Two part and kalk help

jake2045 · May 31, 2016

Ok I have been using kalkwasser in my top water ( 5 tsp to 5 gallons fresh RO/DI ) and can not keep my alk above 7.5 with out correcting with baked baking soda. So if I wanted to mix up a solution that I could dosing with a dosing pump what should I mix in a one gallon jug and how much would I dose in ml ? I loose about .5 dKh every 7-8 days.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jun 1, 2016

jake2045 said:
Ok I have been using kalkwasser in my top water ( 5 tsp to 5 gallons fresh RO/DI ) and can not keep my alk above 7.5 with out correcting with baked baking soda. So if I wanted to mix up a solution that I could dosing with a dosing pump what should I mix in a one gallon jug and how much would I dose in ml ? I loose about .5 dKh every 7-8 days.

FWIW, you cna double the amount of calcium hydroxide in tha tlimewater, and that might solve your probnlem.

But for additive dosing, I'd use my DIY recipe, and the calculator below:

An Improved Do-it-Yourself Two-Part Calcium and Alkalinity Supplement System by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/rhf/index.php

http://reef.diesyst.com/chemcalc/chemcalc.html

jake2045 · Jun 1, 2016

Thanks for the links and help !!

Jakepen · Jun 17, 2016

So after mixing your recipe, Is it meant to be added slowly? Over a 24 hour period for example?

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jun 17, 2016

It can be dosed over time, or once a day, as long as you are not dosing huge amounts.

Jakepen · Jun 17, 2016

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
It can be dosed over time, or once a day, as long as you are not dosing huge amounts.

So if I'm doing recipe #2, and have to dose 25Ml, I can dose that whole amount at once?

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jun 17, 2016

Into what size tank?

Jakepen · Jun 17, 2016

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
Into what size tank?

About 26 gallons of water.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jun 17, 2016

All at once to a high flow area away from corals will be fine.

Jakepen · Jun 17, 2016

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
All at once to a high flow area away from corals will be fine.

Oh man, makes dosing so much less dreadful! Going to mix up your recipe this weekend.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jun 17, 2016

Jakepen said:
Oh man, makes dosing so much less dreadful! Going to mix up your recipe this weekend.

Great. Let us know how it works out.

Jakepen · Jun 17, 2016

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
Great. Let us know how it works out.

I will, thanks randy. Going to continue to tweak my tank and kalk, to see if that will maintain it. If not, I don't mind dosing regularly. Does it have to be daily, or every other?

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jun 18, 2016

How often dosing is needed depends on how much alk drops in a day. If it is more than 1 dKH per day, I'd dose daily, or even more often if demand is well above that.

Jakepen · Jun 18, 2016

Randy Holmes-Farley said:
How often dosing is needed depends on how much alk drops in a day. If it is more than 1 dKH per day, I'd dose daily, or even more often if demand is well above that.

In your dosing instructions, are they always meant to raise my numbers, or maintain them? Would it be best to get my numbers where I want them, then lower the dose to just maintain them?

Jakepen · Jun 18, 2016

Also dowflake is proving difficult to find. I do however have calcium chrloride on hand from BRS. How does the amount required differ from Dow flake?

Jakepen · Jun 19, 2016

Or would you suggest finding or ordering the Dow flake? Sir @Randy Holmes-Farley

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jun 20, 2016

Jakepen said:
In your dosing instructions, are they always meant to raise my numbers, or maintain them? Would it be best to get my numbers where I want them, then lower the dose to just maintain them?

My instructions are just rough guides to a starting dose to maintain levels. You need to make adjustments up or down to match your tank's needs.

If something is significantly low (particularly calcium or magnesium), you need to boost those separate from the two part additions.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jun 20, 2016

Jakepen said:
Also dowflake is proving difficult to find. I do however have calcium chrloride on hand from BRS. How does the amount required differ from Dow flake?

Same.

I'd currently use BRS over Dowflake. It's bee a long time since I tested Dowflake.