Kalkwasser clogging filter socks?

[Saltine]

Is kalkwasser clogging filter socks a thing? I just washed my filter socks in the watching machine and they lasted all of 10 minutes before overflowing again. My tank was recently topped with kalk top off water so it was a bit cloudy. I have a reefer 250 with the stock 200 micron filter socks, tank has been running since 1/1 and I have yet to go more than just a few hours with clean socks.

Thanks!
Salt

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

How much did you add in what time period?

You should not typically be adding it so fast that the whole tank stays cloudy.

 

[Saltine]

Was maybe a gallon the ato in the reefer clogged so I manually added. I can't tell if my mixture is just too thick I use the same bucket and it accumulates on the bottom it seems. I do have a pump to move things around.

But my main question is could kalk clog socks? If so I'm assuming I have too much kalk to water ratio.

 

[Saltine]

How much did you add in what time period?

You should not typically be adding it so fast that the whole tank stays cloudy.

Is kalk necessary, or will weekly water changes be sufficient? I'm thinking about just getting rid of it all together...
Salt

 

[Saltine]

I think I've now answered my own question, I was constantly mixing the reservoir thinking that the buildup on the bottom was the kalk. I as also never rinsing my ato reservoir, just adding more RODI and Kalk, going to try this one more time.

Salt

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Was maybe a gallon the ato in the reefer clogged so I manually added. I can't tell if my mixture is just too thick I use the same bucket and it accumulates on the bottom it seems. I do have a pump to move things around.

But my main question is could kalk clog socks? If so I'm assuming I have too much kalk to water ratio.

Well, the answer to that question depends on other answers to what I asked.

Limewater itself should be clear and not be dosed milky unless there's a very strong reason to do so.

Dosing limewater slowly causes a small amount of magnesium hydroxide to temporarily precipitate, but it will redissolve. If you dose it right in front of a filter sock, it might clog it if you didn't allow good mixing before adding it.

If you add too much limewater or too fast, the pH will spike and calcium carbonate may precipitate which will not redissolve and could clog a sock.

If you dose milky limewater, it may contain solids of calcium carbonate which will not dissolve and could clog a sock.

Because of these reasons (and more), clear limewater needs to be dosed slowly into a high flow area. I'd do it well upstream, or anywhere downstream of the sock.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I think I've now answered my own question, I was constantly mixing the reservoir thinking that the buildup on the bottom was the kalk. I as also never rinsing my ato reservoir, just adding more RODI and Kalk, going to try this one more time.

Salt

I never rinee mine (well, once every few years), but I use a settled reservoir and solids in it do not concern me. It may be more of a problem with a limewater reactor, since that might deliver undissolved solids.

 

[Saltine]

I never rinee mine (well, once every few years), but I use a settled reservoir and solids in it do not concern me. It may be more of a problem with a limewater reactor, since that might deliver undissolved solids.

Thanks! My limewater was always milky since I was running a pump on the bottom that was constantly stirring it. If you don't get rid of the undissolved solids every time you fill your ATO, doesn't it stir up all of that crap building at the bottom? Or does it just settle again before your tank starts topping off?

thanks for the help!

Salt