KCSUMPS
Active Member
Ok so i am using a tunze 3155 and a 10 gallon to auto top off my system - do you guys mix up your kalk and then let it settle then add to the ato? If so how do you 'leave the crust on the TOP on the mix' as per directions?
Adding Kalkwasswer to ATO
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Oshengems
Valuable Member
I used to mix it right in my ato container, word of advice toss away the residual bottom once your reservoir is empty, I tried mixing that with new water new powder and stood very cloudy and potent. For a more measured and control dosage do a new batch every time. I’m doing 2 part but got a bottle of 2 lil fishy yesterday to add 2 scoops to my ato, I felt my corals looked better with Kalk, anyways at 50ml a day of 2. Parts it will also help out
DesertReefT4r
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I mixed the kalk solution in a separate container, let it settle then add it to my ato res. It will still get that skin on top of the water and have way less white junk settle out in the res. Be sure to clean out the res, lines and pump often. Start your dose slowly and dial it with daily testing.
If your ATO container has a lid you wont get the "skin" on top of the water. Just make sure your pickup pump or tube is 1 inch or so above the bottom of the container. My APEX has a program to pause the ATO for 3 hrs to let the Kalk settle.
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KCSUMPS
Active Member
Great info thanks! I am using the Tunze and I do have a top on the tank. The tunze pump is off the bottom by me placing a couple of levels of eggcrate in there. I think I have been doing what you all are doing - just end up putting the 'skin' into the ATO after my mixing container settles out. Good to go. Thank you!
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KCSUMPS
Active Member
Yeah, don't want to mix in the ATO unless absolutely necessary. Like to just dose the clear part from the mixing container but didn't know if, by breaking the skin, if I was hurting the mix...
speedstar
Well-Known Member
If you have alot of $$$ coral or tank, You may want to put your ATO on a controller where it only turns on once an hour for x seconds that it needs to average a top off. The big issue for me with Kalk in an ATO is when it fails depending on tank size even with the time out feature it can dump enough kalk in the period of time for timeout to occur to nuke the tank. If on a controller it gives you time to see it has failed as the water may just rise a little more than normal or you will hear the pump running a little longer than normal. My tank runs ATO for 9 seconds about every 40 minutes, so I have the pump set to turn on for 18 seconds every 45 minutes. Then if a issue arises it only slightly over doses doesnt nuke the tank. Perhaps i am paranoid but experience has shown me that they eventually fail for some reason, even if just because it needs a cleaning or some air bubbles. Sorry to stray from your exact question but wanted to mention it.
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KCSUMPS
Active Member
Thats good info and one of the main reasons I went with the Tunze osmolator as it will shut off after a bit even if it is low and just give you an alarm so you can see what the deal is rather than just running and flooding RODI/Kalk water into the sump/system. I am hoping that is exactly what you stated... and then with my other apex probes (many and $
) will be helpful on alarms and such...
) will be helpful on alarms and such...
Oshengems
Valuable Member
Good point forgot to mention, with Kalk it could be tricky since it shoots up your Ph I have mine hooked up to my apex so it would not dose if my ph was above 8.45 but towards the end I added a few mini colonies and a clam and saw a significant amount to nutrients being stripped out of the water so my Kalk doses were not enough without bringing up my Ph so I was forced to switch. If you plan on keeping softies and LPS you can def get away with it, but if you have a high kh & ca tank this might not be the route and would not dose without a Ph probe
Billldg
My Gem Tang Is Watching You
I mixed 5 gal buckets and dumped it into my 10 gal ATO, then I let it settle before plugging back in my tunze 3155. You need to put the pump on some egg crate that is raised roughly 1 in to keep the slurry from going into your tank. Just switched to Dos because I got tired of having to clean the Kalk out of my ATO.
mfinn
likes zoanthids
I put a small valve in the side of a 5 gallon bucket that is about 2" from the bottom.
I mixed up 4-5 tablespoons and rodi water in it.
I let it sit for 24+ hours.
The bucket sits high enough so I set another 5 gallon bucket under the valve and just turn the valve with out disturbing the bucket.
Drains off most of the clear liquid, which I add to my 50 gallons topoff container.
I mixed up 4-5 tablespoons and rodi water in it.
I let it sit for 24+ hours.
The bucket sits high enough so I set another 5 gallon bucket under the valve and just turn the valve with out disturbing the bucket.
Drains off most of the clear liquid, which I add to my 50 gallons topoff container.
The skin will protect the kalk from going bad. If you have a lid you won’t get skin and lid will protect it from going bad instead. Only mix a weeks worth of ato at a time. After that the kalk mix/limewater looses it’s potency. If you don’t have a pretty tightly closed lid, it will lose potency faster than a week.
i Clean sludge from bottom of container maybe 3-4 times a year.
Most kalk will settle out within 8 hours, lil more or less. When water is clear it is safe to use.
Make sure the pump or intake from ato container is about 2” off the bottom of ato container so it doesn’t suck that sludge at bottom and put it into tank.
i Clean sludge from bottom of container maybe 3-4 times a year.
Most kalk will settle out within 8 hours, lil more or less. When water is clear it is safe to use.
Make sure the pump or intake from ato container is about 2” off the bottom of ato container so it doesn’t suck that sludge at bottom and put it into tank.
cobast
Community Member
I've never understood why people put kalk in their ATO. Humidity and hence evaporation from your tank changes from day to day and seasonally so your dosage is likewise always changing. Surely it is better to have a dedicated, dosage pump.
mfinn
likes zoanthids
Changes are very little in temperature controlled house.
It's a cheap easy way.
Been doing it for years.
Most importantly, it works for me.
neither the skin nor the stuff that settles in the bottom is harmful at all. as others mentioned, you want the solution to settle before you turn in your ato. water can only absorb a certain amount of kalk/lime, so what it doesn absorb will settle to the bottom. when i used pickling lime i never cleaned it out and there was never an issue. also, the skin can develop even with a lid but not as much. but like i said, it’s not an issue.
