Dosing Kalk need confirmation.

[pledosophy]

Good luck with your chase. I’ve been down this road and didn’t see anything difference in my tank — too much headache. I can peg my pH at a certain point but it’s far easier to control alk - CaRx is keeping it stable.

Did you try the Meckley method or something else?

 

[DEWreefing]

Nice! Can’t wait to invest into an apex lol just too darn expensive glad you got the balance. I hope to get acros in my tank one day


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Get the hydros

 

[DEWreefing]

I have been doing Chris's method for about a year now. It works. I went with the Brightwell kalk because it has some Mg in it.

I went through the alk swing, and eventually through a CA drop, but it leveled out. I used to test Alk every two days or so, I haven't tested it in a month.

Did you build the whole container to keep the kalk in? I noticed pretty quickly that how the kalk was stored made a huge difference in the amount used.

The other thing I noticed was I could not run my ATO 24/7. If the ATO had the tank full at lights out, then the kalk dose would raise my sump level just enough by lights on that my skimmer would get wonky and even more annoying my ATO overfill alarm would go off. So if you have a Tunze with the beep, then maybe turn it off while you are asleep.

Another little trick, there is a hack for the Apex that will allow you to see how much solution is left in your reservoir and send you a notification if it is low. Makes life a little easier when you are only refilling once a month. Less worrisome then getting the pH drop notification.

So I took a 5 gallon jug used a drill bit to make a hole for the dosing tube slightest amount of slip. I have not used my ATO for last 2 days. I realized last night there is no reason to check alk in the morning due to due to elements being diluted. Alk is starting to drop was at 12.7 highest to 11 Dkh last night.

 

[DEWreefing]

I have been doing Chris's method for about a year now. It works. I went with the Brightwell kalk because it has some Mg in it.

I went through the alk swing, and eventually through a CA drop, but it leveled out. I used to test Alk every two days or so, I haven't tested it in a month.

Did you build the whole container to keep the kalk in? I noticed pretty quickly that how the kalk was stored made a huge difference in the amount used.

The other thing I noticed was I could not run my ATO 24/7. If the ATO had the tank full at lights out, then the kalk dose would raise my sump level just enough by lights on that my skimmer would get wonky and even more annoying my ATO overfill alarm would go off. So if you have a Tunze with the beep, then maybe turn it off while you are asleep.

Another little trick, there is a hack for the Apex that will allow you to see how much solution is left in your reservoir and send you a notification if it is low. Makes life a little easier when you are only refilling once a month. Less worrisome then getting the pH drop notification.

What is you Alk at now? After a full year

 

[barretojesse93]

Get the hydros

I see a lot of mixed reviews. Just doesn’t seem to have the reliability of apex? Or am I wrong?


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[DEWreefing]

I see a lot of mixed reviews. Just doesn’t seem to have the reliability of apex? Or am I wrong?


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I will be switching to the hydros. Basically because it is water resistant unlike the Apex just incase. Apex has more features but even Apex is slowly taking features away. Hydros is a party in a box.

 

[pledosophy]

So I took a 5 gallon jug used a drill bit to make a hole for the dosing tube slightest amount of slip. I have not used my ATO for last 2 days. I realized last night there is no reason to check alk in the morning due to due to elements being diluted. Alk is starting to drop was at 12.7 highest to 11 Dkh last night.

I had more success when I added the float to my kalk reservoir. It's a piece of Styrofoam that floats on top of the solution to minimize air contact. Otherwise over time the pH of my solution would drop and I would no longer be able to get to the 8.3 with dosing the same amount.

If the pH in your kalk container drops to even 12 you're going to need 2x as much kalk water for the same result. Keeping that container air tight, minimizing air exposure, and keeping your unused kalk sealed is really important if you want it to work long term. Most of the people who fail at this method fail in that stage of it. It always seems to link back to how the reservoir was setup or how the kalk was stored.

I haven't tested my Alk in a bit, the reagent for my Hanna's went bad, but it was hovering around 11 the last few months when I did test.

 

[DEWreefing]

I had more success when I added the float to my kalk reservoir. It's a piece of Styrofoam that floats on top of the solution to minimize air contact. Otherwise over time the pH of my solution would drop and I would no longer be able to get to the 8.3 with dosing the same amount.

If the pH in your kalk container drops to even 12 you're going to need 2x as much kalk water for the same result. Keeping that container air tight, minimizing air exposure, and keeping your unused kalk sealed is really important if you want it to work long term. Most of the people who fail at this method fail in that stage of it. It always seems to link back to how the reservoir was setup or how the kalk was stored.

I haven't tested my Alk in a bit, the reagent for my Hanna's went bad, but it was hovering around 11 the last few months when I did test.

Nice, so my jug is air tight the tube that goes in bearly has clearance to slide in without force of pinching. The parastalic pump I use will not allow a siphon. Corals look good was just wondering if your Alk dropped off. Tube is cut high enough to not suck in slurry 2 inches from bottom of jug. After mixing kalk 3 times without exposing to air I let sit for 2 hours to settle out. Sounds like we are both doing the same. What size tank are you running?.

 

[DEWreefing]

Alk is dropping nicely.

 

[pledosophy]

Nice, so my jug is air tight the tube that goes in bearly has clearance to slide in without force of pinching. The parastalic pump I use will not allow a siphon. Corals look good was just wondering if your Alk dropped off. Tube is cut high enough to not suck in slurry 2 inches from bottom of jug. After mixing kalk 3 times without exposing to air I let sit for 2 hours to settle out. Sounds like we are both doing the same. What size tank are you running?.

I have a 50g and a 165g. I kalk dose both. Both setup the same way. The 165 isn't stocked with many corals yet, but I like the pH up. That tank has had more problems than any system I have had in the last 24 years now. Alk never really got much lower than 11. In my 165 it's around 12 right now, but the tank isn't stocked with hard coral yet.

When the solution leaves your jug, more air will come in. That will expose your kalk solution to air, and eventually lower the pH of the solution. If you are mixing often might not be a huge deal. If you mixing for a couple months at a time, it can start to have a real impact on how it works. Chris explains it a lot better than I can. Did you catch the video/interview he did with Marc Levenson on the Meleve channel?

I use a 10g bucket, basically a bread mixing bucket. I have a two inch lift made with pvc on the bottom of the bucket. I cut out a piece of Styrofoam as a float, and run the feed line through the top of it. I don't actually mix the kalk at all. I fill the bucket with the RODI, and pour in 1/4 cup of kalk solution and let it trickle down. I tend to do maintence in morning, so by the time the pump would dose again it's all settled in.

 

[DEWreefing]

I have a 50g and a 165g. I kalk dose both. Both setup the same way. The 165 isn't stocked with many corals yet, but I like the pH up. That tank has had more problems than any system I have had in the last 24 years now. Alk never really got much lower than 11. In my 165 it's around 12 right now, but the tank isn't stocked with hard coral yet.

When the solution leaves your jug, more air will come in. That will expose your kalk solution to air, and eventually lower the pH of the solution. If you are mixing often might not be a huge deal. If you mixing for a couple months at a time, it can start to have a real impact on how it works. Chris explains it a lot better than I can. Did you catch the video/interview he did with Marc Levenson on the Meleve channel?

I use a 10g bucket, basically a bread mixing bucket. I have a two inch lift made with pvc on the bottom of the bucket. I cut out a piece of Styrofoam as a float, and run the feed line through the top of it. I don't actually mix the kalk at all. I fill the bucket with the RODI, and pour in 1/4 cup of kalk solution and let it trickle down. I tend to do maintence in morning, so by the time the pump would dose again it's all settled in.

I mix my jug daily it is mixed 2 hours before use and dosed over a 9 hour period with a sealed lid on top no air can enter. I also have a bag of soda lime where the tube enters the jug since Wednesday. Check pH in the morning of jug and it's usually 12.40 to 12.42.( check it 3 hours after it has shut down) Borrowed my buddies Milwaukee mw101. There has to be air enter the jug or you get a siphon. Seen all of Chris with reefbum, Devin, Marc, and videos he put out. Guys is funny, But brilliant. ATI test went out today going moonshine method. I have never changed water in any of my systems. I have close to 300g water volume. So the sg only swings about .5 to .6 daily up down.

 

[Reeferkcp]

I have a 50g and a 165g. I kalk dose both. Both setup the same way. The 165 isn't stocked with many corals yet, but I like the pH up. That tank has had more problems than any system I have had in the last 24 years now. Alk never really got much lower than 11. In my 165 it's around 12 right now, but the tank isn't stocked with hard coral yet.

When the solution leaves your jug, more air will come in. That will expose your kalk solution to air, and eventually lower the pH of the solution. If you are mixing often might not be a huge deal. If you mixing for a couple months at a time, it can start to have a real impact on how it works. Chris explains it a lot better than I can. Did you catch the video/interview he did with Marc Levenson on the Meleve channel?

I use a 10g bucket, basically a bread mixing bucket. I have a two inch lift made with pvc on the bottom of the bucket. I cut out a piece of Styrofoam as a float, and run the feed line through the top of it. I don't actually mix the kalk at all. I fill the bucket with the RODI, and pour in 1/4 cup of kalk solution and let it trickle down. I tend to do maintence in morning, so by the time the pump would dose again it's all settled in.

what kind of styrofoam did u use? Do u have a link to it? Im afraid some chemical would leach out? I saw Chris M does the same thing with the floating styrofoam and has been wanting to try it with my 30 gallon kalk reservoir. Kalk seems to work for me for the past 6 month. I compensate the ph drop overtime by leaving some undissolved kalk in the bottom of the bin to slowly dissolved as the kalk became less saturated. Also, the layer of caco3 helps as well. I havent tried testing my kalk ph over time in the bin but my tank alk and ph seems stable in the DT over the 1 month that my kalk bin lasted me.

 

[pledosophy]

I mix my jug daily i

Daily?

Damn. Have you considered a 55g barrel? If you are mixing daily I don't think the float is ever going to matter for you. I mix once a month. On the 15th of the month I mix both tanks and refill my auto feeders.

Daily? To much work for me. I do this method because it is so hands off.

 

[DEWreefing]

Daily?

Damn. Have you considered a 55g barrel? If you are mixing daily I don't think the float is ever going to matter for you. I mix once a month. On the 15th of the month I mix both tanks and refill my auto feeders.

Daily? To much work for me. I do this method because it is so hands off.

I like daily test and filling the jug gives me joy. If I go away for a weekend I'll just out the 20g jug.

 

[pledosophy]

what kind of styrofoam did u use? Do u have a link to it? Im afraid some chemical would leach out? I saw Chris M does the same thing with the floating styrofoam and has been wanting to try it with my 30 gallon kalk reservoir. Kalk seems to work for me for the past 6 month. I compensate the ph drop overtime by leaving some undissolved kalk in the bottom of the bin to slowly dissolved as the kalk became less saturated. Also, the layer of caco3 helps as well. I havent tried testing my kalk ph over time in the bin but my tank alk and ph seems stable in the DT over the 1 month that my kalk bin lasted me.

I used the side of a box Biota shipped my tangs in. They sell regular styrofoam at Home Depot though. I do ICP tests a few times a year and everything has been great. Meckley has been using the foam longer than I have and he still says it's great, so ... I am guessing he would have a problem before me. So far nothing has leached. I am not sure if there is anything to leach.

 

[DEWreefing]

what kind of styrofoam did u use? Do u have a link to it? Im afraid some chemical would leach out? I saw Chris M does the same thing with the floating styrofoam and has been wanting to try it with my 30 gallon kalk reservoir. Kalk seems to work for me for the past 6 month. I compensate the ph drop overtime by leaving some undissolved kalk in the bottom of the bin to slowly dissolved as the kalk became less saturated. Also, the layer of caco3 helps as well. I havent tried testing my kalk ph over time in the bin but my tank alk and ph seems stable in the DT over the 1 month that my kalk bin lasted me.

White Styrofoam works just fine. Stay away from colored smell your styrofoam. If it has a strong smell dont use. Polystyrene is used to make styrofoam using hydrofluorocarbon as the binder.