how do you guys dose kalkwasser

[AlienAnchovies]

ok well heres my current set up
I upgraded from the mini bow

20 gallon
10 gallon wetdry (made for tanks 125 and larger)
cpr bakpak hanging on the wetdry

ok well heres is my question

how do you guys do it, at the moment i have 2 tsp. of kent kalkwasser mix in a gallon of ro/di water and im dripping it at around 1 drop every second is this how its done?
i dont think that make reactors for tanks my size :\

oh and i have been doing it at night

[reefer74]

I use a peristaltic pump that is attached to a five gallon container of kalkwasser. I have the pump set up to my IceCap timer.


Johnny G.

[matt]

Alien;

I had a good set up on my nano for KW. To make one you need the following stuff:

1. a 1 gallon glass jug,
2. a 2 holed stopper for the jug,
3. 2 pieces of 7mm pyrex pipe, 1 is 2" long, the other goes to the bottom of the jug from just out the top of the stopper.
4. several feet of "tygon" tubing (1/4" I.D.) to fit over the pyrex pipe; you can use plain vinyl, but the tygon is better
5. a 30ml aspirator, you'll just be using the outer shell. Mke sure the tubing can fit over the spout on the aspirator.

Anyhow, you can get this stuff at Analytical Science supply. Once you get it, you'll set up a gravity feed auto top off for your wet dry; the mixed KW replaces all your evaporation. If you want to go for it, get the stuff and I'll re post with instructions for making it. (Don't have time right now) It's easy, real cheap, and it works great. I used one of these for 2 years on my nano and it never screwed up; kept specific gravity and CA/Alk levels stable; not easy in a nano.

[matt]

Okay, here goes. The gallon jug sits on a shelf next to the stand so that the bottom is just above sump level. Fill the jug with KW. (1 tbls/gallon) Insert the pyrex pipes in the 2 holed stopper. One will go down to the bottom of the jug, one is just a short piece that stays above the KW level in the jug. The tops of both pyrex pipes should come out the top of the stopper about an inch. Put the stopper in the jug, make sure it seals well. Run a piece of the tygon tubing from the long pyrex into the sump, make sure it's submerged. On the short pyrex, run a piece of tygon tubing from it to the aspirator spout. Remove the plunger from the aspirator. Mount the aspirator on the inside wall of the sump so that the bottom of it is just at the sump water level. (You can use a stick on cable tie holder and a cable tie) Then, you start a siphon, by blowing into the short pyrex or tubing that's attached to it. Then seal everything, and the KW will flow out of the jug, into the sump, until the water level in sump reaches the aspirator. At that point, it cuts off the airflow to the jug, and flow stops. When the sump level evaporates a bit, it opens up the air to the jug, letting KW flow until it fills again.

It's really foolproof AS LONG as you use good quality materials and make sure there's a good seal between the stopper/jug, and tygon/pyrex/aspirator.