kalk not enough?

[Europhyllia]

phosphates are 0 (probably because my algae are eating it all up! lol)

[TexasTodd]

If you are using kalkwasser for all make up water, then go get B-Ionic or equivelent and start dosing.

Todd

[Europhyllia]

What is the PH of your fresh water after you add kalk and it has settled? It should be at 12 and should only be dosed at night when your PH is lower.

I guess don't mix it up to where pH is that high. Maybe I've been diluting it too much. (I was a little scared of waking up and the pH being sky high due to accidental kalk overdose). I'll try a little more kalk in the solution.

[corruption]

With the slurry methods, you typically want to oversaturate the make up water as high as possible, and then only add back enough to adjust your ph swing to where you want it -- a bit of a balancing act to get it down pat. The water will only absorb so much of the kalk, and the remainder will precipitate to the bottom of the container -- make sure to only add the parts that are thoroughly absorbed, not the precipitate at the bottom of the container -- this is still 'unactivated' kalk, and the next time you top off with water, the limewater left in the container will begin the saturation of the fresh water.

-Corruption

[TexasTodd]

Ah, I didn't realize you weren't using full strength kalkwasser.

You can put up to about 1 teaspoon per gallon.

Some worry about letting it settle out and only using the more clear solution. I NEVER have and have never had a problem. THINK about all the people using Kalk reactors, they never let the solution settle out!

You do need to watch your alk and ph as you ramp up solution concentration. Kalk is strange, you actually get a higher concentration with a LOWER water temp (not tank, talking about kalkwasser storage vessle here). You can also increase the concentration further by adding some vinegar, but then you don't get as much PH increase that most people are looking for.

T

[Europhyllia]

Kalk is strange, you actually get a higher concentration with a LOWER water temp (not tank, talking about kalkwasser storage vessle here). You can also increase the concentration further by adding some vinegar, but then you don't get as much PH increase that most people are looking for.

T

Wow Todd that's really interesting. I have a heater in there. Maybe I'll turn it down a bit. It was the pH that I was worried about and the reason I didn't go with a stronger solution because before lights out my pH is already at 8.37. I was worried with higher concentration I'd get higher pH than I'd want (even if dosing several hours after lights out)

[corruption]

A kalk reactor by definition is putting out the concentrated and saturated effluent... thats a different situation than mixing up kalk in an external vessel.. I still believe that the pure kalk shouldn't be allowed into the tank, until its saturated into the water -- too much possibility of burns on corals/fish/etc -- that stuff's pretty caustic

-Corruption

[TexasTodd]

Kalk reactors stir every few minutes and then dose anytime the float valve or ato demand water. If it's just stirred the whole reactor and immediately (or during stirring) tops off, what's the difference?

I'm not saying not to fully mix it, but some won't dose kalkwasser until it's been mixed and set for like 12+ hours.

Yes, VERY caustic

Karin, are you using a ph probe or test kit? If probe, when is the last time you've cleaned it in vinegar and re-calibrated?

T

[Europhyllia]

I am using a pinpoint meter and I think I cleaned it last time about 3 weeks ago.
My values have made it into acceptable range now although a little higher would be nicer. Alk is 8.3 dkh and calcium is 400. (too bad it took two not so cheap bottles of 2-part to get there. hopefully just stronger kalk will work from here on out)
I was taking a closer look at my hard corals and my birdsnest has a ton of new little buds for new branches and the digitatas seem to be putting out new 'bumps' as well so creeping along the low end must have not been too detrimental to their health.