![]() Measure the alkalinity and calcium in the tank and adjust these parameters to desired levels. To do this, turn on your auto top off system so that the water level in the tank stays constant. Step 3 – Determine the Alkalinity/Calcium Demand of your TankĪfter determining how much water evaporates from the tank and you set up the auto top off system, the next thing to do is determine how much alkalinity/calcium the tank demands. The total cost for this setup is less than $25.Īn easy and cost-efficient auto top off system can be made from a float valve and PVC outlet box. I have been running a setup exactly like this on my display tank and my water change tank for over 8 years and have never had a problem. The c-clamp may rust over the years, but the one in my tank is not bad as it never gets wet. I used a block of wood to prevent damage. Make sure not to break the glass with the clamp. Using a clamp of some sort – clamp the box inside of the sump. This line can come straight from the RO/DI unit or from a RO/DI water reservoir. Now install the float valve through the ½” hole and connect a line from a RO/DI water source. To do this, drill a ½” hole in a plastic box like the PVC outlet box shown in the picture. To build this system, mount a float valve in the sump. and as a result has a low likelihood of failure. The auto top off system described here does not require any electronics, switches etc. ![]() Step 2 – Set up a Simple Auto Top Off System Do this for a few days in a row to get a solid average evaporation rate. Then, after the 24 hour period, measure the amount of fresh water required to bring the water level in the sump back to the mark. Stop adding any water to your system for 24 hours. Once you have fans in place (where you can fit them), place a mark of some sort (using a piece of tape or a Sharpie) to indicate the water level in the sump. I evaporate about 3 gallons of water a day from a 170g system. I have 2 fans over the display (they also help keep the tank cool), one fan over the refugium, and one fan over the frag tank. To maximize the amount of kalkwasser that can be added, you want to evaporate as much water as possible from your aquarium. In order to add kalkwasser to the tank (it can only be mixed and added with fresh water) you have to evaporate water out of the tank. Step 1 – Determine/Maximize the Tank Evaporation Rate Instead, I recommend an overflow style technique. I have personally seen this happen to many tanks resulting in a loss of all corals. ![]() I highly discourage adding kalk with top off water due to the very high risk of over dosing. The first part of the Kalk / Calc Combo Method involves setting up the kalkwasser dosing system. If you have any questions, feel free to send me a message at Reef Central my user ID is bbyatv. I recommend you read the entire article below before getting started on the setup. If you are starting a new tank or otherwise do not have a high demand for alkalinity and calcium, I recommend that you only implement the kalkwassser part of this method and as your demand grows, add the calcium reactor part. The following article describing the Kalk / Calc Combo Method assumes you are running a sump in your aquarium system and that your alkalinity/calcium demand is so high that you cannot meet that demand with kalkwasser alone. The most important benefits are that once you get it set up and running, adjusting your water parameters is as simple as turning a knob, and maintenance is reduced to almost nothing. ![]() This provides the benefits of kalkwasser including reducing phosphates, and raising pH, but also results in having to dose magnesium. In general, the Kalk / Calc Combo Method involves maintaining proper water parameters by maximizing the addition of kalkwasser to the tank and supplementing with a calcium reactor if needed. ![]()
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