question on dripping kalk

[floridabob]

hi -hope someone can :help:
after reading for days on this forum and others, im getting very confused

right now have very little calcium demands, l.r hermits, snails and 6 cleaner clams
here are my goals : to make a constant ballance of water chemistry
with an auto top off and a kalk drip.
here is what i know:
1- must always test before dripping
2- must drip kalk at night
3 - must mix 2 hours before dripping
4- 1 tsp per gal of wags pickleing juice
NOW WHAT IM CONFUSED ABOUT
do i drip directly into make-up water,?auto top off-
(im using about a 1/2 gal a day )or directly into the return
section of fuge with a timer to start drip @ night after lights go out
also i read that 1 drip per min of mixed kalk is ideal
please help or link me to someone that can.
thanks bob

 

[teen]

whats your calcium/ alk at now? doesnt seem like you woul even need a kalk drip.
usually when people have an auto top off, they mix the kalk into the water, then that gets dumped in to the sump.
if i was you, i would get some airline hosin and a poland spring water bottle. add a small amount of kalk mix to the bottle, fill it with RO water and cap the bottle. shake the bottle up, then poke a hole in the top with a knife. slide the tubing in that hole and start a siphon. tie a hole at the end of the line and pull it tight to slow the drip to about 2 drips a second. the line should drip right into the tank. try and only use the clear water at the top, dont siphon the stuff at the bottom.

 

[floridabob]

thanks teen
this is what i was confused about if i drip it into
make up water it will overdose the make up
water and not be a slow steady constant
temp 82.4
ammonia 0.25
ph 8.0
nitrite 0 .0 ppm
nitrate 20 ppm
phosphate 0.25 orderd more phos ban for reactor
calcium 380
kh 8dkh = 143.2 ppm
oh where are you from in long island im from hicksville and massapequa
now retired in sunny Fla

 

[moneyman]

You put 1 tsp kalk powder into a gallon of fresh RODI water (Or, .5 tsp for .5 gal water). That is your make up water. Drip that water into your aquarium.

 

[aztec reef]

you kalk-drip as much as your tank evaporates daily.multiply that by 7.. i usually do batches that last me a week.then i drip-add in the early morning & late at night.when lights are off. start with the minumun dose. you have to figure out how much it takes to keep calcium/alk levels stable..

 

[floridabob]

should i have auto top off on a timmer to go on at night ?or drip
whenever this water evaps 24/7
auto t/o is aprox 15 gal how long will the kalk stay fresh?

 

[gwh57]

Originally Posted by floridabob
should i have auto top off on a timmer to go on at night ?or drip
whenever this water evaps 24/7
auto t/o is aprox 15 gal how long will the kalk stay fresh?
I run mine 24/7 and I mix it once in a 20 gal container that sits covered for the three weeks it takes to empty.

 

[floridabob]

Thanks All !!!!!

 

[floridabob]

ok,
15 gal container =15 tsp of pickling powder corect?
i understand that - 15 gallons of make up water with a
float switch in sump once its gone you make up more
and refill 15 gal container with Rodi water
but if i have auto fill top off from a a rodi system that fills up cotainer
every time tank calls for make up water
wont that dilute mix every day it fills from rodi unit or will it ballance
out at the end of the week
please help i am so confused?????????

btw my calcium is steady @ 360 even after i do water changes
with I.O salt mag low too any sugestions how to raise that also

 

[floridabob]

bump