Like many here I used kalk in my ATO for years. Now I use a dosing pump for evenly distributed kalk additions and put magnesium in my ATO.
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Maybe it take shorter time but that was what good for meKalk requires a 24hr period to settle before using?
Same here. bullet proof using an aqualifter on my ATO container which gravity feeds through the stirrer into the sump.I use the Avast Kalk Stirrer and send ATO water through it.
I have two tanks with kalk stirrers (The Avast Marine reactor pictured in your post actually) on them and one with a homemade magnetic mixer. All are dosed using dosing pumps and are separate from my top-off.Dosing with Kalkwasser is an effective way to add calcium and alkalinity to your reef tank. There are several different ways and pieces of equipment that we can add kalk to our reef aquariums. So how do you do it and what method do you prefer? Let's talk about it!
1. What method or equipment do you use to dose Kalk in your reef aquarium?
2. Have you tried other methods but didn't find them as successful for you?
I have a 300 gallon tank and running a kalk reactor. I’m trying to determine how much ATO water I should be dosing through the kalk reactor. How much do you dose?I run both ESV 2-Part and Kalk stirrer.
I used to run a CaRx as well. In fact that is the reason I picked up the Kalk stirrer to begin with as it was impossible to keep pH in my preferred (8.15 to 8.35) range. Once I broke my CaRx (don't ask) I just went back to 2-Part but kept the stirrer going.
I use APEX to push RODI into the Reef Octo 250 stirrer and gravity from there. APEX also for dosing 2-Part so it is super easy to adjust when needed. I pretty much leave the two-part dosing static and just dial up/down the kalk dose intervals to account for different ambient CO2 levels when the house is open/closed.
PROS:
a) Excellent pH management
b) Reduced my 2-Part consumption from 500ml ESV to 220ml
CONS:
Somewhat tedious to refill the stirrer with kalk powder every 2 weeks; even more tedious to flush it out every couple months.
I highly recommend a setup like mine for large systems whenever pH is otherwise difficult to keep.
I strongly suggest you separate those two different functions. I solve for pH/ALK/Ca first and let the ATO solve for salinity. I run a system of the same size with a LOT of evaporation that also varies significantly. On average I dose about 3 liters of kalk per 24 hours. I know EXACTLY how much because it runs through my APEX DOS. I change that amount based on my pH readings. My pH readings vary based on ambient CO2 in the house. That varies based on whether the house is open/closed.I have a 300 gallon tank and running a kalk reactor. I’m trying to determine how much ATO water I should be dosing through the kalk reactor. How much do you dose?
Right, this is what I was thinking. However, is there a common issue with the end of the dosing tube getting clogged up where the kalk drips out? With the tubing being so thin I would worry about it clogging up frequently...Nothing, if you use the right pump. Most dosing pumps are peristaltic, so the liquid never touches the pump; only the tubing.
I do have them separate. I have a float switch for my tunze ATO in my sump which pulls from my RODI reservoir, and then I have a separate peristaltic pump that pushes water from my RODI reservoir into my avast kalkstirrer. Problem I’m having is that I can’t manage to get my pH above 7.8-7.9. If I pump any more water through my kalkstirrer, I’ll be adding more than I’m evaporating. Any help would be much appreciated!!!I strongly suggest you separate those two different functions. I solve for pH/ALK/Ca first and let the ATO solve for salinity. I run a system of the same size with a LOT of evaporation that also varies significantly. On average I dose about 3 liters of kalk per 24 hours. I know EXACTLY how much because it runs through my APEX DOS. I change that amount based on my pH readings. My pH readings vary based on ambient CO2 in the house. That varies based on whether the house is open/closed.
My float driven ATO sometimes does a lot of work and sometimes does very little. Based on ambient temp and humidity.
My kalk reactor is fed from my RODI reservoir via a controlled doser. My ATO is fed by RODI via a separate float switch. Keep them separate.
OK Good. I have a different stirrer but the same configuration. A couple things:I do have them separate. I have a float switch for my tunze ATO in my sump which pulls from my RODI reservoir, and then I have a separate peristaltic pump that pushes water from my RODI reservoir into my avast kalkstirrer. Problem I’m having is that I can’t manage to get my pH above 7.8-7.9. If I pump any more water through my kalkstirrer, I’ll be adding more than I’m evaporating. Any help would be much appreciated!!!
What’s an EC meter? I’m in Florida, I evaporate about 2 gallons per day. I have no doubt it’s because of CO2 in the air. We went on vacation for 10 days during the summer and while we were away, I could see on my apex that the pH went to like 8.3. And that was before I started using the kalk reactor. How do I deal with this?OK Good. I have a different stirrer but the same configuration. A couple things:
a) If you love spending money on toys, get a good indoor CO2 meter to see what you are up against. Someday I will figure out how to hook it into my APEX to adjust my DOS into the stirrer. I range from 394ppm to almost 800ppm when air quality is NYC and/or windows are open/shut.
b) If you have not recently calibrated (or replaced) your pH probe do so. I picked up +.2 this way, which is everything.
c) Check your saturation with (another toy) an inline EC meter.
d) I have a LOT of surface turbulence and a (temperature based) fan than evaporates. I don't see your location, but a 300G system should lose a lot of water -- much more than 3 liters of saturated solution per day.
Stuff to ponder.
Right, this is what I was thinking. However, is there a common issue with the end of the dosing tube getting clogged up where the kalk drips out? With the tubing being so thin I would worry about it clogging up frequently...