dosing kalkwasser with Tunze ATO

mrtian97 · Jan 8, 2016

Thinking to dose kalkwasser using my Tunze ATO and using BRS kalk powder, starting with 2 tsp per 5 gallon container. Do you think this is a good concentration to start with, my tank using about 10 ppm of Ca per day. My evaporation is about 1.5 gallon per day (100 gallon total system)

Question: with kalk solution and the residue , how I avoid not dosing the residue into my tank since The Tunze pump actually sits inside the 5 gallon container (I am using the same container to mix the kalk, using the standard white 5 gallon container)

Thanks

Downbeach · Jan 8, 2016

Although there's nothing wrong with the BRS kalk, I preferred Mrs. Wages Pickling Lime. I used kalk in my top off using the Tunze ATO for quite a while. I started with 1 tsp. per gallon an after a couple weeks increased it to full saturation at 2 tsp. per gal. I chose to make the kalk in a separte container and add the settled water into my ATO container, so I didn't add any "sludge"that may have remained in my mixing container. What is your Alk consumption per day?

mrtian97 · Jan 9, 2016

I just started testing and manual dosing daily with Red sea foundation Ca, Alk and Mg. based on red sea pro testing, my daily consumption are: Alk 0.25 dkh and Ca 8 ppm. I mainly have lps and zoa, light load .

is this consumption make sense?

the red sea foundation too expensive for me to keep using and I rather not buy another dosing equip, that's why I am considering Kalk with my ATO

cmcoker · Jan 9, 2016

You can build a platform to raise the pump up so it doesn't take in the bottom couple inches.
I use an aqualifter, I superglue rigid airline into a pvc end plug. That way it will not pump out the bottom couple inches.

mcarroll · Jan 9, 2016

mrtian97 said:
Thinking to dose kalkwasser using my Tunze ATO and using BRS kalk powder, starting with 2 tsp per 5 gallon container. Do you think this is a good concentration to start with, my tank using about 10 ppm of Ca per day. My evaporation is about 1.5 gallon per day (100 gallon total system)

Question: with kalk solution and the residue , how I avoid not dosing the residue into my tank since The Tunze pump actually sits inside the 5 gallon container (I am using the same container to mix the kalk, using the standard white 5 gallon container)

Thanks

Use the reef chemistry calculator and your tests to determine how much lime to add. (There are separate options for lime and limewater.)

At least as an idea, Tunze makes the 5074 calcium dispenser to do exactly what you are trying to do. I have one, I like it. If you have the money to spend on it, it's definitely worthwhile. No moving parts aside from a check valve so it should last forever.

1fstnsx · Jan 9, 2016

Been doing this for a couple of months now with no problems, I just keep the tunze pump about 3-4 inches from the bottom of a 5 gallon jug. When it gets to that point I just make another jug and rinse out the old one.

I have a sps dominant tank and been dosing 3 1/2 tbsp which is 10 tsp. And so far been keeping up with demand.

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jan 9, 2016

1.2 gallons of saturated limewater will add 10 ppm calcium and 1.4 dKH of alkalinity when added to 100 gallons of seawater.

So you can use saturated (2 level teaspoons per gallon) or perhaps a but less than saturated.

Getting a little residue into the tank is no big problem, but elevating the pump will help ensure it does not suck up a lot of mud if you accumulate a lot.

mrtian97 · Jan 10, 2016

Randy, the amt of calcium is about what I use per day (~8ppm/day); but my alk, seems my tank only using 0.25 dkh per day (using red sea pro test). Will I be overdosing with kalk, maybe I will half the dose and do weekly supplement for Calcium and magnesium?

Thanks

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jan 11, 2016

mrtian97 said:
Randy, the amt of calcium is about what I use per day (~8ppm/day); but my alk, seems my tank only using 0.25 dkh per day (using red sea pro test). Will I be overdosing with kalk, maybe I will half the dose and do weekly supplement for Calcium and magnesium?

Thanks

Yes, that will be an overdose. I don't think the tank can be using that much calcium if all you use is 0.25 dKH per day, but water changes might keep dragging it down, or it might be testing error.

I'd dose based on alkalinity since it rises and falls a lot faster than calcium when over or under dosing. So start with maybe 1/3 level teaspoon of calcium hydroxide per gallon of top off water.

mrtian97 · Jan 11, 2016

Thanks Randy, seems my tank Ca usage doesn't correlate with my dKh usage. I will keep this monitor to understand more. I only have few corals: 3 colonies of zoas (maybe total 50 heads of zoas), 1 small monti cap, 1 small torch coral -2 heads, 1 frag of favia, 1 frag of acan, 1 duncan with 2 heads. I checked my Ca and dKh with both red sea test and API test, results seems close.

I will try 1/3 of the saturated dose of kalk this coming weekend (still waiting for my Mrs Wages Pickling lime from the mail)

Randy Holmes-Farley · Jan 11, 2016

mrtian97 said:
Thanks Randy, seems my tank Ca usage doesn't correlate with my dKh usage. I will keep this monitor to understand more. I only have few corals: 3 colonies of zoas (maybe total 50 heads of zoas), 1 small monti cap, 1 small torch coral -2 heads, 1 frag of favia, 1 frag of acan, 1 duncan with 2 heads. I checked my Ca and dKh with both red sea test and API test, results seems close.

I will try 1/3 of the saturated dose of kalk this coming weekend (still waiting for my Mrs Wages Pickling lime from the mail)

Given the uncertainly in testing, especially for calcium, you generally need to monitor for quite a while (weeks, perhaps) to get accurate measurements of the daily drop.

burtbollinger · Dec 23, 2016

sorry to resurrect old thread...but how high should the Tunze pump be raised off the floor of the 5g bucket?...I've not worked with Kalk before.

Deaf clown · Dec 23, 2016

burtbollinger said:
sorry to resurrect old thread...but how high should the Tunze pump be raised off the floor of the 5g bucket?...I've not worked with Kalk before.

A couple inches. Just let the kalk sit for at least an hour before you turn the pump on so the "sludge" can sit. You don't want that in your tank.

mcarroll · Dec 23, 2016

burtbollinger said:
sorry to resurrect old thread...but how high should the Tunze pump be raised off the floor of the 5g bucket?...I've not worked with Kalk before.

You should really use the 5074 Calcium dispenser so the pump can just sit on the floor of the bucket and pump all the water out....that's why that pump is designed the way it is, so why not take advantage of it?

VTek · Dec 23, 2016

You can always place your tunze pump in a cup or small container to keep the sludge out as well.

mcarroll · Dec 23, 2016

That is a good tip if you're doing it this way, but with the same limitation that the pump can then not drain the bucket all the way as it's designed to. That's probably a days worth of top-off for me.

mcarroll · Dec 23, 2016

Admittedly, $95 for the 5074 is a lot more than a recycled platic cup bottom

, but this is how it's intended to be done. The pump does just a little mixing at the bottom of the reactor every time the ATO kicks on and the pump is both protected and it can drain the bucket all the way. Cool.