Dosing Kalk without a reactor or putting it in an ATO

Tdoan · Sep 14, 2020

I am currently using Kalk in my ATO.
I am wanting to mix the Kalk and then put it in a dosing container and use a dosing pump.
The tank is 40 gallons and uses about one gallon of top off water a day. My current use it the minimal recommendation usage. 1/2 tsp for one gallon.
Has anyone tried to dose without a reactor. Should I use the max of 1 & 1/2 tsp for one the one gallon and then dose 1/4 a gallon that over a 24 hour time frame.
Thanks for any input.

jspuck25 · Sep 14, 2020

Tdoan said:
I am currently using Kalk in my ATO.
I am wanting to mix the Kalk and then put it in a dosing container and use a dosing pump.
The tank is 40 gallons and uses about one gallon of top off water a day. My current use it the minimal recommendation usage. 1/2 tsp for one gallon.
Has anyone tried to dose without a reactor. Should I use the max of 1 & 1/2 tsp for one the one gallon and then dose 1/4 a gallon that over a 24 hour time frame.
Thanks for any input.

I currently use the BRS 50ml/min dosing pump. I use full strength in its own container. This is so all I have to adjust is the dosage if need be and not the strength. Works good for me. I use an apex to do so but a digital timer could work also i suppose.

Tdoan · Sep 14, 2020

jspuck25 said:
I currently use the BRS 50ml/min dosing pump. I use full strength in its own container. This is so all I have to adjust is the dosage if need be and not the strength. Works good for me. I use an apex to do so but a digital timer could work also i suppose.

I bought a Kamoer X1 Dosing pump that is able to dose 12 times a day. 1 ml to 6500 ml.

wonroc · Oct 20, 2020

why buy a dosing pump when u can drop a teaspoon in the ato

vanpire · Oct 20, 2020

Tdoan said:
I bought a Kamoer X1 Dosing pump that is able to dose 12 times a day. 1 ml to 6500 ml.

I do the same except I use a cheap BRS dosing pump with my APEX. The only difference between what you are doing and a KALK reactor is that the Kalk reactor has a stir function to stir the KALK so you can add lots of KALK at a time.

Tdoan · Oct 20, 2020

Because it will create issues with your ATO system.

Betex · Oct 21, 2020

I doing doing it like most mentioned using a 5g jug with a versa pump and did continuous dosing. I ended up getting Avast Marine K1 and love it no more mixing the jugs separately just refill my ato reservoir like always and takes care of the rest. Ended up adding a fan to increase the evaporation to try and avoid firing my carx back up and so far so good.

miyags · Oct 21, 2020

I use the drip method,for top off.I only need to add 1/2 teaspoon of kalk per gal also. to maintain a 10 alk and my cal is a little high 460. And I use pickling lime.

40g Nano · Oct 21, 2020

I would just mix it with the ato

User · Oct 21, 2020

wonroc said:
why buy a dosing pump when u can drop a teaspoon in the ato

Because when the ac heat kicks on in winter- and your evaporate goes up- it’s screws around with your levels

wouldn’t you, instead of the evaporation rate, rather be in control of the dose?

User · Oct 21, 2020

Tdoan said:
I bought a Kamoer X1 Dosing pump that is able to dose 12 times a day. 1 ml to 6500 ml.

This!

saturated Kalk solution dosed with a kamoer X1 is a great set up

Mical · Oct 21, 2020

Problem with dosing kalk via ATO is it is caustic and hard on pumps, leaves residue on sensors & floats. I burned through 2 Apex ATKs before I bought dosers. Now everything is on cruise control for a couple of years.

Ls7corvete · Oct 21, 2020

I am interested in this too(Kalk via dosing pump), is anyone using this with 3tsp per gallon and vinegar? They way I see it, that way you refill less, get some carbon dosing and have the ability to shut down the Kalk based on pH probe, without shutting down ATO.

It will be some time before I need this for my tank, but I have been enjoying researching. Let me know if I am missing anything.

Privateye · Oct 21, 2020

So, I recently toured one of the larger US coral farms and I asked about kalk. They said they hadn't used it in the past, but they are starting to.

However, they said the main thing was that it needs to be added constantly (or at least very frequently) to prevent swings in chemistry. It sounds like that isn't an issue for your idea, but they also noted the tendency to collect at the bottom of the container. Keep an eye on it and keep your dosing pump drawing from a healthy distance above it. You don't want the end to get "stuck in the muck".

I'm a big fan of the Kamoer X1. I bought 2 when I got to the point that I was dosing home made (saturated) 2 part solutions over 5x daily. I had an acro RTN, so I bought these two pumps. That was a 1.5 years ago and they have done an outstanding job of maintaining my tank, and packing it full of coral. A few kinds are growing on the front glass at this point. It made me go from multiple daily doses, to ignoring my chemistry for 2 weeks at a time. I could travel without worry again. I just bought a 3rd for my magnesium. I've heard there are still some bugs with the X2 though, but the X1 is still available all over. The price is right too!

Tdoan · Oct 22, 2020

I have had no issues out of the X1, It is priced right with a Bluetooth control. Great for a application that doesn’t need to be tweaked.
I also have it powered from my apex and if the PH gets too high it will turn it off. It will also alarm me if the PH goes low.

Rjmul · Oct 24, 2020

wonroc said:
why buy a dosing pump when u can drop a teaspoon in the ato

Because seasons.

wonroc · Oct 24, 2020

Rjmul said:
Because seasons.

Ehh?

Daddy-o · Oct 24, 2020

We used to use our doser for kalk w/vinegar. Now we just use the ATO

User · Oct 25, 2020

wonroc said:
Ehh?

Seasons are the reasons

as winter roles through, and your heat comes on, evaporation rate increases and your alk dosing in ATO goes up.

Post 10 https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/d...r-or-putting-it-in-an-ato.758270/post-8113550

Rjmul · Oct 25, 2020

wonroc said:
Ehh?

This dosing via the ATO baffles me.

even temperature controlled fish rooms have fluctuations in seasons and temperature. Your evap rate is NOT the same in December as it is in August. This hobby is hard enough, why are we making it harder. Don't dose from the ATO. The only time I do that is when I want to add something and I don't particularly care when or how fast it gets there (lanthinun chloride, magnesium, sometimes calcium (for big adjustments not for maintenance doses because that's silly))