15 gal evaporation in 24 hrs. 3 X the evaporation of 5 gal you mentioned.
So 5 gal = 22,730mL in 24 hrs.
thats 947mL/hr
Divide by 60 min = 15.78 mL/min rate.
In my system, I will be running in the single digits, hopefully accurately. Im gonna give it a try in continuous mode while monitoring carefully and adjusting the 2 part down. Thanks for the help again. Happy reefing!