Looking to get a kalk stirrer

[slythy]

i am looking to get a kalk stirrer for my 180g reef.

I am looking at the avast k1/k2 and am looking to supplement my 2 part dosing as already I am seeing pretty high Alk demand from my tank and I havent added my 70g frag tank into the system yet.

I am wondering for those of you with a stirrer can you add too much kalk to the stirrer? I am currently dosing about 0.5 dkh a day on a pretty new tank. I would like to be able to set it up for a month or so and just dose a gallons worth every night to help keep ph up and keep alk demand on my 2 part down.

I would be using a DOS to pump RO/DI water into the stirrer.

This would be my first venture with kalk.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

i am looking to get a kalk stirrer for my 180g reef.

I am looking at the avast k1/k2 and am looking to supplement my 2 part dosing as already I am seeing pretty high Alk demand from my tank and I havent added my 70g frag tank into the system yet.

I am wondering for those of you with a stirrer can you add too much kalk to the stirrer? I am currently dosing about 0.5 dkh a day on a pretty new tank. I would like to be able to set it up for a month or so and just dose a gallons worth every night to help keep ph up and keep alk demand on my 2 part down.

I would be using a DOS to pump RO/DI water into the stirrer.

This would be my first venture with kalk.

A gallon a day of saturated kalkwasser (assuming this device can saturate the solution, which is not always the case) will add more than you need (about 1.5 dKH per day).

According the the manufacturer, you can add 2 cups of calcium hydroxide to the K1 (K2 is 4), which is enough for about 50 gallons of saturated kalkwasser.

 

[slythy]

A gallon a day of saturated kalkwasser (assuming this device can saturate the solution, which is not always the case) will add more than you need (about 1.5 dKH per day).

According the the manufacturer, you can add 2 cups of calcium hydroxide to the K1 (K2 is 4), which is enough for about 50 gallons of saturated kalkwasser.

Thanks! I havent quite done the math yet but about a gallon a days worth is what I would like to peak out about or do about a months worth. So based on those numbers....

If I get a K2 can I run 4 cups worth in there and dose 1/3 a gallon a day to start and then get 150 days or alk or should I do like 1 cup in the K2 for a month?

Thats what im after, should I get the K1 or the K2? does it matter if I put 2 cups or 4 cups of kalk in it?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Thanks! I havent quite done the math yet but about a gallon a days worth is what I would like to peak out about or do about a months worth. So based on those numbers....

If I get a K2 can I run 4 cups worth in there and dose 1/3 a gallon a day to start and then get 150 days or alk or should I do like 1 cup in the K2 for a month?

Thats what im after, should I get the K1 or the K2? does it matter if I put 2 cups or 4 cups of kalk in it?

I can only advise what the manufacturer says to use. I am not sure how far away from their suggestion you can get before it doesn't work well. Too much solid is hard to stir and there is less volume of water present.

The K2 sounds way big enough to go for a month for you, as I stated. Maybe 3 months at your present 0.5 dKH per day.

 

[slythy]

I can only advise what the manufacturer says to use. I am not sure how far away from their suggestion you can get before it doesn't work well. Too much solid is hard to stir and there is less volume of water present.

The K2 sounds way big enough to go for a month for you, as I stated. Maybe 3 months at your present 0.5 dKH per day.

Copy, thanks!

Am i right with this calculator 0.5dkh is roughly .80 gallons a day?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Sorry, I saw the 70 g mentioned in the first post and used that.

Yes, your calculation is correct.

 

[slythy]

Sorry, I saw the 70 g mentioned in the first post and used that.

Yes, your calculation is correct.

I didnt think I was THAT far off :rolling-on-the-floor-laughing:

Thanks!!

 

[Formulator]

Be very careful not to overload the stirrer. I’ve heard of certain stirrer designs that will spin their own top off if the bottom of the stirrer gets jammed and dump a load of kalk in all at once.

 

[DangerDave]

I have the K2, its worked great for me for a few years now. Make sure when filling it you have water in it already, and the stirrer going. If you let it cake up in the bottom then turn the stirrer on it can cause issues. I've replaced shaft once for that very issue.

I've put 6 cups in and it was fine, but I usually do 4. I use it as an auto top off. Right now the current tank isn't using that much dkh, so I adjust for it with another ato that pumps just RODI into the sump. I use the defer setting in apex to adjust when the RO starts or turn it off when I need more.

 

[slythy]

ump. I use the defer setting in apex to adjust when the RO starts or turn it off when I need more.

I ended up buying and building the K2 kit. I just run 1 cup in it right now and feed .5 gallons at night for .2 dkh. Its been working great hooked up to my DOS.

 

[OnePuffMan]

Hijacking the thread, I have the option for a used K2 (trusted owner) or a new K1 for the same price.

I have a 180 total volume system losing about 1.8 gpd evaporation. I have no desire for SPS, mainly softies and LPS.

Go with new or take the bigger one?

 

[slythy]

Hijacking the thread, I have the option for a used K2 (trusted owner) or a new K1 for the same price.

I have a 180 total volume system losing about 1.8 gpd evaporation. I have no desire for SPS, mainly softies and LPS.

Go with new or take the bigger one?

I bought the K2 for my 180g tank (280g total volume) i do 1gph of dosing because i have 1.5g of evaporation. that 1 gallon accounts for 0.2dkh a day. If you can comfortably fit a K2 it just gives you options to go longer without having to refill it. I keep 1.5 cups of kalk in my k2.