Would Improperly Mixing Kalkwasser Effects Its pH Buffer Capabilities?

[Ty Hamatake]

I have been dosing kalkwasser through my ATO for about eight months, about three months ago I set up a controller and discovered I was running very low pH despite the dosing of kalkwasser. The way I was mixing it before was missing five to eight tablespoons into a gallon and a half of water then dumping it into my reservoir (14 gallons). I recently realized that I may be doing this wrong by trying to stuff too much kalkwasser into too little water. My last ATO fill up I did three tablespoons per gallon and a half until I hit eight tbsp then topped the rest off with freshwater. Since then I have noticed a serious rise in pH. Had I been doing it wrong the whole time or is it just a coincidence?

 

[saltyfilmfolks]

I found it much easier to mix saturated klawasser by powder weight in grams and then dose the liquid by ml. In to the ato.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

The only issues are if it isn't settled and clear when you dose it, it will be super potent, and if you stir it in the open air it will react with CO2 in the air and form useless calcium carbonate. Otherwise, the exact mixing scheme isn't that important.

I usually added excess, stir for a few minutes, and let it settle.

 

[Ty Hamatake]

The only issues are if it isn't settled and clear when you dose it, it will be super potent, and if you stir it in the open air it will react with CO2 in the air and form useless calcium carbonate. Otherwise, the exact mixing scheme isn't that important.

I usually added excess, stir for a few minutes, and let it settle.

So my exact method is to use an old Kent salt jug (rinsed with RODI water several times after emptying it) and add the kalkwasser and water to the jug, shake the crap out of it, turn my ATO off and dump the mixture into the mostly full reservoir, let it sit for a few hours, then turn the ATO back on. My system is gravity fed and the outlet line is a few inches off the bottom of the reservoir to prevent any settled kalk from clogging the lines.

I was going to start a new thread (and will if you think it's best), but while I have you... my dKH has taken a very unexpected dip from 8.2 to 7.2. Ca dropped approximately 10 ppm and Mg is on a slight incline (I believe due to an increased water change schedule in an attempt to battle some cyano). This is all over the course of three days and may be related to my rise in pH, but what is your opinion? Does something seem off? Should I up my kalk concentration? I also added 10 frags of SPS on the 19th, but they are truly just frags. Sorry for all the questions and being all over the place. I'm a little worried right now.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

So my exact method is to use an old Kent salt jug (rinsed with RODI water several times after emptying it) and add the kalkwasser and water to the jug, shake the crap out of it, turn my ATO off and dump the mixture into the mostly full reservoir, let it sit for a few hours, then turn the ATO back on. My system is gravity fed and the outlet line is a few inches off the bottom of the reservoir to prevent any settled kalk from clogging the lines.

It is certainly possible that you are not saturating the water in the ATO with dissolved calcium hydroxide. The solution in the jug is saturated, but if there's not mixing for a while in the ATO, the extra water added may dilute the saturated limewater solution.