PLEASE HELP!!! Kalk question!!!

rebel souljah · May 30, 2013

I am lost and confused. I've researched and still I am still confused. Here is my info. Im trying to figure out how to dose kalk.

Display tank is 70gallons with a 20gal sump, I also use a gravity feed ATO with a 7.5gal container. Evaporation is roughly about .5 gallon a day. I

Now my question is should do a drip into my ATO? if so how much kalk should I use, how fast of a drip should I set it at, how long should i let it drip?

or

Should i dose directly into my ATO? if so do i need to add a powerhead to my ATO? and how much kalk? and how often? also, i will not be able to clean out the bottom of the container.

Please try to keep is simple...im looking for a DOSING KALK for Dummies time of explanation!!! Thank you!!!

KoleTang · May 30, 2013

Mr. Saltwater tank made a video on it. I would post the link, but my computer has decided that it does not want to load that webpage. :censored:

Google: Mr. Saltwater Tank Kalk.

o2manyfish · May 30, 2013

I would recommend premixing your RO and Kalk in a bucket- Mix about 1 cup of Kalk for 4-5g of water. Mix it up good, use a powerhead if you like.

Then let it sit for up to 24 hours, and the excess kalk will settle to the bottom (1"). The clear water at the top is now Kalkwasser solution. Now you can pour, scoop, or pump the clear water only into your Top off container. The Residual slurry at the bottom of the bucket you can add more RO water to and mix it up again and again till nothing settles out, and then it's time to add more kalk to the mix bucket.

Dave B

reef life · May 30, 2013

I Mix 2 tsp (Kalk)per Gallon of RO for Kalk dosing. Start low on mix to prevent Alk and PH spikes. Test/Monitor and adjust mixture.

Downbeach · May 30, 2013

Full saturation is 2 tsp. per gallon of RO/DI water, any more will simply settle to the bottom of the container. I would simply add up to two tsp. per gallon, and mix/shake it up, let it settle overnight, and pour the clear water into your ATO container, let it drip at the same rate as you evaporation. It might be prudent to start with 1 tsp. per gallon and check your pH, Ca and Alk, then increase to 2 tsp., if needed. Does the ATO container have a lid?

mcarroll · May 30, 2013

Functional suggestions but all too complicated IMO.

Check out the Tunze 5074 "calcium dispenser". (TLF makes something similar.) Goes in between your ATO and your tank and eliminates close to 100% of the work in the posts above.

-Matt

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Dowtish · May 31, 2013

mcarroll said:
Functional suggestions but all too complicated IMO.

Check out the Tunze 5074 "calcium dispenser". (TLF makes something similar.) Goes in between your ATO and your tank and eliminates close to 100% of the work in the posts above.

-Matt

Sent Via the R2R Forum APP

I have one of these and it mixed the kalk too much and dosed the slurry into my sump. Is there a way too avoid this? Like having the amount of tubing a certain length to avoid too much mixing?

Reef Pets · May 31, 2013

Kalk stirrer.

Dowtish · May 31, 2013

Reef Pets said:
Kalk stirrer.

Agreed. I am just about to order the avast diy stirrer.

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mcarroll · May 31, 2013

Dowtish said:
I have one of these and it mixed the kalk too much and dosed the slurry into my sump. Is there a way too avoid this? Like having the amount of tubing a certain length to avoid too much mixing?

Hard to imagine this happening in my setup. How much kalk are you loading and what kind of pump?

Yes, more head pressure would naturally slow down the pump in this scenario...more hose and/or a higher exit point would do the trick. (It takes barely any stirring to to the job....I can't even really notice kalk grains moving when mine runs and my output pH stays perfect all the time.)

-Matt

Dowtish · May 31, 2013

It is hooked up to my osmolator pump. i would say there was a 12" line of tubing from the pump to the dispenser. I guess I could try adding another foot or so.

mcarroll · Jun 1, 2013

Dowtish said:
It is hooked up to my osmolator pump. i would say there was a 12" line of tubing from the pump to the dispenser. I guess I could try adding another foot or so.

Might be easier to add footage onto the reactor outlet.

Have you dropped Tunze a message in their sponsor forum here on R2R, or given them a call or email (see website) about this, BTW? I've contacted them via both methods in the past and they are both very responsive and very helpful. Definitely recommended in a case like yours.

-Matt

Dowtish · Jun 1, 2013

I've talked with Roger anf Craig extensively about ither issues, but not this one. I really like the idea of a stirrer and it not being based on just your evaporation.

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mcarroll · Jun 2, 2013

Dowtish said:
I've talked with Roger anf Craig extensively about ither issues, but not this one. I really like the idea of a stirrer and it not being based on just your evaporation.

Not sure what you mean by "not being based on just...evaporation". If you add more volume than your evaporation rate you'll overflow the tank and an electric stirrer won't dissolve anymore lime into the water than any other mixing method would.

In fact, I don't know that an electric stirrer does anything more for you than the 5074 aside from buying you the possibility of a breakdown due to the presence of moving parts.

On the other hand, if what you like is the idea of your kalk dosing being decoupled from your evaporation rate, consider mixing vinegar with your RO bucket to boost your kalk's concentration. It takes a little understanding of what's going on, but once you get it there isn't really a limit to how much Ca/alk you can dose using kalk (and the 5074) this way.

Hope this helps! (And try extending the reactor outlet tubing and/or drop Tunze a line about the over-mixing. That's definitely either a defect or installation issue. Correctable.)

-Matt