Tell me how to dose kalkwasser

[Jan]

I'd like to start dosing kalkwasser. I'm dosing 2 part and I'm getting tired of it. I know some folks mix kalkwasser in with their top off and dose slowly. How can I do this? What will I need in addition to what I already have? What are the ratios of kalkwasser to water in my top off? I have a peristaltic dosing pump, aqualifter and an ATO that I can use. I just don't know how to. Thanks.

J

[Glenn]

This sounds like a good place to put my 'plan' for my ATO and Kalk stirrer, so we can both see if this is the right way.

 

I plan to have a small tank of RO in a cabinet next to the aquarium stand. Next to the RO tank will be my Kalk stirrer. The ATO unit in the fuge will start a SMALL pump in the RO reservoir that will pump RO water from the reservoit to the Kalk stirrer. This will cause Kalk water to slowly fill the sump until the ATO unit says it's full and stop.

 

I need to build the cabinet this spring so I'll know what size resevoir tank I need.

[steveoutlaw]

Jan - mixing kalk in with topoff water doesn't allow for all the benefits of a reactor/stirrer. If you just mix it in the top off reservoir it will eventually settle and you will get drastically inconsistent kalk added to your system. If you hook up a kalk stirrer/reactor to you ATO, you will continue to add saturated top off water to give you a more consistent dosing. It is really easy to do........just install a kalk reactor/stirrer in between your ATO pump and the sump.

 

Now, you can get a kalk stirrer (stirs the kalk all the time) or a kalk reactor (has a pump that stirs the kalk - usually on a timer). I prefer the kalk stirrer because it keeps the water in it continuously saturated with kalk, where a reactor saturates the water when the pump is on and lets the kalk settle when the pump is off.....not as consistent.

[Der ABT]

Agree on the Kalk Stirrer.

When i did not have much demand and no ATO years ago, i just used a gallon jug and after mixing up some vinegar and kalk i would fill the Jug with RO and drip it slowly into the tank, went thru 1/2 gal a day and it got annoying quickly.

 

Now i have my ato (avast with an aqualifter right now but usually is a Tunze Osmo and just got my replacement pumpt so will be back online soon) and it is plugged directly into my kalk stirrer. I mix up about 4-5 tablespoons of kalk and vinegar (about .5-1 cup or so cause i like vinegar and it helps dissolve the kalk) in my reactor about once a week...

ato runs normal and adds kalk as it tops up the tank.

 

i could add more kalk and not have to fill it so often but you run the risk of your ATO having an issue of beign stuck on and dumping alot of kalk into the tank.

 

Most Kalk reactors have a 1/4 in input which is good because it limits most pumps flow thru the reactor so you not just pumping straight kalk into your tank....

 

I have an aquamedic and an Avast kalk reactor...really like the avast (specially how easy it is to change out the motors which you might have to do after several year aka not a problem..) but the aquamedic isnt too bad either.

 

I run an CARX as well and the two of them compliment each other nicely i think...though i have ALOT of sps.

[onux20]

Jan,

 

I dose kalk as top off thru my ATO and Avast kalk stirrer.

 

A low sump level triggers the ATO, which turns on the aqualifter, which feeds RO/DI to the kalk stirrer, which tops off the sump with kalk.

 

I just completely emptied my stirrer this week. I added about a coffee mug of calcium hydroxide to the stirrer (about 1-1.5in of depth). Filled with RO/DI then turned it on. I disconnected the stirrer from the system for about 12hrs while it mixed and settled. In the end you will end up with a clear saturated solution on top of a kalk "slurry". You want to dose the clear solution not the just-mixed cloudy water or the slurry.

 

The stirrer continually mixes at a slow and steady pace keeping the liquid above saturated. When engaged, the aqualifter adds fresh RO/DI to the bottom of the stirrer and displaces the saturated solution out of the top. The continual stirring action, after a time, allows the new RO/DI to become saturated and ready for use at the next top off time.

 

The JBJ ATO has a timer built in. It will shut itself off after a certain amount of time to help avoid overdosing your tank. If that is the way you are going, make sure you adjust it to suit your needs. Before I adjusted it, I could not get enough water in the sump before it timed out due to the low flow rate of the .25" input from the aqualifter.

 

Agree, with Steve in putting a stirrer btwn the top off reservoir and the sump.

[Alieu07]

Question do we have to put a check valve between the Kalk reactor and the aqualifter? I used the maxi jet with the check valve but one awhile will siphon back to the reservoir. I was thinking to use other method. Sorry to hijack

[Ryan S]

I'd like to start dosing kalkwasser. I'm dosing 2 part and I'm getting tired of it. I know some folks mix kalkwasser in with their top off and dose slowly. How can I do this? What will I need in addition to what I already have? What are the ratios of kalkwasser to water in my top off? I have a peristaltic dosing pump, aqualifter and an ATO that I can use. I just don't know how to. Thanks.

J

 

Don't do it Jan! I've known several people personally who lost their entire tanks due to kalk!! Why are you tired of 2 part dosing? Do you have pumps on timers or a controller? It's super automated, easy, and safe, if you have a couple BRS dosing pumps, either on cheap wall timers, or hooked into a controller to dose everyday for you automatically...

[Big Country]

Question do we have to put a check valve between the Kalk reactor and the aqualifter? I used the maxi jet with the check valve but one awhile will siphon back to the reservoir. I was thinking to use other method. Sorry to hijack

 

Yes, put a check valve between the RO reservoir pump and the kalk stirrer or when it cuts off you're liable to pull all the kalk back into your reservoir. My Deltec 500 came with a check valve installed on it and the instructions recommended I put another one between the pump and stirrer.

[Big Country]

I think most people that lose whole tanks to kalk overdose have way too much kalk in their stirrer, I start mine off with like 8 tsp of powder and add a few more twice a week. Even if I dumped my entire 15g of RO water through the reactor I don't think it would put enough kalk into the system to wipe it out. Would probably have more of a problem with lower salinity, skimmer/sump overflowing, and a big PH swing if that happened.

[Dholmblad]

I am also very intersted in learning more about this subject. I have heard positives and negatives from all types of set ups. Ive heard you can overdose your tank when dosing kalk through an ATO, but why not just have your pump connected to a controler with a PH meeter on it? Wouldnt this resolve that issue. I have also heard of kalk stireres getting clogged, but I assume with proper care and cleaning this can be mitigated. Dosing 2 part seems pretty simple, but then I would need to buy 2 dosing pumps.SOMEONE tell me which option is best; cost/safty wise.

[onux20]

Question do we have to put a check valve between the Kalk reactor and the aqualifter? I used the maxi jet with the check valve but one awhile will siphon back to the reservoir. I was thinking to use other method. Sorry to hijack

 

I am not saying you don

[Origami]

I like and use a kalk stirrer. However, very reputable people use direct addition of kalk to their top off reservoirs as the source of their kalkwasser (e.g. Randy Holmes-Farley). It's probably the cheapest way of dosing any form of balanced additive there is.

 

Kalk powder, calcium hydroxide, is slightly soluble in water, Jan. This means it doesn't take a lot before it's dissolved all it can dissolve. The amount that can dissolve (in water) is dependent upon the temperature, but you can generally reach saturation easily by adding 1 Tbsp per gallon of fresh water.

 

Here's a great article that you want to read:

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-01/rhf/index.php

[Jan]

I knew I'd get great answers from you guys. You're the best! Thank you.

[firecrackerbob]

Ill take the contrarian appraoch as always and say the best way to go is KISS... heres how I do it:

-10gal tank with a aqualifter set on a timer to run for 15 min 2x a day(6am and 6pm).

-in the 10gal is ~1cup of kalk as well as a powerhead which is set to run 15min 2x a day counter to the aqualifter(12am and 12pm).

 

 

this has been running for about 3yrs now with no problems. my tank is not heavy on the sps or lps, so this, along my manual vinegar\kalk dosing keeps the system well in check.

im sure strirers are great and all, but this cost me about 30bucks to settup and has never had a failure...