ATO w/ Kalk setup questions

[EvMiBo]

My second setup (50g display, 30g sump only using 15-20g) will be underway soon here as I get some final things together.. Something different I'll be doing this time is trying to keep my cal, alk and mag levels ideal, or close to it. I chose to spend big on a new light fixture (ATI Sunpower) so something like a calcium reactor is out of view for sometime.. Anyways I plan to hand dose cal alk and mag to their levels and then would like to maintain that with kalk (starting with mag first, then cal and alk, then kalk).

My setup is pretty basic I guess: 5g ATO bucket/reservoir that is hooked up to an aqualifter pump that is hooked up to my ato setup/floatswitches in my return pump section... I've heard recommendations of having a pump in the ato reservoir to stir the kalk occasionally to prevent it from solidifying. Can this be avoided by adding a little less kalk to the ato reservoir? Or should I try for a larger reservoir so I can keep some type of pump in there (I feel like if I have a pump I might need some more water volume)? What do you guys recommend? Maybe something I haven't thought about yet.

 

[sjm817]

Kalk does not solidify and should not be periodically mixed. You mix it up when you fill the reservoir, let it settle and use it till its gone.

 

[transd]

you'll need to mix, let settle and pour the mixed water out to seperate it from the white residue that is not absorbed by the water... i believe usually 10 teaspoons of kalk per 5 gallon of water...

I did this for awhile, but got really tired of having to mix kalk every other day, so got a kalk reactor and couldn't be happier.

 

[805reef]

i also have a kalk reactor, and i have my ac3 set to turn on the mixing pump on it for 1 minute every 6 (or 8) hours. the one i have is a DIY that is very simliar to the Kalkenstein/Geo Kalk reactor design. i feed it with an aqualifter from my ato resevoir. i check it every once in a while and pour in more kalk powder if needed, otherwise i dont have to worry about it

 

[mahalamata]

I use kalk as my sole top-off source. I have a 5g barrel and gravity feed it to the tank with a float valve.I have to check the float and clean away any residue about once a week(well I check it every day,but clean it once a week)

The drain from the barrel is about 3 inches above the bottom and I leave the mixture to settle for 12 hours before turning the tap to allow the flow into the tank. This way none of the "slurry" in the bottom gets into my tank.Although if you get the mix right you can achieve full saturation and so not get too much left in the bottom(I like to add more that necessary for a stronger solution)

I think this is a good way to top-off and provide a baseline of parameters for my tank (cal,alk)the kalk I use has magnesium and strontium in it too. Having said that I still dose 2-part solutions to keep everything in check,kalk is not enough.

This method has worked well for me for the past 6 months. I do not think you need a pump to mix it. If I understand correctly kalk reactors have this feature because they are constantly topped off with fresh RO/DI and this way they maintain a fully saturated solution of kalk .

They only thing I would say in make sure you maintain the aqua lifter and tubing, because with time kalk deposits WILL clog them.

Hope all this makes sence

 

[EvMiBo]

hmm I said I already spent on a new light fixture, but I'm seriously considering getting the GEO kalkwasser reactor :rolleye1: (805reef influenced!). I just don't want to have to dose 2-part or hand dose on a fairly normal basis like mahalamata is.. I don't have a controller and don't plan on it for at least a couple more months, I guess I would just keep it on or time it with a traditional/standard timer.

That being said, I see some reviews on premiuaquatics and people are saying they bought the kalk reactor + a 612 calcium reactor.. Is it necessary to buy both to keep levels consistant ( i doubt it, right)?

 

[sjm817]

You dont need a Kalkreactor. Its an alternate method of using Kalk. I've used both and prefer a settled container over the reactor.

 

[Yogre]

I agree that a kalkreactor is not necessary. Randy Holmes-Farley, who knows a thing or two about reef chemistry, doses his kalk right out of his ato bucket, which I believe is a trash can in his basement. He doesn't make any effort to regularly remove the excess solids from the can. If you do this all you need to do is make sure the pick-up of your auto-topoff line is an inch or so off the bottom of the bucket to avoid sucking up solids. You could even use an old salt bucket with a hole drilled in the lid if you want to keep your kalkwasser in your stand.

Full disclosure: I'm in the process of setting up a kalkreactor for my own system, only because my wife helps maintain the reef when I'm on the road and I don't want her handling kalkwasser (highly corrosive!)

 

[luther1200]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15534132#post15534132 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sjm817
You dont need a Kalkreactor. Its an alternate method of using Kalk. I've used both and prefer a settled container over the reactor.

When you use a settled container how do you dose it? I plan on setting up an ATO soon and want to dose kalk in it like I do know. I use Kent's Aquadoser now. Its basically a jug with a drip line on it. But I plan on using a 10 or 20 gallon tank for my ATO. My question is if I fill a 20 gallon tank with RO water and mix the kalk how am I going to get the water from the ATO to the tank? I don't want to suck the sludge from the bottom of the ATO. I plan on either using an Aqualifter pump or BRS new dosing pump which doeses 50ml a minute. But how am I going to place the feed hose in the tank and suspend it off of the bottom nicely?

 

[sjm817]

My container is a 44G Brute. I use Aqualifter for pumps and a Reef Fanatic dual level controller for the ATO switch. I have a pickup tube attached to the lid that is an inch or so off the bottom.

 

[luther1200]

I need something like that. What exatly did you make that out of? And were did you get that fitting? If you don't mind.

 

[sjm817]

Its all stuff I got from HD or Lowes. Its 1/2" CPVC tubing and fittings to make it work. Just go there and play around with pieces and figure out what works for your setup.

 

[luther1200]

Thanks.

 

[sedor]

Scott said its right, I basically do the same thing except on a much smaller scale. I just drilled a hole in the top of a 5 gallon bucket and put a piece of rigid airline tubing in there about an inch of the bottom, then connected my flex tubing to the top. It works perfectly. I ended up stopping kalk all together and went 2 part though. You can maintain your levels much better when you can control what and how much of everything is going into your system.

 

[EvMiBo]

great pictures scott. I assume the aqualifter doesn't have a problem lifting at the beginning through the 1/2" pvc?

I know it varies on different brands of kalk, but assuming the brand I'll have is 2tsps kalk/gallon of water (in the ato).. Once the ato reservoir has been exhausted, and its time to refill it with rodi, do I add the same amount of kalk or should I lower it slightly because of solids? scott- I know you said it doesn't solidify but other have experienced solidification? edit: I guess an easy fix to this would be pre mixing batches of kalk and then refilling the ato reservoir seperately.. (don't mind me :rolleye1: )

clerifying so far..

a mixing pump isn't really necessary to keep in the resevoir assuming you mix it and let it settle
when you buy a kalk reactor, you're basically buying convenience + simplicity.
i'm probably over thinking all of this

 

[sjm817]

Kalk is Kalk. Its all Calcium Hydroxide. It does not solidify. What settles to the bottom is a slurry. There will also be some precipitate that settles with it. Just leave it there. I haven't cleaned mine out in over 2 years. When you refill, yes, another 2 tsp/gallon if you want fully saturated kalk. If you put in extra, it will just settle to the bottom and wont hurt anything. I like to mix in a little extra to ensure full saturation.

A mixing pump is not only unnecessary but detrimental. If you remix, CO2 will be mixed in causing precipitation and weakening the mixture. The container should be covered and undisturbed.

Yes, many people overthink this. Its really very easy. Pay more attention to a reliable dual float switch topoff setup than the Kalk container setup.

 

[EvMiBo]

thanks scott. out of curiousity what float switch are you using? I have used a DIY dual setup from aquahub.com for the last year. Haven't had a problem with it and just recently cleaned it off for the new setup.

 

[sjm817]

I use a Reef Fanatic. Is yours setup up so one float controls on/off topoff and the other is a high level fail safe override?

 

[EvMiBo]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=15538657#post15538657 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sjm817
I use a Reef Fanatic. Is yours setup up so one float controls on/off topoff and the other is a high level fail safe override?

correct. setup in the return section of the sump.

 

[Toadally]

My setup is very simple. A five gal bucket, small pump sitting on the bottom, float switch in the tank connected to the small pump. I only use a tsp. of kalk per gallon of RO/DI because my load is light. Works like a charm!