hard crystal buildup downstream of kalk ATO

[blebs]

I have premixed kalk in a reservoir that I use as top off, attached to Tom's aqualifter. The kalk ATO pumps into my sump. I cannot hang the end of the kalk line too close to my sump water, because my kalk reservoir is tall, and if end is too low it will just siphon kalk until it levels off, I almost figured out the hard way when my pH skyrocketed.

So because the kalk line end is high above the sump water line, whenever the ATO turned on I could hear the sound of the ATO water hitting the sump water. Think the sound of soemone urinating. I have the ATO turn on around every 30 minutes, so this was less than ideal. I put the end of the kalk line into a PVC pipe and angled the pipe into the sump water, so the ATO water would slide into the sump without noise.

After about 2 months of doing this I check my calcium, and notice its slowly dropping, that's weird, should be increasing according to Dr. Holmes. I checked the PVC pipe and there was huge crystal buildup, almost completely occluding the PVC pipe, at the level where the pipe hits tank water. Also in the downstream sump baffles there was huge crystal buildup, only on the side where the kalkwasser was.

So what is an ideal way to add kalk into tank water?? Should it be in fast moving water to prevent that build up? Is that build up why my calcium might be dropping ??

I added a diagram

 

[blebs]

 

[Empress]

I believe the top off water with your kalk mix should fall into the return section of sump.

 

[Wiskey]

I have the same issue! My system uses a Kalk reactor beside the sump, then the water trickles down a 1/2 inch rubber hose into the sump very similar to what you do. I got the crystals so bad that it totally blocked the pipe! And I have lots of CA residue on the baffle and glass where it runs in. I'd love to know if there is a way of stopping this. I've also had that same residue cause optical level sensors to fail because they get fogged up, and lock up electric float switches.

Whiskey