Kalk users!

[tencwhiskey]

I just started dosing kalkwasser from my ATO reserve, I'm starting out with 1/2 tsp per gallon. I need to fill the reserve back up. So do I add another 1/2 tsp per gallon or do I stir the crap on the bottom? Or
Do I just fill and check my levels. I am
Kind of confused about it. Thanks

 

[JOSE CASAS]

Is ur ato reservoir air tight? if no then you must drain and mix again so that you have full saturation. hth

 

[PapaDragon]

I bought some kalk and haven't built the nerve up to use it. Thats a good question. Also do you just pore the sludge down the drain?

 

[sawdonkey]

Is ur ato reservoir air tight? if no then you must drain and mix again so that you have full saturation. hth

I don't believe this to be true. There are some randy Holmes Farley articles that say otherwise.

 

[rlman41299]

I rarely drain mine too unless there's a thick sludge at the bottom. Seems to work just fine even it's just on a 10g plastic container.

 

[fishroomlady]

I don't have an answer on the ATO but yes, you can pour the sludge down the drain......

 

[tencwhiskey]

I'm also getting a film at the top of the reservoir and all over my ato pump any idea if that is from it not being air tight?

 

[rlman41299]

^^^ that is normal

 

[sawdonkey]

I'm also getting a film at the top of the reservoir and all over my ato pump any idea if that is from it not being air tight?

This is supposed to happen. The film on top actually protects the solution from the air and keeps it from degrading. After mixing it up, you shouldn't disturb the solution.

There are two good RHF articles on kalk. One is called "what your grandmother never told you about pickling lime" and the other is all about how the degradation of kalk solution due to air exposure is very minimal.

 

[Gwitness]

I do the same thing and whenever its time to replenish I usually already have 10 gallons mixed of kalk from the day before and I just siphon it into my 20 gallon brute trash can where my kalk and ATO are...It has been extremely stable for me so far....I love kalk!! My parameters have been very stable so far!

 

[mcarroll]

Good info so far!

My favorite link on using it: kalkwasser

 

[NanaReefer]

Great info thanks for sharing. But now I have a question I don't use dosing pumps due to budget constraints. How could I adapt this method to my ATO? Would love to do this adding Kalk to my hasn't been the most productive.

 

[ShawnSaucier]

I would like to start using kalk again. I recently had a custom sump and ATO container built, my concern with adding it to my ATO is getting the sludge out. Can it be premixed and then strained to keep any sludge out of the container? Sounds silly, I know..

 

[mcarroll]

A reactor like the Tunze 5074 (or DIY) is my preferred way to dose kalk cuz it makes it easy and cuts most of the mess.

Unless you were pre-mixing with vinegar, you do not want to stir or otherwise disturb the mixed kalk solution any more than absolutely necessary.

(see the kalkwasser link I posted earlier for complete info on mixing and vinegar usage - post back here with questions! )

-Matt

 

[Keithcorals]

I would like to start using kalk again. I recently had a custom sump and ATO container built, my concern with adding it to my ATO is getting the sludge out. Can it be premixed and then strained to keep any sludge out of the container? Sounds silly, I know..

You can mix it in a separate container and then let it sit for a few hours or overnight to let the dust settle So to speak then drain the liquid into your ATO container. You may still get a small amount of precipitant from exposure to air in the container but it should be minimal and you shouldn't have the large amount of sludge that builds up in the mixing container

 

[mcarroll]

Not that kalk is expensive, but chances are that unless you're measuring more precisely than normal, that "sludge" will be mostly still-usable kalk and you're wasting a fair amount of material if you aren't re-using it.

It's not too hard to measure more precisely if you wanna do this, however. Once again, check the link, but I think the "correct" rate is 6g of kalk per 1 gallon of RODI...with that there should be nothing much left after mixing but "waste material".

-Matt

 

[jservedio]

This is why I prefer to use vinegar since I can get a much more concentrated solution - getting right around of 20g of Kalk per gallon. It fully dissolves, there is no precipitate, and using a doser I know exactly what I am putting in my tank. No way to overdose since I'm using a doser, it boosts the pH a little higher than it would naturally, and saves me money on 2-part since I am able to use quite a bit less. Plus, if you are someome who is already doing carbon dosing, or feeding a ton, you do get some carbon out of it too!

 

[mic209]

Although a lot of people do it, Kalk does not work well with an ATO unless you have consistent evaporation through out the year. I started with KALK in my ATO in the winter and everything was going great, parameters were steady and I was using minimal 2 part through my dosing pumps. When summer came around and the A/C came on in the house, my tank went to crap, ALK and CA sky rocketed due to the increased evaporation. Pumps were seizing up due to the extra kalk causing CA to precipitate. So just consider how your tank evaporates before using kalk in an ATO. IMO it is much better to have a consistent drip of kalk, this way you can control how much is actually going into your tank.

 

[Eric B]

I actually use a dosing pump instead of a drip system as I could never get the drip rate to stay constant. I have the apex turn on for a set time at the top and bottom of each hour and my levels have stayed pretty steady since going this route. This system is separate from my ato system and since I do it this way the ato only runs once in a while because the alk/dosing pump system takes care of a large amount of the evaporation. It took me about a few weeks of testing and dialing in the run time but since then it has worked great! My ato is really just a back up now to this.