Unstable Paramaters

[Mortaliton]

I’ll let my Kalk reactor run for a week with new mixing settings. If I exhaust in less than a week I’ll switch over to baking soda in a 5 gal res and test that then.

I appreciate all the info everyone. Got some more research and testing to do now. But that’s a couple more paths forward I didn’t know about previously.

Thanks all!

 

[jabberkaycee]

FWIW, I am also not a fan of kalkwasser reactors. They often do not produce saturated kalk, and if one actually wants less than saturated kalk, the exact amount dissolved is hard to control.

I think kalk delivered from a settled reservoir is a great way to go, and used that for 20 years, but one needs substantial space for them.

To clarify, are you adding kalk through your ato? Do you keep it mixed? I’ve never used kalk in my 20+ yrs but am considering it now. I just want to make sure I’m understanding you correctly. My tank is SPS dominant and I was considering it as a compliment to my 2 part dosing.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

To clarify, are you adding kalk through your ato? Do you keep it mixed? I’ve never used kalk in my 20+ yrs but am considering it now. I just want to make sure I’m understanding you correctly. My tank is SPS dominant and I was considering it as a compliment to my 2 part dosing.

When I used kalk (20 years that my previous tank was running), I always delivered it by ATO from a settled reservour (Brute cans; most of that time was from 3 x 44 gallon Brute cans plumbed together to make a large kalk reservoir that was stirred to mix, then left unstirred for 1-2 months). it is BEST unstirred, as stirring just drives CO2 into it faster, depleting it.

I used a Reef Filler pump (no longer sold).

Using a dosing pump set just below the evaporation rate would give more control over the daily dose, and is likely a better practice, but I did not do that.

 

[Mortaliton]

I use a 20 gallon RV water res. It’s square and fits better under the stand. I make my own RODI water which this is attached to both my ATO and my Kalk reactor. The Kalk reactor is attached to a echotech versa that feeds it from the res.

I keep the ATO seperate from all dosing so if evaporation is to much. I can top off without force dosing other things.