Dosing kalk in auto top off questions

[Reef Junky150]

For those who do it, do you mix up a batch let it run its course and repeat?

I'm thinking of setting up a system like this instead of my current ato and wondering if I should put a power head in to mix it several times a day?

Or should I not run a power head and let it settle?

Have you noticed any ill effects like cloudiness or change in performance of skimmer?

 

[clownfitch]

I mix it and let it settle for a few hours by putting enough RO in the DT as to not need top off for that time. When it gets low I repeat. Let it settle, don't stir the slurry up after it settles.

 

[Reef Junky150]

Should I set a pump to stir once every night say around 3am to keep level in water up?

 

[el_ote]

ive read that you mix it once and let it settle a few hours before you can begin adding to the tank. try to avoid pumping the "settled stuff" into the tank. raise your pump a few inches to keep out of the stuff.
I refill my ato jug (3 gallons) and add about a third the dosage recommended because my ato is not very "fine tuned" and I got an alk spike two days after starting with full dosage.

 

[Reef Junky150]

Hmm, I was just worried the level in the water would drop off by the time I refilled added more I guess

 

[mknightryder]

I've used kalk in my ato for 2yrs now in my 90g. No dosing. Two 15g bi-weekly wc's and the kalk keeps my parameters spot-on! Every now and then I might have to add a few ml's of reef fusion 1 0r 2 to get things back to normal. Still have the same bottles of RF 1&2 from two yrs ago!!! The only time I see a change is when the seasons change and evaporation rates change.... With a little testing and measuring it's easy to get back on track.... For my set-up I use two- 5gallon jugs. Used to be able to put one in the stand, but Now it's all sump underneath there... lol My top-off pump is an aqualifter pump. Airline tubing is ran into both jugs and suspended an inch or so off the bottom. I mix kalkwasser in a 5 gallon bucket and pour into one of my top-off jugs. Tank usually evaporates 1 gal a day, so a jug lasts 5 days. On the fourth day I mix and fill the second jug. When first jug is near empty, I swap the suction line over for the "new" jug. Repeat weekly. This method gives the kalk a day to settle out. I usually dump the residual out and start fresh in each jug. I travel alot and this is what works for me. Plus my tank sitters know how to swap the jugs over by plugging/unplugging the airline tubing into the aqualifter pump. Hope this helps.

 

[gcrawford]

GEO kalk reactor inline with Tunze ATO. No more mixing since I've gone to this solution. I also use a GEO cal reactor. Parameters very stable with this set up.