Kalk help and advice on ATO

[Dctrojan]

I recently upgraded my 55 Gallon to my new custom125g rimless . Now I want to set up my ATO to control KALK additive . A LFS told me to just mix it in my 35 gallon container ATO and put a circulation pump in it to keep it mixed. They sold me the brightwell KALK +2 . Does anyone have any suggestions on how to dose this stuff or if you've used it before?

 

[mike007]

Personally I have had better results dosing 2 part with a dosing pump to keep calcium and alkalinity in balance. I did not like the results with kalk.

 

[Dctrojan]

What in particular was it you didn't like about the results? Not maintaining the alk and ph or did it hurt the tank?

 

[mike007]

My tank houses lots of sps corals and the kalk dosing couldn't maintain my levels I wanted. When I switched to dosing ca, and alk. 24 times a day I was able to maintain my parameters and keep it stable.

 

[florida reef]

A common method is a kalk reactor that is hooked up to the ato. When the ato tops off the tank, it pumps the fresh water through the kalk reactor. I have done this in the past. Two little fishies makes a reasonably priced reactor.

 

[Dctrojan]

I mean does it have to go through a reactor ? Or can I just mix it in a big container and just keep a circulation pump in there and use that for the ATO?

 

[mike007]

You can certainly try that if you wish and see it will maintain your parameters. You need to let the kalk settle and only use the clear liquid not the sediment that is on the bottom of mixing container.

 

[Dctrojan]

Mike Thanks for the info. Is there any tricks to dosing this stuff ? I'm going to try a half dose first . I don't have a full fledge reef all going yet but I've got enough corals and sps that I think I may try it. So I don't want to keep a circulation pump in the container to stir the mixture once I get it initially mixed ? Only use the top part not the sediment?

 

[FlyinBryan]

Kalk is the best!! Nothing made my tank more stable than kalk! I use it on all my tanks, it's very inexpensive and works like a charm! You may have to dose a little extra here and there but it's no problem. The numerous of teaspoons of kalk you add per gallon of what depends on how many corals you have and what types I.e. Sps or LPS. I have a mixed reef so I'm at about 8 scoops in a 5 gallon bucket for a 150 tall DT. Kalk has a tendency to exhaust Mg so I test it once every couple of weeks or so and adjust. My tank now is just rockin out! My goniapora's are actually growing.

 

[mike007]

Yes If you choose to do this mix your kalk in a separate container and let it sit for a while and only use the clear liquid at top of container. If you choose to dose you need to test your test your ca. and your alk. levels first and then dose to bring them where you want them. After that quit dosing for 3 days and then retest to see what your tank is consuming. Divide this by 3 and that will tell you your daily consumption. Then you need to go to the reef calculator to determine how much to dose per day to keep parameters stable. You can dose manually or better to use a dosing pump so you can spread out dosage throughout the day.

 

[mcarroll]

You might try doing a search in the chemistry forum for kalkwasser (limewater) as there are already a lot of good answers to your questions out there!

(Do search links work?)
Try this:

R2R search: kalkwasser​

Some suggested R2R threads from the search:

Is Kalk all it’s cracked up to be?
Raising Alkalinity with baking soda questions
Kalkwasser – Feeding Your Tank What It Desires
Is Storing kalwasser mix in an open container with no aereation but using for top off OK?
https://www.reef2reef.com/forums/reef-chemistry-forum/130483-kalk-reactor-vs-dosing-pump.html​

In the mean time, for some direct answers, read this excellent guide on limewater: kalkwasser

Some important corrections and additional details to the advice you've gotten so far:

• If you want to mix large batches, that's fine. But once the initial mixing is done, keep the container tightly sealed and do not stir or mix the water again. (kalkwasser link explains.) Use an alkalinity test kit (preferred, but Ca can work too) and the Reef Chemistry Calculator to determine the correct amount of limewater to drip.
• Continuous mixing of limewater is a no-no. (kalkwasser link explains.)
• Dosing the milky part of the limewater solution (which is the overdose of lime you used....use less next time if there was a lot...6 grams or so per gallon should do the trick) is OK in certan circumstances - some people do it for extra potency - but in general should be avoided. Mixing vinegar with your lime is a better way to boost limewater, if you ever decide you need to do that. (kalkwasser link explains.)
• Kalk does not exhaust Mg. There is nothing special about limewater in this regard. What it does do, is contain only calcium and alkalinity (much like two-part) so it can't do anything to supplement/add magnesium as your corals use it up. (Again, much like two-part.) But yes, you do need to dose Mg occasionally (20 mL of Mg per 1 gallon of Recipe #1, if I recall correctly) with either method, if that was in question.

Hope this helps!

-Matt

 

[Dctrojan]

I want to thank everyone for the help so far. Thanks Matt for the info on the link I got started reading but do to some Valentine's plans I had to put that on hold. Well today I set up the 35 gallon ATO container and got the ro/di water starting to fill it up. So Matt , after reading what you recommended I'm confused on just one thing. If I have my ATO pump at the bottom of the 35 gallon container once I get everything mixed and it starts to top off the tank , wouldn't the pump pull in the extra lime sediment at the bottom of the container. Would mixing a kalk solution in a separate container and put it in the ATO once it settles without the left over sediment lime be OK and eliminate the chance of the left over lime getting in the tank?

 

[mcarroll]

Happy Valentine's Day! LOL

After it settles, decant the clear liquid to a separate ATO reservoir and discard the remaining slurry as you suggest. Not ideal since you are re-mixing the batch with air again, but it's only a one-time mix so maybe worthwhile. (Covered in detail in that link when you get back to it.)

-Matt

 

[Dctrojan]

Thanks Matt for the help, I'll finish the reading today and try this out for a little while .