Kalk in ATO still popular?

[Adamantium]

Do people still do this? Im debating it as a way to start adding Kalk, but I’m getting very mixed opinions.

Do I need a Kalk stirrer?

 

[CK00020]

To answer your questions, yes people do still use kalk and no stirrer necessary

 

[Adamantium]

Thanks. And is it still used largely in an ATO? My concern is seasonal evaporation fluctuations.

 

[CK00020]

That is the concern and why a stirrer is much easier to dial in, lots of people just put it in the ato also. Many parts of the country seasonal fluctuations are not as drastic.

 

[Adamantium]

So, I’m getting about an 8.1 max on my pH with a CO2 scrubber and 2 part dosing. Do you think adding a doser with Kalk in it would be worthwhile? Should I dial back my 2 part dosing to compensate?

 

[jda]

If you can live with the risks of non-consistent evaporation based addition and the possibility of the high pH killing your ATO pump, then it is what it always has been.

 

[Adamantium]

If you can live with the risks of non-consistent evaporation based addition and the possibility of the high pH killing your ATO pump, then it is what it always has been.

Hmm, I wonder if I could balance out the inconsistent evaporation rates with my Trident and DOS? Since the Trident is constantly monitoring Alk & Cal, it can increase the dose of 2 part when evaporation lessens.

Being that it’s winter, now seems like a good time to start doing this since evaporation will be at or near its peak. When it lessens because of spring and summer humidity, hopefully my DOS will just notice the reducing alk and increase 2 part.

Sound reasonable enough? Am I missing anything?

 

[Adamantium]

Any input, guys?

 

[theMeat]

Any input, guys?

I’v been using it in ato for a couple of decades. “Still popular”, lol. I just don’t get why it never was. One cheap product does cal, alk, and helps ph? Wow. In this hobby that sounds too good to be true, haha.
You can adjust for varying evap simply by adding more or less kalk to ato reservoir. Less evap = more kalk.
In your situation, think it depends on where your alk and cal levels are. If you need more you could start adding kalk. If you don’t need more use less two part and start replacing it with kalk.

 

[Adamantium]

I’v been using it in ato for a couple of decades. “Still popular”, lol. I just don’t get why it never was. One cheap product does cal, alk, and helps ph? Wow. In this hobby that sounds too good to be true, haha.
You can adjust for varying evap simply by adding more or less kalk to ato reservoir. Less evap = more kalk.
In your situation, think it depends on where your alk and cal levels are. If you need more you could start adding kalk. If you don’t need more use less two part and start replacing it with kalk.

Haha well, maybe to speak to that, I’ve been in the hobby for four years, and have consistently been too nervous to use Kalk for fear of nuking my tank. I’m only just now starting to feel comfortable using it.

I’d call it an intermediate level supplement.

I’m actually just at the point where I should bump up my 2 part to keep up with alk demand, so it seems like the perfect time to start. I’m going to start with like a half dose, though, and see where that gets me.

Thanks!

 

[theMeat]

If you can live with the risks of non-consistent evaporation based addition and the possibility of the high pH killing your ATO pump, then it is what it always has been.

A pump lasts me at least a half dozen years, and I could literally buy half a dozen pumps a year with the money saved over two part.

 

[TheDuude]

Haha well, maybe to speak to that, I’ve been in the hobby for four years, and have consistently been too nervous to use Kalk for fear of nuking my tank. I’m only just now starting to feel comfortable using it.

I’d call it an intermediate level supplement.

I’m actually just at the point where I should bump up my 2 part to keep up with alk demand, so it seems like the perfect time to start. I’m going to start with like a half dose, though, and see where that gets me.

Thanks!

I have tried this balancing of kalk strength vs evap in the past and always found it more trouble than just straight 2 part. Worth the extra $ to me

 

[Adamantium]

I have tried this balancing of kalk strength vs evap in the past and always found it more trouble than just straight 2 part. Worth the extra $ to me

Yeah, which makes sense. I’m mostly looking for that pH boost, though. I could easily just bump up 2 part to compensate for alk consumption.

 

[Adamantium]

I’v been using it in ato for a couple of decades. “Still popular”, lol. I just don’t get why it never was. One cheap product does cal, alk, and helps ph? Wow. In this hobby that sounds too good to be true, haha.
You can adjust for varying evap simply by adding more or less kalk to ato reservoir. Less evap = more kalk.
In your situation, think it depends on where your alk and cal levels are. If you need more you could start adding kalk. If you don’t need more use less two part and start replacing it with kalk.

Pardon my ignorance, and I’m doing more research now, but is a pH of 12 a good way to identify fully saturated limewater?

 

[theMeat]

Haha well, maybe to speak to that, I’ve been in the hobby for four years, and have consistently been too nervous to use Kalk for fear of nuking my tank. I’m only just now starting to feel comfortable using it.

I’d call it an intermediate level supplement.

I’m actually just at the point where I should bump up my 2 part to keep up with alk demand, so it seems like the perfect time to start. I’m going to start with like a half dose, though, and see where that gets me.

Thanks!

The only thing you must do to protect your tank from “nuke” is make sure you let kalk settle before you turn on your ato. Usually takes 3-4 hours. Keep ato reservoir covered, don’t mix more than a weeks worth at a time. Pretty simple

 

[theMeat]

Pardon my ignorance, and I’m doing more research now, but is a pH of 12 a good way to identify fully saturated limewater?

Sorry I couldn’t tell ya since I never checked it for ph. Water has a maximum saturation (2 teaspoons per gal),
When you first add kalk to water and mix it’s cloudy. When kalk settles down to bottom water becomes clear, and is then safe to use, slurry is on bottom inch or so. You want your pump about two inches from bottom, above this slurry. Any water above the slurry is your saturated limewater to be used.
Start slow. Maybe 1/2 teaspoon per gal

 

[theMeat]

I have tried this balancing of kalk strength vs evap in the past and always found it more trouble than just straight 2 part. Worth the extra $ to me

If it works for you, great. I have found the opposite to be true. In the winter when I have more evap I put less kalk. I find kalk less finicky, more stable, with more wiggle room/margin for error. Don’t have to dose, or maintain a dosing pump. And since I enjoy an ato anyway, a no brainer for me, regardless of cost. More stable ph an added bonus

 

[TheDuude]

If it works for you, great. I have found the opposite to be true. In the winter when I have more evap I put less kalk. I find kalk less finicky, more stable, with more wiggle room/margin for error. Don’t have to dose, or maintain a dosing pump. And since I enjoy an ato anyway, a no brainer for me, regardless of cost. More stable ph an added bonus

Just reinforces.... always more than one way to maintain a successful reef tank.

 

[Adamantium]

Thanks, everyone. I happen to have 2 extra pumps on hand, and they're only like $20 anyway, so I'm not too worried about wear.

I mixed up a light dose and added it to my ATO reservoir. It mixed up to a TDS of ~800 (which is equivalent to about an EC rating of 1 mS/cm, so about 10% of the normal dose), and a pH of 12.2.

Here goes nothing!

Edit: If anyone thinks I did this math wrong, please let me know. My understanding is that TDS is just EC without some calculations, and a TDS of 6400 gives an EC of 10, which is what most people say is saturated. So, 800 PPM TDS is about 1 mS/cm of EC, or 10% of the full strength solution.

 

[Adamantium]

Just reinforces.... always more than one way to maintain a successful reef tank.

Absolutely. There is no single "right" way.

That said, there are many, many "wrong" ways haha That's what I'm trying to avoid.