Kalk dosing question

[Jill & Brian]

My PH is running a bit low all of the time, and my calcium consumption is growing, so i was going to start dripping Kalk. I was of getting a kent aquadose 2.5 as the resovoir, but I wanted to check what others were using.

Down the road I think I would like to build a kalk reactor, but not until I convince my wife to let me plumb a sump in the basement so I have enough room. I am going to start with a simple drip for now

So I have 2 questions:

What do you use as a kalk resovoir and to control the drip rate?
Where can I get Pickling lime in Northern RI?

Thanks,
Brian

 

[JustDavidP]

I'm using the same doser. Wish it was larger. If I had the space, I'd use a 5 gallon bucket and hide it somewhere with a line running to the tank.

FWIW.. I'm dripping Kalk at night 2.5 G and also use B-Ionics. I too am getting up the guts to ask my SO for permission to get a calcium reactor.

Dave

 

[gurumasta]

i use what they have in hospitals for an iv drip. easy to control drip rate. i drip enough to keep my water topped off.

 

[Jill & Brian]

Space is always a problem. I would go larger if only I had the space under the stand. Freaking bow fronts and their bowed stands !!!!

I am considering putting the kalk resovoir in the closet behind the tank and putting the line through the wall, but again, i dont know how well that will go over with my darling wife.

Besides the size, how do you like it for drip control?
-Brian

I'm using the same doser. Wish it was larger. If I had the space, I'd use a 5 gallon bucket and hide it somewhere with a line running to the tank.

FWIW.. I'm dripping Kalk at night 2.5 G and also use B-Ionics. I too am getting up the guts to ask my SO for permission to get a calcium reactor.

Dave

 

[JustDavidP]

Brian,

It works just fine. Only once or twice in the last year have I found it clogged. You do need to rinse them from time to time. When you do this, use super hot water on the line to soften it and flex it to break free any scale that builds up on it. I've never had a problem keeping the drip constant and timed. I'm just not fond of the reservior size.

My top off enters my room from a hole in the wall. I used a standard "cable" plate like you'd see behind your TV. The RO/DI unit is in the other room and feeds through the wall into the fish area. I used clear tubing. You hardly notice it unless you look for it.

If it weren't such a long run (fine for pressurized RO/DI but not for gravity drips) I'd hide a bucket in the same room as the RO/DI. I have no options for this though. So, I keep filling my 2.5 every night.

Dave

 

[Moe_K]

My Aqua-Doser got clogged fairly often after a few years of use.
Other than that, I had no complaints.

 

[JustDavidP]

A few years...that's good! I believe Kent suggests you replace them like every half year or something. I've been going on year 1 now and don't plan on replacing until I need to.

D

 

[Jill & Brian]

Thanks for all of the input. Now to find some pickling lime.... Wish I had thought of this before the group buy, but pickling lime is still a lot cheaper than Kalk powder