Calcium Hydroxide

[Guest]

Everything I read about this is all good so I purchased E.S.V brand KALK powder. The directions say mix 2 teaspoons in a gallon of water, let settle and siphon off clear water and drip into your aquarium.

I have a 1 gallon pitcher and I inserted a screw adjustable drip fitting about 3 inches from the bottom, thats where all the white stuff settles.

The question is how much do I drip and night for a 120 gal tank.

LFS dude told me 1 gallon a night. Use it as my evap refill.

Sound right?

 

[Hara]

That sounds in the ballpark, but you need to be testing at least a couple times a week if you are going to be dripping it every night.

 

[Guest]

yes, I'm going to get a test kit.
I have the normal stuff but no calcium.
Is red sea good?

 

[jaiden]

i'm no expert but I've not heard good things about red sea. salifert and seachem get good buzz.

 

[hackteck]

cant you just pour some of the kalk in a bucket of water when your adding water from evaporating and pour it in? or is that wrong?

 

[melosu58]

I think Kalk has to be driped in from what I `ve heard. But let the kalk experts chime in.

 

[Guest]

yea, calc must be dripped.

The directions say 2 teaspoons to a gallon of water and to drip at night.
But it never asks for how many gallons.

For now I'm going to drip 1 teaspoon until I get a calcium test kit.

From everyting I'm reading online kalc it supposed to really make a huge difference in you tank with live rock and such.

 

[hackteck]

so i could drip a teaspoon in there? per night? i dont have a doser so maybe i could rig something up

 

[vsnsofadrgn]

you should test first.

 

[Guest]

You must drip. You can use an IV setup or purchase a drip system from Kent Marine, etc... The reason you drip it slowly is, the solution is roughly at 12 PH and pouring a gallon in for top off, could decimate your setup. It is best to drip slowly at night when the PH tends to drop. this in turn keeps the PH steady as well as, adds calcium to you tank while you sleep... Most tanks do not require dripping Kalk unless you have a lot of SPS that is using it up faster than you can replenish with regular water changes. The first thing you need to do is test before you drip anything. You need to know where your level is before you start. If you are not using it up quickly, chances are, you would not need to drip at all.. Be careful.

 

[hackteck]

thanks for the info, whats a good reef test kit i already have one that tests ammonia,nitrite,nitrate,ph and alk, but i need one that tests calcium etc

 

[Guest]

timbo2

Do you drip kalk?

LFS dude, who most times gives me good info says that my live rock will ready start with coraline algae.

I'm going to but a redsea testkit tomorrow, what should I test for?

I have test strips that I use now and it always says my ph is low.
All the usuals on the strip are good, nitrite, nitrate amonia.

Thanks,

 

[vsnsofadrgn]

if you want to drip kalk, then you should test for calcium first, i think.