Kalk problem.

[salisbury a d]

I dosed it over night and now there is a greesy looking film on the top of the water in the sump. I am sure I mixed the kalk right. I mixed 4 gallons with 4 tsp and let it sit all day. Then I siphoned have of it in the aquadose and dosed it.
Is this harmful should I try to get rid of it?
Adam

 

[salisbury a d]

Anyone?????
Adam

 

[salisbury a d]

Anyone!!???

 

[jimi]

Adam Did you siphon from the middle of the container? You dont want the crust on top or the scum on the bottom. If you did you should drip at a rate of a drop or two per sec at night. It is best dripped into strong current, which is why I believe you got the film. Some people run a drip line into the air intake of a powerhead. I run my line to the intake in my sump of my main pump.

 

[salisbury a d]

Yes I siphoned from the middle of the bucket.
I never have a crusty stuff on the bottom. or on the top of the water. On the bottom I have scum and on the top I have an oily residue. And somehow that oily residue is in the sump.
All I want to know is it dangerous to the fish or corals if it gets into the show tank?
Adam

 

[jimi]

Adam you may not be leaving it sit long enough. A film should form on the top that actually breaks into chunks like thin ice. As far as harming live stock it should not hurt. How are you mixing it? It should be stirred slowly.

 

[slash7]

Originally posted by jimi:
<STRONG>Adam you may not be leaving it sit long enough. A film should form on the top that actually breaks into chunks like thin ice.</STRONG>
The film on top will only form if it's exposed to the air. If you are mixing in tightly sealed containeers you may have nothing on top. I'm really at a loss as to what this "oily residue" is. Is it possible something is leaching from the container that you mix your kalk in?

 

[salisbury a d]

The oily crap looks like the stuff you sometimes get in the show tank when you feed, but it only showed up when I dosed the kalk.
I mix the kalk in the bucket that I mix salt water in. It IS the bucket that the salt came in.
Yes when I mix I then put the cover on it and set it by the tank so nothing gets in it including my two curious cats.
Adam

 

[up north hermit]

It has been my experience that the solution needs to be exposed to air for the "crust" to form. I let mine sit about 6 hours, before putting the lid on my doser and then dripping.
HTH
Hermit