Ato

[OGReeferTY]

So I just got an ato not too long ago. I added some kalkwasser to it. I did it how I saw on a video ( which might not be the best) but I added a wavemaker and mixed up the kalk. I turned off the ato while doing that today and noticed that my ato dumped a lot of kalk in there. I read there is a priming cycle for my ato? So should I never turn my ato off? I seem to be filling it up quite often after water changes and such. I don’t want to dumping that much kalk at once in my tank either.

 

[Garf]

So I just got an ato not too long ago. I added some kalkwasser to it. I did it how I saw on a video ( which might not be the best) but I added a wavemaker and mixed up the kalk. I turned off the ato while doing that today and noticed that my ato dumped a lot of kalk in there. I read there is a priming cycle for my ato? So should I never turn my ato off? I seem to be filling it up quite often after water changes and such. I don’t want to dumping that much kalk at once in my tank either.

What is your alkalinity at?

 

[OGReeferTY]

What is your alkalinity at?

9.0

 

[OGReeferTY]

9.0

I mean 8.9

 

[Reef.]

Or just put a cup under the ato tube when you turn it back on to collect the primed water.

 

[MoshJosh]

I leave my ATO on all the time accept for when I am removing water, like during a water change.
Some people leave their ATO on an outlet timer, the thinking being that if something goes wrong and the ATO gets stuck on it can only run so long before the timer shuts it off.
Some ATOs have sensors to prevent overflow in the display/sump. There are also stand alone products that do this (sensor connected to an outlet).
For kalk in an ATO, I would not run a wavemaker or other sort of flow device in the reservoir. Instead mix your kalk in a separate container, let the precipitates settle, then pour only the liquid solution (not the gunk on the bottom) into your ATO reservoir.
Mount your ATO pump slightly off the bottom of the ATO reservoir to prevent precipitates from getting sucked up (some will still settle even if you mix the kalk as described above).

 

[OGReeferTY]

I leave my ATO on all the time accept for when I am removing water, like during a water change.
Some people leave their ATO on an outlet timer, the thinking being that if something goes wrong and the ATO gets stuck on it can only run so long before the timer shuts it off.
Some ATOs have sensors to prevent overflow in the display/sump. There are also stand alone products that do this (sensor connected to an outlet)
For kalk in an ATO, I would not run a wavemaker or other sort of flow device in the reservoir. Instead mix you kalk in a separate container, let the precipitates settle, then pour only the liquid solution (not the gunk on the bottom) into your ATO reservoir.

I leave my ato always as well except water changes. But that’s when I guess the primed water went off and dumped a lot of kalk. I think I’ll do what you suggested and mix in a stand alone. Could I just add it to my 5g ato water and mix it? Or does it need to be used all at once?

 

[OGReeferTY]

I leave my ato always as well except water changes. But that’s when I guess the primed water went off and dumped a lot of kalk. I think I’ll do what you suggested and mix in a stand alone. Could I just add it to my 5g ato water and mix it? Or does it need to be used all at once?

5gallon RODI water I meant. lol

 

[Garf]

I mean 8.9

It may not be adding as much as you think. However, putting kalk in an ATO would not be my choice as dosing amounts are left to the humidity gods.

Or just put a cup under the ato tube when you turn it back on to collect the primed water.

At least once, and measure it. It's almost certainly insignificant. There's a kalkulator below;

Kalk Contribution Calculator

Aquarium calculator; Estimate the contribution of a kalk solution towards the calcium and alkalinity of a system.

www.hamzasreef.com

added a wavemaker and mixed up the kalk

Is this a one time mix deal, or do you leave it mixing?

 

[MoshJosh]

I leave my ato always as well except water changes. But that’s when I guess the primed water went off and dumped a lot of kalk. I think I’ll do what you suggested and mix in a stand alone. Could I just add it to my 5g ato water and mix it? Or does it need to be used all at once?

I am not understanding the question, you can mix it in the ATO reservoir if you like, however, you will be leaving a lot of precipitates (hope that is the right word, the gunk) that would have otherwise settled out if you mixed it in a separate container. What do you mean use it all at once? If you make a batch outside of the reservoir? I think you could probably store it for a reasonable amount of time before putting it in the reservoir, though I would probably make it in 5 gallon batches as needed for the reservoir.

 

[OGReeferTY]

It may not be adding as much as you think. However, putting kalk in an ATO would not be my choice as dosing amounts are left to the humidity gods.

At least once, and measure it. It's almost certainly insignificant. There's a kalkulator below;

Kalk Contribution Calculator

Aquarium calculator; Estimate the contribution of a kalk solution towards the calcium and alkalinity of a system.

www.hamzasreef.com

Is this a one time mix deal, or do you leave it mixing?

One time mix deal for one minute, shut off the wavemaker, turn back on the ato.

 

[OGReeferTY]

I am not understanding the question, you can mix it in the ATO reservoir if you like, however, you will be leaving a lot of precipitates (hope that is the right word, the gunk) that would have otherwise settled out if you mixed it in a separate container. What do you mean use it all at once? If you make a batch outside of the reservoir? I think you could probably store it for a reasonable amount of time before putting it in the reservoir, though I would probably make it in 5 gallon batches as needed for the reservoir.

I turned off my ato for my water change. Did my change, added more rodi water to the ato chamber. Turned everything back on. Didn’t realize the ato primed when it re plugged it. It dumped half of my ato chamber( which has kalk) into my display. It got real cloudy I. My tank for a while. I just got LPS so I’m trying to watch my cal, alk, and mag more. Only had softies before.

 

[Garf]

I turned off my ato for my water change. Did my change, added more rodi water to the ato chamber. Turned everything back on. Didn’t realize the ato primed when it re plugged it. It dumped half of my ato chamber( which has kalk) into my display. It got real cloudy I. My tank for a while. I just got LPS so I’m trying to watch my cal, alk, and mag more. Only had softies before.

You sure you put enough saltwater back in? I don't understand why an ATO would need a prime function.

 

[MoshJosh]

I am not understanding the question, you can mix it in the ATO reservoir if you like, however, you will be leaving a lot of precipitates (hope that is the right word, the gunk) that would have otherwise settled out if you mixed it in a separate container. What do you mean use it all at once? If you make a batch outside of the reservoir? I think you could probably store it for a reasonable amount of time before putting it in the reservoir, though I would probably make it in 5 gallon batches as needed for the reservoir.

This is how I would do it personally:

Take a 5 gallon bucket and fill it with RODI water.
Add your desired amount of Kalkwasser powder (for example 2 tsp. per gallon for max saturation= 10 tsp. for 5 gallons) .
Mix really well, either manually or with a pump of some kind.
Stop mixing and leave it alone for at least 15 minutes (more is better I am pretty sure, but I have done 15 minutes before. . .)
Transfer the solution to your ATO reservoir doing your best to only transfer the liquid and not the gunk that settled out (can pour or syphon it into the reservoir)
Then do nothing until you need to make more. No wavemakers in the reservoir.

Also keep in mind that adding RODI water to the reservoir without adding more kalk will alter the kalk concentration in the reservoir making it an even more inaccurate way off "dosing" kalk. Not knocking this way of using kalk, I have used it and it can work well.

Also, something seems off with your ATO. I have had a few different types and I have never had one that "primed" and dumped water into the tank. Unless you are underfilling the tank when you do water changes I can't see why this is happening.

What ATO are you using?

 

[OGReeferTY]

You sure you put enough saltwater back in? I don't understand why an ATO would need a prime function.

I messed up a bit I know that. I added too much saltwater then drained a bit from the sump to get the levels right. I had my pump and skimmer off when I did that. I think I may have left the ato a bit. But the water level was over the optical sensor. Turned it off as soon as I heard it come on. I’m new to sumps. Used to have an AIO so I’m trying to learn this whole process under the tank out.

 

[OGReeferTY]

This is how I would do it personally:

Take a 5 gallon bucket and fill it with RODI water.
Add your desired amount of Kalkwasser powder (for example 2 tsp. per gallon for max saturation= 10 tsp. for 5 gallons) .
Mix really well, either manually or with a pump of some kind.
Stop mixing and leave it alone for at least 15 minutes (more is better I am pretty sure, but I have done 15 minutes before. . .)
Transfer the solution to your ATO reservoir doing your best to only transfer the liquid and not the gunk that settled out (can pour or syphon it into the reservoir)
Then do nothing until you need to make more. No wavemakers in the reservoir.

Also keep in mind that adding RODI water to the reservoir without adding more kalk will alter the kalk concentration in the reservoir making it an even more inaccurate way off "dosing" kalk. Not knocking this way of using kalk, I have used it and it can work well.

Also, something seems off with your ATO. I have had a few different types and I have never had one that "primed" and dumped water into the tank. Unless you are underfilling the tank when you do water changes I can't see why this is happening.

What ATO are you using?

It’s no tunze that’s for sure.

 

[MoshJosh]

It’s no tunze that’s for sure.

Looks pretty similar to my ATO (and a lot of others) so the dumping of water for "priming" seems odd.

 

[luis angel]

You sure you put enough saltwater back in? I don't understand why an ATO would need a prime function.

I thought the same thing, when I turn off my ato and do the water change, when I turn on the ato, if the water is at the level, it doesn't work.

 

[OGReeferTY]

Looks pretty similar to my ATO (and a lot of others) so the dumping of water for "priming" seems odd.

I’ll keep an eye on it. My parameters seem alright. Within reason. So next time I do a water change I’ll look at it for priming.