Limewater for top offs

[tur4k]

Up until now I've managed Calcium and dKH in my 90 Gallon mixed reef separately. My Calcium needs were mostly handled by water changes with the occasional shot of purple up when needed. I add 1/4 cup of Two Little Fishies "PH Balance" (probably just over priced baking soda) to 10 Gallons of top off water to keep my dKH around 9.
I recently added a Torch, Alveopora and Bubble coral. Now my water changes don't seem to be enough to keep my Calcium levels up. I've been reading about using Limewater for top off. I currently use a JBJ ATO auto top off with a RIO 800 pump. This is fed from a 12 gallon reservoir that sits next to the sump.
I read Randy Holmes-Farley's "What your Grandmother Never Told You About Lime" last night. It all seems pretty straight forward. Order some Mrs Wages. Mix it into my top off reservoir. Let the magic happen. I'm worried that my cheep RIO 800 is going to add the limewater too quickly. Will I be OK using the RIO 800 or do I need to get some ultra expensive dosing pump with a diaphram?

 

[tur4k]

Well...I let the guy at the LFS talk me into a Two Little Fishes KW 300 kalkwasser reactor. I guess it would be an OK piece of equipment except that the check valve that it comes with immediately failed. This caused the kalk to syphon back into top off reservoir.
If that isn't bad enough, I let him talk me into buy some reef builder kalk mix that is already premixed with water. Following his advise, I think I put way too much in the reactor. I had the thing on for 20 seconds and it turned my tank white and the PH jump up above 8.8.
I used white distilled vinegar to lower the PH back down to 8.4 and the tank cleared up after about 2 hours. So far everything seems OK. The corals aren't withdrawn and the fish don't seem agitated.
I think I'm going to remove this POS reactor and find a safer way to keep my calcium up.

 

[tangs rule]

For my 90g reef in the beginning, I just tested for Dkh and clacium, and added kalkwasser (clear) mix into the tank when needed. I didn't have alot of sps, so CA use was not too high.... But there's somthing about adding kalk mix to a tank that makes coralline alage grow like nuts, cause i grew it everywhere, and it grew thick! I seeded my 475g build 2 months ago with pruple, and she's finally starting to take off.

 

[tur4k]

I've always had decent coralline growth. The only SPS that I have is a Montepora Capricornis and the Porites on my Xmas tree rock. I have a fair amount of LPS. A hammer, torch, alveopora, pagoda cup, duncans, acans and bubble coral. For softies I have a couple of leathers that are getting pretty big, various Zoa's, Some yellow polyps and some rics.
The tanks around 15 months old. I've just never really had an issue with Calcium levels getting too low until recently. I do a lot of water changes using mostly Reef Crystals with the occational bucket of Tropic Marin. I've had to add buffer to keep my alk up, but rarely calcium.

 

[tangs rule]

So what's seems to be growing that's eating up the calcium? and what do you consider "low" ca?

 

[tangs rule]

This is a very old lift tube from my 90 reef, and I found it in a junk pile this past weekend. The coralline alage growth I had back about 6 years ago was just stunning, considering this lift tube probably spent only 18 months in the tank., I came across this in a junk pile of old fish tank crap this last weekend... I could never get my coralline to grow into "leaves" or "plates", but mine grew spikes/spines. This piece has not seen water in 5 years, ans I was amazed to see there was still pink color to it. it's 1/16" thick growth, all due to kalkwasser dosing
I hope to grow coralline 1/2 this fast in the future!

 

[flower]

Everyone has their own way of doing things. I add a pinch of reef buffer in my top off. It keeps the alk and PH stable. I add calcium once a week.

 

[tur4k]

Quote:
Originally Posted by tangs rule http:///forum/thread/385832/limewater-for-top-offs#post_3385861
So what's seems to be growing that's eating up the calcium? and what do you consider "low" ca?
My Monti Cap has been growing like crazy. I think the heads are splitting on my Torch. The Duncan is always growing new heads. Been scraping a fair amount of coralline off of the sides of my tank. Lots of stuff growing.
I recently switch bulbs in my Wavepoint T5 Fixture from the stock bulbs that come with it to a couple of ATI Blue+, UVL Aquasun and UVL Super Actinic. Maybe the upgrade in bulbs is causing additional growth.
I consider 360 mg/L to be getting low. In the past I never had an issue keeping it in the 400 mg/L - 450 mg/L range.

 

[tur4k]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Flower http:///forum/thread/385832/limewater-for-top-offs#post_3385865

Everyone has their own way of doing things. I add a pinch of reef buffer in my top off. It keeps the alk and PH stable. I add calcium once a week.
Sounds like what I was doing except I wasn't adding calcium. What type of calcium do you use?

 

[geoj]

Variable-Speed Peristaltic pump
pH Controller
Fill auto top off with Kalk at two tablespoons per gal
Test and adjust it till it is dialed in, then let it do its thing testing as needed...

 

[tur4k]

So I guess the pH Controller keeps the top off pump from turning on if the pH gets too high? What are some decent brands/models for the controller and pump? A quick google search of "Variable-Speed Peristaltic pump" is showing pumps around $700. That's not going to happen.

 

[tur4k]

Quote:
Originally Posted by tur4k http:///forum/thread/385832/limewater-for-top-offs#post_3386082
A quick google search of "Variable-Speed Peristaltic pump" is showing pumps around $700. That's not going to happen.
Oh. Looks like they can be had for around $100. That's a bit more reasonable.

 

[geoj]

Quote:
Originally Posted by tur4k http:///forum/thread/385832/limewater-for-top-offs#post_3386082
So I guess the pH Controller keeps the top off pump from turning on if the pH gets too high? What are some decent brands/models for the controller and pump? A quick google search of "Variable-Speed Peristaltic pump" is showing pumps around $700. That's not going to happen.
I am using an American Marine, Pinpoint pH controller, I would read the pdf on any controller to make sure you can use it as you have described to cut off the power when the pH reaches the high side. This one can be used to run a calcium reactor or to add Kalk.
The Ideal would be to size the pump so you don't have to top off the water, but add the top off slowly so the controller has the time to read the change and not over shoot very much. I like the variable speed pumps, you should take your time and pick the right pump for how much you need to top off. The pump needs to be a 100% duty cycle.

 

[tur4k]

Thanks for the info. I'm still trying to decide what I want to do as a long term solution. I think that in the interim I am going to keep my top off how it is just adding RO/DI water and make a simple DIY kalk dripper.

 

[geoj]

That is exactly how I did it my self. I buy a piece or part that can be use now but be added too or reused in a different way later.