Kalk and an ato, necessary?

[boogiesnap]

Hi, it seems often people max out the amount of kalk that can be added due to limitations of the tank evaporation. If that’s the case, does that then make running an AtO system unnecessary as water for salinity sake is being replaced daily by the kalk solution?
Trying to both complicate and simplify my system.
Thank y’all for any insight.

 

[Saltyreef]

Hi, it seems often people max out the amount of kalk that can be added due to limitations of the tank evaporation. If that’s the case, does that then make running an AtO system unnecessary as water for salinity sake is being replaced daily by the kalk solution?
Trying to both complicate and simplify my system.
Thank y’all for any

The only limitation for an ATO and kalkwasser is your first statement.

it makes running a kalk reactor necissary, and does not make an ATO unnecissary.

 

[boogiesnap]

The only limitation for an ATO and kalkwasser is your first statement.

it makes running a kalk reactor necissary, and does not make an ATO unnecissary.

Thank you. Utilizing a more potent kalk solution that doesn’t rely on evap is what I’m understanding?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Hi, it seems often people max out the amount of kalk that can be added due to limitations of the tank evaporation. If that’s the case, does that then make running an AtO system unnecessary as water for salinity sake is being replaced daily by the kalk solution?
Trying to both complicate and simplify my system.
Thank y’all for any insight.

You are suggesting using a dosing pump instead of an ATO?

That's OK, but may require constant adjustment to ensure you are matching evaporation.

Most folks would either use just the ATO, or a dosing pump under the evaporation limit and the ATO to keep it topped up.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Thank you. Utilizing a more potent kalk solution that doesn’t rely on evap is what I’m understanding?

Kalwkasser has a saturation limit. It is that limit that controls how much can be dosed.

 

[exnisstech]

Most folks would either use just the ATO, or a dosing pump under the evaporation limit and the ATO to keep it topped up.

^^ This. In addition to an ATO I drip kalk 24/7 50 minutes on 5 minutes off with a brs dosing pump. I still have to dose 30ml of two part in a system totaling 200+ gallon. I drip kalk for alk and calcium. I don't monitor pH.

 

[Indymann99]

Using Kalk in ATO limits your Kalk dose to what your tank is evaporating. This will likely be not enough at times and too much at times (season). I run ATO for evap and Kalk via dosing pump to control Kalk dosage.

 

[boogiesnap]

Thanks guys. I wasn’t taking about dosing kalk in the ato.
I was saying it would seem,

You are suggesting using a dosing pump instead of an ATO?

That's OK, but may require constant adjustment to ensure you are matching evaporation.

Most folks would either use just the ATO, or a dosing pump under the evaporation limit and the ATO to keep it topped up.

I was talking about kalk being dosed(not from the ato)replacing the need for freshwater ato as it seems most people can’t even dose enough to keep up with demand from just evaporation alone and wondering if then an ato system is necessary at all. Just max out replenishment with the kalk dosing and supplement with 2 part or whatever if the tank needs it.

 

[boogiesnap]

Kalwkasser has a saturation limit. It is that limit that controls how much can be dosed.

Exactly, so I’m wondering, if I’m doing kalk, do I even need to keep running an ato?
My tank is at the point where I need to make upgrades to the system and trying to organize this part of the build.
Not a big deal but if I can eliminate a container and pump that’d be great. If not so be it.
Thanks y’all.

 

[boogiesnap]

You are suggesting using a dosing pump instead of an ATO?

That's OK, but may require constant adjustment to ensure you are matching evaporation.

Most folks would either use just the ATO, or a dosing pump under the evaporation limit and the ATO to keep it topped up.

I’ll probably go the dose under evap and ato to top up. Thank you.

 

[fish farmer]

Exactly, so I’m wondering, if I’m doing kalk, do I even need to keep running an ato?
My tank is at the point where I need to make upgrades to the system and trying to organize this part of the build.
Not a big deal but if I can eliminate a container and pump that’d be great. If not so be it.
Thanks y’all.

This is where you have to do the math. Figure how much your tank evaps. Figure how much you want/need to dose for kalk.

You could dose a weak solution of kalk to start and test.

 

[boogiesnap]

This is where you have to do the math. Figure how much your tank evaps. Figure how much you want/need to dose for kalk.

You could dose a weak solution of kalk to start and test.

Agreed. Thank you. It seems the math often comes out that one needs to dose more than the tank evaporates.
So I’m wondering if one could eliminate the freshwater ato altogether and if others actually do so.

 

[jrill]

Agreed. Thank you. It seems the math often comes out that one needs to dose more than the tank evaporates.
So I’m wondering if one could eliminate the freshwater ato altogether and if others actually do so.

I dose more kalk than my evaporation rate so I run a fan over the sump to increase the rate. I kept the ato because every so often it runs as changes in the weather effect evaporation rates.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

IMO, it is a much better plan to dose under the evaporation limit and top off with an ATO rather than constantly try to keep jiggering a dosing pump to match evaporation.

 

[Sisterlimonpot]

@boogiesnap to add, I dont think you'd want to eliminate the ato, but you would want to use it smartly.

Evaporation changes daily, even if you calculate the average of your daily evaporation and solely rely on your kalk pump to keep up with evap, it eventually become a losing battle.

Just as everyone suggested, you'll want to know your daily evap rate and program your kalk dosing pump to provide enough to come in under your average evap and then allow your ato to play catch up (to get you back to zero every day).

The concern then becomes, evap isn't constant throughout the day it seems to be quicker when the lights are on and the house is warmer mid day. Then you're ato might get in the way of being able to provide the maximum amount of kalkwasser in the 24h period.

You can complicate this process and program your ato to be active at the end of the day for an hour or so just to get you back to zero. But it's something you would have to experiment with to get it dialed in.

I definitely wouldn't remove the ato, but I would suggest having your kalk pump and ato work together to provide the best outcome.

 

[boogiesnap]

@boogiesnap to add, I dont think you'd want to eliminate the ato, but you would want to use it smartly.

Evaporation changes daily, even if you calculate the average of your daily evaporation and solely rely on your kalk pump to keep up with evap, it eventually become a losing battle.

Just as everyone suggested, you'll want to know your daily evap rate and program your kalk dosing pump to provide enough to come in under your average evap and then allow your ato to play catch up (to get you back to zero every day).

The concern then becomes, evap isn't constant throughout the day it seems to be quicker when the lights are on and the house is warmer mid day. Then you're ato might get in the way of being able to provide the maximum amount of kalkwasser in the 24h period.

You can complicate this process and program your ato to be active at the end of the day for an hour or so just to get you back to zero. But it's something you would have to experiment with to get it dialed in.

I definitely wouldn't remove the ato, but I would suggest having your kalk pump and ato work together to provide the best outcome.

Perfect, thank you and all for the suggestions.