Dosing Question(s).....

[pilot_bell777]

OK....I've always used the Kent Calcium Additive to keep my Calc levels up were they need to be.

I have a dosing pump and have been reading alot about using Pickling Lime.

So my questions are:

1) How do I mix this up? 1 Tbs to 1 gallon of Dosing Fresh Water? Let it sit for a day or two before using it? etc, etc????

2) How much do you dose? 1 tbs of mixed per 10 Gallons of water????

3) Better to dose 1 30 minutes run of the dosing pump or 2 15 minute runs of the dosing pump spread apart? (You get the idea)

4) I read something about only getting the water out of the dosing jug and not the settlement at the bottom, but on read this on one site.....True / False?


All dosing pros chime in.....want to do this right. :lol

[GaryP]

You don't have to use an exact ratio. Just add an excess, stir it, and then let it settle for an hour. When you are through dripping it, just add more water, stir again, and you have another batch ready to go.

If you are just dripping you don't really need a dosing pump. I just use a valve to drip at around 1 drop/sec. You only really need a dosing pump if you are using a kalk reactor.

[pilot_bell777]

Wasn't dripping, adding from the bottle by hand. I was going to use the dosing pump to make up a gallon of mix then let it run for like 15 minutes or so per day or what ever I need to do.

[GaryP]

Are we talking about the Kent product (Calcium Chloride solution) or Kalk?

15 min. is way to fast for Kalk. It has a very high pH (~12-13) and needs to be added slowly to prevent shocking your system.

The other thing is that your dosing container needs to be set up so there is a space below where it drains for the solids to settle out. The solid, undissolved Kalk can burn anything it touches. By the way, Kalk has a solubility of about 3% in RO water. That means that 4 oz. should dissolve in 1 gal. of water.

[pilot_bell777]

I was going to use pickling lime.....

[GaryP]

Pickling lime is the same thing as Kalk. Its just a generic trade name for the same product. They are both Calcium Hydroxide.

[pilot_bell777]

Ok.....On that note, I have a medical real slow dosing pump (Tim Marvin! LOL used it on his system). Was going to leave it running for X amount of time....so this is Kalk,

Same questions above! LOL

[GaryP]

http://www.thereeftank.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6260

I believe Tim used it on a Kalk reactor, not a drip system. I suppose you could still use it, but a 29 cent air line valve is a lot easier to operate. Check with JimD, he's the local Kalk dosing expert.