NO MORE KALKWASSER FOR ME! Turbo calcium instead?

[flricordia]

This is the second time in the last week that I have no idea where it collects but my new Finnex has discharged excess kalkwasser from the back chamber when the pumps were turned off and back on. I use a bucket with prestirred and settled kalk water added and a JBJ top off to the tank but somehow it has inundated the display raising the ph to over 9 causing me to make mad dash for water changes.
I have always used kalkwasser and been careful with it since I started reefkeeping over 15 years ago but I do not know what is going on here. Maybe becasue this tank has a back chamber, the first I have had like this. Even my 14 biocube I ended up removing the back and drilling to a sump.
OK, so has anyone used turbo calcium? I think I am going to go here instead.

 

[fishy pa guy]

I use the Kent Turbo Calcium but I can't tell you much about it yet. I have only used it a couple of times but my PH test is coming up wacky so I need to get a digital monitor instead.
I know I am not much help but you asked if anyone used it.

 

[flricordia]

Originally Posted by fishy PA guy
http:///forum/post/2604001
I use the Kent Turbo Calcium but I can't tell you much about it yet. I have only used it a couple of times but my PH test is coming up wacky so I need to get a digital monitor instead.
I know I am not much help but you asked if anyone used it.
I used it years and years ago but don't remember much about it.I think I am going to get some and try it out. Thanks the Lord for my monitor. It saved my tank for the second time in a week. Was able to get ph down through water changes quick and stopped worrying when it hit 8.5. Had jumped up for about 15 minutes to 9.6. Nothing lost. No fish except angler and tha is one tough dude. Rics and zoanthids can survive a ph increase liek that I have found out over the last year. Not much else can except for long term. As long as your ph is within 7.8-8.5 I wouldn't worry too much though a good monitor will help with your stress level. Thanks

 

[ifirefight]

pm sent

 

[notsonoob]

I want to make sure I understand your situation. You cycle power to the pump and it overfeeds your mixed kalk? symptoms sound like an overdose (too much too quick)
I'm going with a different tactic.
1/2 teaspoon per gallon/ hand mixed(shake the milk jug/ slow drip into the sump

 

[spanko]

If you are going to hand dose, why not try ESV B-Ionc two part? It is what I have been using since change over to a SPS tank and am satisfied with the results I am getting.

 

[snakeblitz33]

You're only supposed to drip it in the tank slowly for 3 to 5 hours over the course of the morning.
Dosing the tank with too much at once will definately cause the pH to rise considerably.

 

[flricordia]

Not quite. I mix, let settle and pour off into topoff bucket. What has happened is I guess through precipitation it has settled out in the back chamber and when the pupm back there goes off and back on it stirs it up or maybe a songe collects it and it back flows it to another chamber. Unfortunatly the tank is against a wall and I cannot see what is going on, but never the less. I am going to try something else in this tank besides kalk, any suggestions? Spanko, I will look into the ESV B-Ionc two part also.

 

[hurt]

Just so you realize, Kalk is not just Ca, it is also alkalinity. So you will have to supplement alk as well if you wish to go that route. Personally I think it is one of the best tools to help reefkeepers out. For low to med demand tanks it usually is all that is needed to maintain levels, but for high demand tanks it will not maintain proper levels by itself as you are limited on how much Kalk you can add by your tanks evaporation rate. I drip ~1.5 to 2 gallons daily in my 55g through my gravity-fed/float valve ATO. I have a high demand SPS tank, so it alone would not come close to keeping up, which is why I also have a Ca reactor.
It's very inexpensive compared to other supplements to begin. Kalk helps maintain a high tank pH. And one of the biggest benefits is that it will pretty much eliminate PO4, if it is dripped into a skimmer. It's also ionically balanced. As long as you don't OD your tank and drip it properly, there are many benefits to limewater...

 

[dennis210]

Been using Turbo Calcium and Superbuffer dKh in conjunction for three years now. In a 210 with well over 100 coral placements 36 either LPS or SPS I am up to 10 tablespoons Buffer, 4 tablespoons Calcium, and 8 caps reef complete a week to maintain Calcium at 440 - 460 range with Alk at a 180 - 200 range. Have tried dripping Kalk for over a month now and still every weekend I still have to add the supplements. I believe that once your tanks consumption rate goes high (coral uptake) that water can't hold enough alk & calcium so you will have to add. I can say that while dripping Kalk I have seen better growth from week to week - so water must be holding better.

 

[matt b]

I used to use tubo cal and super dkh but I always forgot which I added the day befor cause you add cal one day and dkh the next. I use kent two part and it works great.

 

[notsonoob]

Originally Posted by Flricordia
http:///forum/post/2604148
Not quite. I mix, let settle and pour off into topoff bucket. What has happened is I guess through precipitation it has settled out in the back chamber and when the pupm back there goes off and back on it stirs it up or maybe a songe collects it and it back flows it to another chamber. Unfortunatly the tank is against a wall and I cannot see what is going on, but never the less. I am going to try something else in this tank besides kalk, any suggestions? Spanko, I will look into the ESV B-Ionc two part also.
I'm always up for finding something new and better, however, I've also been down that route as well. This will probably cause you to double your efforts when the kalk made it quicker and probably easier.
Sounds to me like you got a bit of a design flaw in your system if you have the tendency of probably dumping super saturated kalkwasser into your tank.

 

[flricordia]

Seems the trouble was with the pump in the bucket. I didn't notice that the air venturi in the Maxijet pump was not plugged and it must have been kicking the settled kal in the bottom of the bucket. I plugged the venturi hole and it seems to be back in order with the kalk in the top-off water.