ATO setup/kalk questions

Jandree22

Jandree22

New member
I know this seems pretty straight forward, but just wanted to verify this auto top-off setup would work okay...

Water line --> Solenoid Valve (controlled by float switch in Sump) --> RO/DI --> DIY Kalkwasser Reactor --> Sump


Also, I’ve never worked with float switches before. How much does the water have to drop before they kick on, and rise before they kick off? My concern would be adding too much kalkwasser too quickly (ie, wouldn’t be a drip).

Specifically, I’m looking at the sump switch at AutoTopoff.com. FWIW, I was planning to get both the double solenoid and double switch setup for added safety.
 
Actually it can be simpler than that: eliminate the reactor and dump the kalk straight into the topoff reservoir, using a platform (eggcrate light grid) to keep your pump out of the thick stuff at the bottom. No stirrer needed. First 'set' your cal/alk/mg to good levels by hand dosing, then set up the kalk/reservoir and you're good.
 
just lid the reservoir. I use a 32 g trash can with a lid, and yes, a skin does form on top, but it doesn't seem to cause a problem. I just dump in a couple pounds of pickling lime and do that whenever whatever is in there has dissolved. The loose snapdown lid of the trashcan accommodates the power cord and locline hose and all I have to be sure is that that locline gets anchored firmly IN the sump, not flopping out onto the floor---boy is that a mess!
 
You may also consider a controller with a dosing pump to deliver the solution to the tank as opposed to a solenoid and float switch. There much less of major problem if something doesn't work right. The controller can add safeguards into place by monitoring salinity, PH, water levels and even water spillage. It could be set up to cut the power to the pump and or solenoid if any of the above were not in order.
 
On question re evap rate: I know my own as an example: I evap about a gallon, gallon and a half a day from a 54g tank with 80 g in the system.

You can check your own evap rate by stopping your autotopoff for 24 hours and measuring what you have to put in.
 
Is it because kalk is a balanced solution that the addition of kalk water doesn't fluctuate your ca/alk parameters though?
 
Basically the constant addition sustains the ca/alk parameters as you have set them by manual dosing, and it will do it so long as the magnesium level holds up. It enters the tank at 12 ph, so it can, in extreme overdose, raise your ph. Kalk itself is fairly benign, however, and even in overdose, it will not likely harm your corals or fish---you just need to attend the salinity and the ph if that happens, because it will lower one (being fresh water) and raise the other.

Kalk (lime) dissolves in ro/di exactly to the calcium load appropriate for your corals, and any undissolved kalk simply drops to the bottom of the tub to wait for more fresh water to dissolve it. The solution is 'saturated", ie, it can't take any more, as it enters your tank. It's nature's little convenience that corals evolved to 'like' the thing water does when it hits lime. They can suck it right up---and better than daily dosing, this is a constant by-the-teaspoon addition of saturated water, so that there are no 'highs' and 'lows' of calcium during any given day.

For more than that very layman-ish explanation you have to ask over in the chemistry forum: a chemist is one thing I'm not. ;) But this stuff is dead easy to use, relatively safe, and so much easier than hand-dosing. You DO have to test weekly, however, to be sure your levels are staying constant: once the mag runs you, everything drops like a stone.
 
Sorry to hijack the thread:

So while running kalk, do you need to hand dose mag?

By simply adding kalk into your ro reservoir it dissolves itself?
 
yes, and yes.
If your mag drops and the other readings (alk and cal) drop, you will need to hand-dose them also to get them where you want, then resume the kalk dosing.
The way to head this off is to add more mg before it totally leaves the 'safe zone' of 3x the desired calcium level.

For kalk, btw, I use Mrs. Wages' Pickling Lime (grocery store or lfs) which costs about 5.00 for two pounds. A LOT cheaper than the fancy alk/cal additives.
 
It seems odd that to automate a system with ato and kalk reactors. You then have to start hand dosing mag ^.^ Gotta love it!

If I keep up with my Mag levels so that Ca and Alk stay stable, I won't have to stop kalk addition to even them out again, correct?
 
It seems odd that to automate a system with ato and kalk reactors. You then have to start hand dosing mag ^.^ Gotta love it!
You rarely have to dose the mag. In fact depending on the salt that you use for regular water changes you may find that you never have to dose mag, but you should be testing your water on a regular basis and making corrections as necessary. I normally test for the basics about twice per month.


If I keep up with my Mag levels so that Ca and Alk stay stable, I won't have to stop kalk addition to even them out again, correct?
For the most part they will stay right in line. You may have to make an occasional adjustment. Here is a gr8 article regarding this issue:
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/nov2002/chem.htm
 
Now you say testing on a regular basis then you say you test about twice a month. Now I assume you have your system dialed in quite well but when you say regular does that mean once a week, once every two weeks?
When I hear regular I think every three days or something.
I have a 200 gallon system (just upgraded) before I was used to testing a lot because I had 30 gallons with sps.
With a larger system I can relax a bit and know fluctuations aren't as dramatic?
 
I had a problem that developed due to some solidified buffer: it loses its ability to buffer, and I didn't know that, so kept adding more when the reading didn't come up. :) and the buffer contains things other than just soda. So I got into trouble, and am currently testing and futzing daily with plain baking soda to get back in balance. My kalk system is working great, and the corals are growing like bandits and hyper-extended while my water readings are completely squirrel, but hey, this hobby is full of surprises. I'm about to get it back in balance via small water changes every 4 days (when all else fails, try that). Yep, you can get 'off' and have to correct, but meanwhile everything is happy and budding off new heads---the candycane has got several 3-way divisions going, the silly thing.
So yes, you can work yourself into trouble by not testing often enough: I was off on a trip, got back to an emergency other than the tank, and neglected to test---then found despite the corals being happy, the readings weren't. Now I'm fixing it so BOTH are happy---and so will I be. Just patience, going slowly, fixing things bit by bit, and I haven't lost anything. Which is what I like about kalk: it's really hard to hurt anything with it.
I run a pretty simple float-switch system, and have now resolved on once a week testing no matter HOW happy the corals look: they lie like rugs. ;)
 
Haha very cool. Some locals have had some bad kalk episodes so I'd like to be careful.

I'm going to to college this fall and my dad knows quite a bit but not as much as I would and I quite how to handle them etc. So I'm looking into automating the system a bit before I leave.

I'll be an hour away so I can go home and check on it on the weekends for sure.

My plan was to buy a tunze osmolator universal 3155. Now I'm trying to decide if I want to bother with kalk before I go or still do two part.

I'm looking into diy kalk reactor and reeffanatic ph controller or monitors.

I appreciate all the help!
 
Well since your only going to be visiting on the weekends and relying on a third party. I would say your best bet is to use two part additives. Use a controller and a quality dosing pump system. You can set it up so that you can monitor it over the internet and even make dosing adjustment. You can have real-time information on Ph, Salinity, Orp, water levels, Temp, and check your water parameters for swings. Set up an auto top-off system and fill the reservoir on the weekend.

As far a regular testing I test every couple of weeks. But you have to realize that I also quite a bit of realtime information coming in associated with the controller.

Check out the reefkeeper 2 or the new reefkeeper elite. A lot of bang for the buck.
 
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