Just started using kalk and have a couple of questions

[roadrashpaul]

I am just mixing it in a bucket and using it in my ato for now. I don't have a reactor and didn't want to spend the money for one if I didn't like the results of the kalk.

First batch I mixed 3 gallons of ro/di with 1 teaspoon of kalk per gallon. I mixed thoroughly and let sit overnight. The next morning it was still cloudy so I let it sit all day while I was at work. Got home and it was still coudy. I just siphoned the water out and poured it in my ato. Next day mixed up same batch and had the same results. Is it supposed to be completely clear? Is it ok to use when it is cloudy?

 

[Dowtish]

Cloudy is fine. Just dont let what settles into the bottom of the ATO to get into the tank.

 

[roadrashpaul]

Cloudy is fine. Just dont let what settles into the bottom of the ATO to get into the tank.

Thanks Chris. I siphoned out the water between the crust on the top and what was left in the bottom of the bucket so all I got was cloudy water. This is kind of what I was thinking but I just wanted to be sure.

 

[sawdonkey]

I mix my kalk right in my ato container. I just keep the ato pump and inch or two off the bottom so it doesn't sick up the kalk sludge.

 

[roadrashpaul]

I mix my kalk right in my ato container. I just keep the ato pump and inch or two off the bottom so it doesn't sick up the kalk sludge.

My ATO is gravity fed so that wouldn't really work for me.

 

[sawdonkey]

My ATO is gravity fed so that wouldn't really work for me.

My ato that I used for kalk was gravity fed for over a year. I just got a real setup last weekend. This is my old ato. As you can see, not very sophisticate, but got the job done.

Now I use this with the smart ato. Same concept though.

 

[TwistedTiger]

I mix my kalk right in my ato container. I just keep the ato pump and inch or two off the bottom so it doesn't sick up the kalk sludge.

Same here.

 

[BigDaddyReefer]

Donkey, what size is that tank?

 

[sawdonkey]

Donkey, what size is that tank?

If you're asking about the display, 220. If you're asking about my old ato, 6. If you're asking about my new ato, 25.

 

[Giovanni'sReef]

I would stay away from kalk I have a reactor and was dosing kalk made my corals less bright then I stopped and opened windows to raise ph and my corals are bright than I ever seen and growing faster

 

[TwistedTiger]

You don't dose kalk to raise ph, you dose kalk to maintain alkalinity and calcium. Opening the window won't do that. If when you started dosing kalk your corals lost color you were doing something wrong or you had something else going on. Dosing kalk definitely should not make your corals color fade.

 

[SteveySingle]

I just siphon my kalk from a gallon jug into the tank via airline tubing with a knot. HOWEVER, if you're mixing RO/DI water with Kalk, i believe it should be a ratio of 3 teaspoons per gallon of pure water. so you should be using 9 teaspoons in your 3 gallons of water....again, this is what i BELIEVE.
I never do the full dosage though, usually i just do 2 teaspooons to a gallon. Corals love it.

 

[roadrashpaul]

I just siphon my kalk from a gallon jug into the tank via airline tubing with a knot. HOWEVER, if you're mixing RO/DI water with Kalk, i believe it should be a ratio of 3 teaspoons per gallon of pure water. so you should be using 9 teaspoons in your 3 gallons of water....again, this is what i BELIEVE.
I never do the full dosage though, usually i just do 2 teaspooons to a gallon. Corals love it.

Yeah that is what the directions say but I wanted to take it slow at first. Wanted to go through a couple batches of 1 teaspoon per gallon and then I will go to 2 teaspoons and then 3. Didn't want to cause any sudden spikes or issues.

 

[SteveySingle]

I hear ya, I misread what you wrote...i thought you dosed 1 teaspoon for the whole three gallon batch, but after re-reading, i see that you put per gallon. WHERES MY COFFEE?!

 

[rlman41299]

+1 on this

You don't dose kalk to raise ph, you dose kalk to maintain alkalinity and calcium. Opening the window won't do that. If when you started dosing kalk your corals lost color you were doing something wrong or you had something else going on. Dosing kalk definitely should not make your corals color fade.

 

[FlyinBryan]

Cloudy is fine. Just dont let what settles into the bottom of the ATO to get into the tank.

+1

Kalk is the greatest prod for stable tank..imho!