Calcium buffers, Kalkwasser, and 2 Part Additives!?!

[Boomer]

RR

also, when dosing the turbo calcium, it reccommends to use 1/8 tsp for lightly loaded tank or 1/4 tsp for heavy loaded tank per 50 gals...i believe that i have a lightly loaded tank with 4 fish in my main 26 gal tank and then a dedicated 26 gal sump/fuge...so my question is, how much should i dose per day?

Don't go by that use the calculator I posted on the post above way up the thread

[Boomer]

Yah right what calcuator !!. It was on another thread

http://home.comcast.net/~jdieck1/chem_calc3.html

[Woodstock]

I LOVE that calculator!!

[roadrunner1659]

ok well i just tested it with the calculator and it came out with 36.8 grams, 1.2 onz, or 7.3 tps are required to raise my ca by 70 points from 350 to 420...it then says that it isn't reccommended to raise my ca by more then 25 ppm per day...so then the only thing i still need to know is what amount is sufficent to raise my ca 20 ppm or so on a daily basis until i get to 420 ppm?

o yea and i put that calculator into my favorites...thanks!

[Boomer]

...so then the only thing i still need to know is what amount is sufficent to raise my ca 20 ppm

Don't bother, 25 ppm / day is fine

[roadrunner1659]

ok but how much turbo ca does it take to raise the my ca 25ppm...this is the only thing i dont know

[Boomer]

The calculator will tell you that. Type in tank ( and sump) net gallons, your Ca++ is 350 and you want to raise it to 375.

Example for a net gal ( total water in system) of 100gal

26.3 grams; 0.9 oz; approx 5.2 tsp is what you add to 100 gals to raise the Ca++, with Kent Turbo, from 350 to 375. When you are at 375 the next dose will be 26.3 grams; 0.9 oz; approx 5.2 tsp (same), to rasie it to 400 ppm, same for 3rd dose gets you to 425. Stop at 400ppm and then use two-part in equal amounts to get to 420-425. This will give an end Alk of about 3.25 --3.5 meq / l or 9.1-9.8 dKH and Ca++ at 420-425 ppm...done

[roadrunner1659]

so i cant dose 7 tsp of turbo ca all at one time? i would think that that is not a good thing? i went to the calculator and it said that i need to add around 7 tsp of turbo ca to raise my levels from 350 to 420 ppm...but on the side of the turbo ca it reccommends only using 1/8 or 1/4 tsp depending on tank per 50 gals...

so, and im sorry for somewhat dragging this out, just want to make sure, how much can i dose in one day that is a safe amount and it will raise my levels...about 20-25 ppm...

"26.3 grams; 0.9 oz; approx 5.2 tsp is what you add to 100 gals to raise the Ca++, with Kent Turbo, from 350 to 375. When you are at 375 the next dose will be 26.3 grams; 0.9 oz; approx 5.2 tsp (same), to rasie it to 400 ppm, same for 3rd dose gets you to 425. Stop at 400ppm and then use two-part in equal amounts to get to 420-425. This will give an end Alk of about 3.25 --3.5 meq / l or 9.1-9.8 dKH and Ca++ at 420-425 ppm...done"

i understand this now a little better...but does it mean that in one day and at one time, you will dose 5.2 tsp of turbo ca...that just seems like it would kill everything...or something!?!

[Boomer]

Yes, that is fine. That sounds like a dose for 135 net gals, is that correct ? DO NOT dose by the SIZE of the tank, it is the total volume of water in the tank/system. 7 tsp will only raise the Ca++ 25 ppm in 135 gals of water if the Ca+ is 350 ppm in 135 gals of water.

If you want then just do 10ppm at a time, if you feel unsafe. I have no issue with that at all.

[roadrunner1659]

boomer you want to know about how much water (water) is in my tank...not how many gallons the tanks are right!?!

if i had to take an educated guess using some other calculators, i would say that i am somewhere around 48 gals, but from that i dont know how much water is displaced from about 40lbs or so of LR...so i guess i could do everything as if i have 40 gallons of total water volume...then it would just take me a little longer to raise my ca all the way up to 400 ppm using the turbo ca...

...using the calculater, i put in 40 gallons and then i entered that i wanted to raise my ca levels from 350 ppm to 375 ppm...this shows me that i need to add about 10.5 grams, 0.3 oz., or 2.1 tsp of kent turbo ca...now if this will raise 40 gallons 25 ppm, then i should be safe b/c i dont think i have under 40 and i might have more then 40 gallons sp this seems like a safe number...

so 2.1 tsp might raise my ca by 25 ppm or maybe a little less...so then i can just add 2.1 tsp once a day until i get my ca at 400 ppm! does this sound correct? please say that it sounds right and that i finally understand haha!

[Boomer]

if i had to take an educated guess using some other calculators, i would say that i am somewhere around 48 gals

That sounds like you have a 55 gal tank. Lets pretend it is a std 55gal

48 1/4 x12 3/4 x21 = 55gal tank in shipping dimensions ( is what they go by) The glass is 1/2 inch thick so, 47 1/4 x 11 3/4 x hight of water inside tank, say 20 inches.

47.25 x 11.75 x 20 = 11103.75 cubic inches divided by 231 cubc inches, the numer of cubic inches in 1 gal of water = 48 gal of water with no displacement.

It is hard to cacluate water displacemnet as LR can have different porosity. Corals, fish, tubes, pipes, heater, powerheads, etc. all displace water. So to be safe figure 25 % or 35 gals. If you have a sump you need to add that to the 35 gals. Lets just go with 35 gals and raise it 20 ppm


7.3 grams; 0.2 oz; approx 1.4 tsp to raise it from 350 to 370. If you do not have a sump I would add 1 1/2 tsp and then cehck the Ca++ a couple of hrs later to see what you get and then go from there. Lets say the Ca++ goes up 22ppm Ca++. You can then plug a gallon value into the caclualor until it comes 22ppm when it with 1.5 tsp . You will now know about what the volume is. It would come up 32.5 gals @ 1.5 tsp to raise the Ca++ 22 ppm

[saltyfishtanks]

dude just go with the kalkwasser!!!!!!! dripping it in is one of the best things i ever did for my tank i had ph problems that made me crazy until i bought a bag of calcium hydroxide and mixed up some of that kalk

not only does it work well it is super simple

i mix it up about 50%-75% reccomend strength just for safty

i also only drip it under my own watch when i am home

[Boomer]

dude just go with the kalkwasser!!!!!!!

What ??? If he uses kalk and rasie his Calcium from 350 -425 his Alk will be through the roof. Once he is where he is suppose to be then kalk is just fine IF it meets the demands of his system.

[fishhead]

Kalk is King.

[fishhead]

Where's that calculator at?