Need a better way to maintain ALK

[NanoRox]

Hi guys.  Hoping I can get some help.  As my corals and coralline algae grow and fill the tank I am finding it to be a bit more difficult to maintain my ALK.  

 

In the past I would test maybe once  or twice a week and it would drop by about 1 dkh a week.  I would mix a sodium bicarbonate solution (.25 tsp per the BRS calculator) add it to the tank and went on my way. Now it is dropping .8 dkh per day so waiting 5 days between dosing is not cutting it.  My ALK fluctuates too much.  I would like to make up a solution of sodium bicarbonate and just drip the needed amount manually each day but how do I calculate how to mix the solution (say a gallon) a head of time? 

[paneubert]

It really depends on the amount your drip will provide per 24 hour cycle. Once you know that, you can figure the concentration of the solution needed. But the first step is knowing the dosing pump/drip speed. 

[mitten_reef]

On 8/31/2018 at 2:11 PM, Duane Clark said:

Now it is dropping .8 dkh per day so waiting 5 days between dosing is not cutting it.

Then why don’t you start by dosing daily?  I personally dose twice a day - manually, yes, manually mornings and nights. 

 

To make life easier, people start looking into dosing pump(s). 

 

As far as the drip thing goes, that’s what BRS dosing pumps do, drip your solutions at a slow speed of 1.1ml/min. And you can use a regular digital timer to program them. 

[NanoRox]

Yeah I may have to switch to two part.   Was trying to keep it simple.  I travel a bit for work so manually doing it everyday would not work so a dosing pump would have to be the best bet I guess.  I think BRS has a fairly cheap one I can get.  The whole doser thing is new to me so just a bit unsure how to set it up. 

[seabass]

Yeah, if alkalinity is dropping due to consumption, versus precipitation or binding by GFO, then you will also have to start dosing calcium too.

 

 

[dferrari13]

I dose (1 teaspoon per gallon) kalkwasser straight into my ATO water...I maintain about a 9dkh in my little 10 gallon mixed reef...super easy.... and the tank gets a continuous flow of alkalinity... but be careful in warmer climates because then obviously you are going to evaporate water a lot more and the ATO will be activated a lot more often causing you to get a alkalinity Spike in the summertime

[seabass]

An interesting article about Kalkwasser: http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-05/rhf/feature/index.htm

[NanoRox]

 

23 minutes ago, seabass said:

An interesting article about Kalkwasser: http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-05/rhf/feature/index.htm

I'll read the article. Thanks!   My Kalkwasser is maxed out at 2 tsp per gallon and I am adding 2 ml Red Sea Ca to the ATO just to keep the calcium up.  That is working great but now I am having to dose for alk daily.  At the moment I am doing it manually.  kind of a pain but ok with it for now. 

[specore]

I use the brs Drew's dosers and have been really pleased.  Manual dosing is easy enough if there is someone who could do it on days you are away.  

[mcarroll]

On 9/3/2018 at 10:00 AM, Duane Clark said:

 

I'll read the article. Thanks!   My Kalkwasser is maxed out at 2 tsp per gallon and I am adding 2 ml Red Sea Ca to the ATO just to keep the calcium up.  That is working great but now I am having to dose for alk daily.  At the moment I am doing it manually.  kind of a pain but ok with it for now. 

You can combine kalk with vinegar to make it stronger...pretty much as strong a solution as you like.  No pH change either since the kalk gets neutralized in the process....means no precipitation either.  🙂

 

http://www.reefscapes.net/articles/breefcase/kalkwasser.html