Cleaning, maintaining a large ato with kalkwasser?

[cracker]

Do I have to clean out sediment every time when refilling/adding kalkwasser ? I'm using a 30 gl brute can for ato on my 180. I'm considering using Kalkwasser to help maintain Alk/Ca levels. This reservoir is pretty big. I usually fill it to 25 gallons( I have the can marked at 5 gl intervals) .
say I put 10/15 gallons in it & add the required amount of Mrs Wages. There is still 10 or so gallons of kalkwasser/water in it. I "think" I could do it this way but would have to rinse out the sediment build up. Any Opinions? Thanks.

 

[FLAdaboy]

It’s always a good idea. Whatever doesn’t mix up ends up not being good in the end. Kalk loses potency almost as fast as it’s mixed. When I used kalk in a 5g bucket, I would discard the sludge that didn’t mix. I use a kalk reactor now and wash it out every month and refill along with adding fresh kalk.

 

[jsker]

I always kept a power head in the reservoir to stir the sediment, and clean the reservoir every quarter

 

[cracker]

Great insight Gentlemen Thanks ! Also when I was using Kalk in a much smaller container The pump would suck up some of the sediment which really boosted levels. A power head is a good idea As this big tank for some reason drinks the Alkalinity . A full can could last for months. I'll have to see how the potency would last long term.
another experiment ! When will it end

 

[Flippers4pups]

I just vacuum out the sediment once every month.

 

[cracker]

Why don't I think of these ideas myself?

 

[jsker]

Why don't I think of these ideas myself?

Ummm to many other thing to think about I do the same

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Do I have to clean out sediment every time when refilling/adding kalkwasser ? I'm using a 30 gl brute can for ato on my 180. I'm considering using Kalkwasser to help maintain Alk/Ca levels. This reservoir is pretty big. I usually fill it to 25 gallons( I have the can marked at 5 gl intervals) .
say I put 10/15 gallons in it & add the required amount of Mrs Wages. There is still 10 or so gallons of kalkwasser/water in it. I "think" I could do it this way but would have to rinse out the sediment build up. Any Opinions? Thanks.

I let the sediment collect for more than a year, sometimes several years.

 

[mfinn]

I usually only clean mine when maybe once a year.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

It’s always a good idea. Whatever doesn’t mix up ends up not being good in the end.

Not sure what you mean by that. I monitored mine over a month in a Brute trash can and it did not appreciably deplete. There are also benefits to have extra sediment in the can, such as binding impurities.

What Your Grandmother Never Told You About Lime by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-01/rhf/index.htm

In a still reservoir that is not aerated, however, the potency is stable for a period adequate to permit dosing. Figures 3 and 4 show the conductivity of the limewater in my 44-gallon limewater reservoir over a three-week period. It was simply covered with a loose fitting plastic lid. It is apparent from the conductivity that the potency does not decrease significantly over time.


Figure 4. Conductivity as a function of time over three weeks in my
standard44-gallon limewater reservoir with its lid on.

To summarize the degradation issues:

Limewater can lose potency by reacting with carbon dioxide in the air, forming insoluble calcium carbonate. Since calcium carbonate is not an effective supplement of calcium and alkalinity in reef aquaria, the limewater can become less useful through this process. The rate at which this happens in large containers, such as plastic trash cans with loose fitting lids, however, is much less than many aquarists expect. There is, in fact, little degradation under typical use conditions. Consequently, the dosing of limewater from such large, still reservoirs can be just as effective as, or more so than, dosing using any other scheme.

 

[Mrx7899]

I think I have cleaned my reservoir like once in over a year.

 

[cracker]

All great info Thank You !
Randy, What do You think of a power head to keep sediment stirred up? Would it add to potency? Perhaps just pump undissolved solids into the display. I'd think that isn't good.
This is a Fish only with a token Kenya tree coral. But would like to add an anemone in the future.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

All great info Thank You !
Randy, What do You think of a power head to keep sediment stirred up? Would it add to potency? Perhaps just pump undissolved solids into the display. I'd think that isn't good.
This is a Fish only with a token Kenya tree coral. But would like to add an anemone in the future.

I strongly think stirring is a bad idea in a reservoir of limewater. It greatly accelerates the rate of CO2 entry and depletion

I discuss that here:

The Degradation of Limewater in Air - Reefkeeping.com
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-05/rhf/feature/index.htm

Figure 3. The conductivity as a function of time in my standard trashcan reservoir
(red, reproduced from Figure 2) and in a small container with an airstone (black).

 

[jsker]

All great info Thank You !
Randy, What do You think of a power head to keep sediment stirred up? Would it add to potency? Perhaps just pump undissolved solids into the display. I'd think that isn't good.
This is a Fish only with a token Kenya tree coral. But would like to add an anemone in the future.

Randy has graphs

 

[cracker]

Ok , So I'll fill to 25 gallons & add the appropriate amount of Mrs wages. Next fill whether 10 15 gallons, I'll just leave the old & add that amount. see how it goes.

 

[cracker]

Yes he does ! Iv'e perused more than a few ! LOL
Every body have a good day !

 

[Flippers4pups]

Ok , So I'll fill to 25 gallons & add the appropriate amount of Mrs wages. Next fill whether 10 15 gallons, I'll just leave the old & add that amount. see how it goes.

Yep, what ever amount if refill into the ATO Reservoir, I add that amount of calcium hydroxide to that amount.

 

[cracker]

That sounds easy enough ! Didn't want this turn into another one of my hair scheme plans !

 

[Flippers4pups]

That sounds easy enough ! Didn't want this turn into another one of my hair scheme plans !

Yep, easy.

 

[FLAdaboy]

Not sure what you mean by that. I monitored mine over a month in a Brute trash can and it did not appreciably deplete. There are also benefits to have extra sediment in the can, such as binding impurities.

What Your Grandmother Never Told You About Lime by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-01/rhf/index.htm

In a still reservoir that is not aerated, however, the potency is stable for a period adequate to permit dosing. Figures 3 and 4 show the conductivity of the limewater in my 44-gallon limewater reservoir over a three-week period. It was simply covered with a loose fitting plastic lid. It is apparent from the conductivity that the potency does not decrease significantly over time.


Figure 4. Conductivity as a function of time over three weeks in my
standard44-gallon limewater reservoir with its lid on.

To summarize the degradation issues:

Limewater can lose potency by reacting with carbon dioxide in the air, forming insoluble calcium carbonate. Since calcium carbonate is not an effective supplement of calcium and alkalinity in reef aquaria, the limewater can become less useful through this process. The rate at which this happens in large containers, such as plastic trash cans with loose fitting lids, however, is much less than many aquarists expect. There is, in fact, little degradation under typical use conditions. Consequently, the dosing of limewater from such large, still reservoirs can be just as effective as, or more so than, dosing using any other scheme.

I use the sniff method.