Getting kalk to ato container

[Chiefmaster30]

How does everyone get there kalk water from mixing jug to ato container? I’ve been mixing in a 5 gallon ro jug and letting settle, then trying to pour into my 5 gallon ato container but... the first half works good but the last half I always end up stirring up the gunk in the bottom and every 2 weeks I’m getting about 2” of gunk in the bottom of my ato. Also, every 2 weeks my ato line clogs up. Not good!

 

[Dburr1014]

Pour slowly. You can get most of it if you are gentle moving and pouring. I leave the last bit and just make more after.
How is your ATO set up? With a pump or gravity fed?

 

[Chiefmaster30]

Pour slowly. You can get most of it if you are gentle moving and pouring. I leave the last bit and just make more after.
How is your ATO set up? With a pump or gravity fed?

Pump

 

[Chiefmaster30]

Pour slowly. You can get most of it if you are gentle moving and pouring. I leave the last bit and just make more after.
How is your ATO set up? With a pump or gravity fed?

What do you just pour the last bit out and then make more? Seems like a lot of waste to me kinda. Lol

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I mix in the ATO reservoir.

 

[Chiefmaster30]

I mix in the ATO reservoir.

What about all the gunk that settles? And how do u keep from your pump clogging and lines?

 

[Dburr1014]

When I mixed and poured it was into a gravity fed setup. The float would clog from time to time.
I had a gallon bucket mix and pour into the ATO. Leave that last bit of water and mix more. All that settled is fine. Maybe every 6 months or so I would clean the mixing container.
Now that I pump ATO, I have a Kalk reactor. That doesn't clog. The pumps, Imo, don't Handle Kalk so well and will fail. It's too harsh on pumps.
You might want to raise your pump of the bottom to keep from pumping the gunk. It's not good for the reef anyway.

 

[Chiefmaster30]

When I mixed and poured it was into a gravity fed setup. The float would clog from time to time.
I had a gallon bucket mix and pour into the ATO. Leave that last bit of water and mix more. All that settled is fine. Maybe every 6 months or so I would clean the mixing container.
Now that I pump ATO, I have a Kalk reactor. That doesn't clog. The pumps, Imo, don't Handle Kalk so well and will fail. It's too harsh on pumps.
You might want to raise your pump of the bottom to keep from pumping the gunk. It's not good for the reef anyway.

I have it about 2” off the bottom already!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

What about all the gunk that settles? And how do u keep from your pump clogging and lines?

I let it collect for years, and you can draw the water from slightly above the bottom.

 

[Mark Bianco]

https://www.marinedepot.com/Tunze_O...uto_Top_Off_Units-Tunze-TZ4113-FIDPAT-vi.html

This works very well if you have an ATO. The pump sends the pure RO water into the bottom of the bottle with RO water and kalk, then it is forced up to the tank. So every time the ATO tops off it also slightly stirs up the "gunk" on the bottom of the container. and the pumps are safe from the effects of the kalk. Yes a bit pricey for a plastic bottle but what in this hobby isn't?

 

[Chiefmaster30]

I let it collect for years, and you can draw the water from slightly above the bottom.

I had 2” of gunk in vbottom of mine today and that was from 2 weeks time. Maybe I ain’t letting it settle enough or something!

 

[Dburr1014]

Let it settle until it's clear. I would settle it overnight before trying to move it.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I had 2” of gunk in vbottom of mine today and that was from 2 weeks time. Maybe I ain’t letting it settle enough or something!

You either added way to much solids material (in which case you can dissolve it into the next batch), or it is not settling very well.

 

[jk_s124]

What about all the gunk that settles? And how do u keep from your pump clogging and lines?

I mix in reservoir but I have my pump on a small 1 1/2 inch stand made out of a cut up Tupperware container. The slurry settles below the pump. When the water gets close to pump level I discard and replace. Some waste but it seems to work.

 

[Chiefmaster30]

You either added way to much solids material (in which case you can dissolve it into the next batch), or it is not settling very well.

I have a 5 gallon ro jug for mixing. I’m putting 15 teaspoons of kalk and 225 ml of vinegar. It looks to be ssettling good. I believe I’m stirring it up trying to pour out the last half of the jug. I go through this 5 gallons once a week on my 125 gallon mixed reef with a 30 gallon sump.

 

[Chiefmaster30]

I mix in reservoir but I have my pump on a small 1 1/2 inch stand made out of a cut up Tupperware container. The slurry settles below the pump. When the water gets close to pump level I discard and replace. Some waste but it seems to work.

My wife is kind enough that she’s gonna siphon it out this week after it settles and we’ll see if that helps. It has to be better!

 

[Dburr1014]

I have a 5 gallon ro jug for mixing. I’m putting 15 teaspoons of kalk and 225 ml of vinegar. It looks to be ssettling good. I believe I’m stirring it up trying to pour out the last half of the jug. I go through this 5 gallons once a week on my 125 gallon mixed reef with a 30 gallon sump.

That's a lot of kalk for a mixed reef.
I do about 1 tsp. Per gallon on 100 gallon volume mixed reef. About 6/7 gallons per week. Never used vinegar in the mix so I can't comment on that.

 

[mfinn]

I took a 5 gallon bucket ( with a lid) and drilled a hole about 2" from the bottom and added a 1/4" JG valve. Then I have it sitting on another 5 gallon bucket.
I mix up the pickling lime with ro water and let it sit for 24 hrs. Then I just put another 5 gallon bucket under the valve and open it.
I don't have to move the mixing bucket and I can just drain off the clear liquid and move it to the top off container.

 

[Bunnee911]

I mix mine right in my ato container. I let it settle before plugging the pump back in.

 

[Chiefmaster30]

That's a lot of kalk for a mixed reef.
I do about 1 tsp. Per gallon on 100 gallon volume mixed reef. About 6/7 gallons per week. Never used vinegar in the mix so I can't comment on that.

That’s what I thought also but I’m still having to dose about 25ml of 2 part a day too. I didn’t think I really even had that much of a bio load.

here’s my tank! I have quite a few corals but not really that many and only a handful of sps.