Help with Kalk Stirrer (no effect on Alk or pH)

bumpyj38

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 28, 2021
Messages
89
Reaction score
67
Location
Fort Pierce
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Just switched from 2 part to Kalkwasser. I have a 3L stirrer going that is hooked up to a doser dosing RODI through the stirrer. It drips in to my sump every time RODI is added to the stirrer. The problem I am having is that it has had zero effect on my Alkalinity and pH. My Alk continues to drop and my pH is still low. When I check on the stirrer it successfully stirred everything for the first 4 or 5 days. But now it seems to sit on the bottom in the consistency of mud or maybe something even thicker. Is this normal behavior of Kalk or is my rodi going in, passing right over the Kalk, and then going to my sump (ultimately functioning as a ATO instead)? It’s been a little over a week. I believe I should’ve seen something by now.

- It’s a 180 gallon system dosing about 1200 to 1500 mLs of Kalk water a day.
- stirrer turns on for 2 minutes every hour, followed by 13 minutes pause before dosing resumes.
 
OP
OP
B

bumpyj38

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 28, 2021
Messages
89
Reaction score
67
Location
Fort Pierce
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
391377C2-6907-4F01-A43D-01C58217D46E.jpeg
 

Montiman

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Sep 20, 2017
Messages
1,375
Reaction score
1,672
Location
Pheonix
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
There are a few things to note.

1.It is possible the kalk could not be saturated if the stirer is not functioning properly. I would check with a pH or EC meter to get an idea of the concentration.
2. What reactor do you have and how do you program the stirring? It could need more aggressive stirring than you have it set at.
3. This is not alot of kalk. I dose more than this on my 180 and feel it isn't that much. It is quite possible you will need to add more. How much 2 part were you adding prior to the stirer?
 
OP
OP
B

bumpyj38

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 28, 2021
Messages
89
Reaction score
67
Location
Fort Pierce
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
There are a few things to note.

1.It is possible the kalk could not be saturated if the stirer is not functioning properly. I would check with a pH or EC meter to get an idea of the concentration.
2. What reactor do you have and how do you program the stirring? It could need more aggressive stirring than you have it set at.
3. This is not alot of kalk. I dose more than this on my 180 and feel it isn't that much. It is quite possible you will need to add more. How much 2 part were you adding prior to the stirer?
There are a few things to note.

1.It is possible the kalk could not be saturated if the stirer is not functioning properly. I would check with a pH or EC meter to get an idea of the concentration.
2. What reactor do you have and how do you program the stirring? It could need more aggressive stirring than you have it set at.
3. This is not alot of kalk. I dose more than this on my 180 and feel it isn't that much. It is quite possible you will need to add more. How much 2 part were you adding prior to the stirer?
1. I put a 1/2 cup of Kalk in a 3 liter container. I know this is well beyond saturation but it was my understanding that’s how it works with the doser. The water becomes fully saturated and the extra sits on the bottom. Every hour it spins and resaturates the water so you want excess in there (am I wrong).
2. I built the reactor out of a container and magnetic stirrer (pictured above). But I made this one as a I saw it on the YouTube channel Reefdudes (spoke to him and he is not having these problems)
3. I was only up to 40 mL of Alk a day. I had just upgraded from a small tank so not much coral. Several frags and a couple small LPS colonies.

Could it be that 1/2 cup is way too much so it is solidifying at the bottom of the reactor? Causing it not to mix well when stirred. I am not sure what the normal behavior of Kalk is cause this is my first time attempting anything with it. Thanks for the help in advance.
 

Montiman

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Sep 20, 2017
Messages
1,375
Reaction score
1,672
Location
Pheonix
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I have a DIY Stirrer and I mix the kalk with a pump every hour immediately after the dosing pump stops dosing. This keeps the pH of the kalk solution in the 12 range. If you measure the kalk solution's pH as 11:5 or lower the kalk is not saturated and this could be why you are not seeing the results you want. You either need to add more kalk to the reactor or stir more often.

I do not think that you can likely increase the dose significantly more. In my old established 120 I dosed over a gallon a day of saturated kalk for a mixed tank. You can definitely increase the dose alot more if you aren't getting the results you want.

Keep in mind that kalk is significantly more dilute than 2 part. Saturated kalk is 17 times more dilute than my favorite 2 part ESV BIonic.
 
OP
OP
B

bumpyj38

Community Member
View Badges
Joined
Jul 28, 2021
Messages
89
Reaction score
67
Location
Fort Pierce
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
I have a DIY Stirrer and I mix the kalk with a pump every hour immediately after the dosing pump stops dosing. This keeps the pH of the kalk solution in the 12 range. If you measure the kalk solution's pH as 11:5 or lower the kalk is not saturated and this could be why you are not seeing the results you want. You either need to add more kalk to the reactor or stir more often.

I do not think that you can likely increase the dose significantly more. In my old established 120 I dosed over a gallon a day of saturated kalk for a mixed tank. You can definitely increase the dose alot more if you aren't getting the results you want.

Keep in mind that kalk is significantly more dilute than 2 part. Saturated kalk is 17 times more dilute than my favorite 2 part ESV BIonic.
What magnetic stirrer are you using for your diy Kalk stirrer? Is it the INTLLB blue magnetic stirrer (that’s what I have)? I’m considering getting something a little stronger just to rule that out. I could always use this one for something with a thinner viscosity.
 
Back
Top