Kalk dosing in ATO

[skidrow52]

Is there a calculator available for dosing Kalk like we have the reef chemistry calculator which has many products and their calculations as per water volume?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

The calculator does have an entry for saturated limewater, but remember you cannnot just dose a certain amount based on a needed boost because the pH (or even alkalinity) may rise too high.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

The bottom of the container forms a thick white sludge and above that forms a less dense milky solution.

You mean when you are still stirring it? I was thinking of an unstirred solution.

Yes, a stirred solution may have a milky limewater region below a clear limewater region.



Some reactors are not designed to have a clear limewater take off, but just allow stirring and settling between stirrings a time to two (or more) per day.

That's one reason I do not care for such reactors.

The solids will not usually redissolve much without stirring.

You say you let it settle in a container. Do you use all the clear solution and then add more RO water and mix again.?


Yes, but I do not use a reactor. I mix up 130 gallons at a time and let it settle and use it over a month or more.

The residual solids contain more than undissolved calcium hydroxide. They contain calcium carbonate and other impurities such as magnesium hydroxide, phosphate salts, even copper impurities, if present.

 

[glennhornibrook]

You mean when you are still stirring it?

Yes my reactor stirs continuosly.

Some reactors are not designed to have a clear limewater take off.

My reactor is very tweakable eg. I can decide how far up the reactor the solids will rise due to the stirring action. I am tyring to decide now what part of the solution I should take from. ( slightly milky or completely clear )

I am thinking now that maybe my problem is excessive precipitation within the reactor.

I introduce RO water at a drip rate into the reactor which in turn pushes kalkwasser into the aquarium. The RO water comes from a resevoir in the attic.

Do you think that this water could be introducing CO2 into the reactor ?

If so do you know of a way of removing the CO2 without taking the water straight from the RO/DI unit.?

 

[vanisher]

:thumbsup:

Good luck.

Ok, so it's been a few days since I started the kalk dosing (1.5 tsp in a ~4.5 gal water ato jug) and I'm a bit confused at the outcome.

I did this testing method two days in a row:

I checked the ph at 2pm (lights come on at 3:45pm, go off at 10:30pm) and it's 7.8-7.9. By ~8pm it's up to 8.3 - 8.4.

Yesterday, I tested alk and it was at 123ppm, and I like to keep it at 135ppm.
Calcium tested fine at 420.

I waited a bit and tested the alkalinity just now (4:30pm) and it's at 119ppm! I dosed some alk to get it back to 135.

What the heck? Am I doing something wrong?

:headwally:

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

IMO, all of those alk values are fine, and most of them are probably indistinguishable with many kits.

What time of day are you dosing in relation to these numbers?

 

[vanisher]

IMO, all of those alk values are fine, and most of them are probably indistinguishable with many kits.

What time of day are you dosing in relation to these numbers?

I've been using the hanna alk checker, not sure if that helps with the accuracy part of it.

As far as dosing, if you mean the kalk, whenever the ATO kicks on to deal with the evap.

If you meant the 2part alk dose to up back to 135, I dosed it right after the test ~4:35pm

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

They claim: Accuracy ±5 ppm ±5% of reading.

So in that respect, most of the readings are within the error of the device.

I meant when was the limewater dosed. Some folks dose it at night, for example.

If you want to keep the alk higher than limewater can maintain it, then a two part in addition to the limewater is a fine plan. Many people do that. :

 

[vanisher]

They claim: Accuracy ±5 ppm ±5% of reading.

So in that respect, most of the readings are within the error of the device.

I meant when was the limewater dosed. Some folks dose it at night, for example.

If you want to keep the alk higher than limewater can maintain it, then a two part in addition to the limewater is a fine plan. Many people do that. :

Ok, that makes sense.

What is limewater supposed to maintain alk at out of curiosity? I can't say I've read the number anywhere.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

There is no number it can maintain because the depends on the demand in the tank and the evaporation replacement added.

Adding 1.25% of the tank volume with saturated limewater boosts alk by 0.5 meq/L (1.4 dKH) and 10 ppm calcium.

 

[vanisher]

There is no number it can maintain because the depends on the demand in the tank and the evaporation replacement added.

Adding 1.25% of the tank volume with saturated limewater boosts alk by 0.5 meq/L (1.4 dKH) and 10 ppm calcium.

So to be clear, I should make the Kalk mix stronger since my alk is low each day and calcium is fine?

 

[bertoni]

Yes, I'd try that.

 

[vanisher]

Update:

So I tried the 1.25 tsp and that was a smidge too low, so I went with 2 tsp per ~4.5 gal. That seemed to do the trick.

Thanks for the help. Now to do it all over again in the new tank coming soon.

 

[uruguayanreefer]

100 total watwr volume
I lose about 1 dkh of alk in two days
At the same time I lose about 1.5gal of water
Thinking of using alk in my ato just curious as to how much would keep me at my intend parameters

Any suggestions would help

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

This calculator will show you how much of what types of supplements would satisfy that demand for alkalinity, and the likely related need for calcium:

http://reef.diesyst.com/chemcalc/chem_calc3.html

 

[muz_z]

I know this is a old thread but have decided after all the years of dosing two part I would try Kalkwasser in my ato
I have mixed 2 1/2 teaspoons in 5 gallons to start with
My Alk is currently at 8 and cal at 420
I mixed up some Kalk last night and didn’t see much on the bottom of the container after 12 hours, the container has a tap about a inch from the bottom so I filled my container I use to add top up to container and seemed clear once added to my glass top up tank it looks a bit cloudy?
Is this ok?
Or am I doing something wrong
I have shut down dosing of two part after testing tonight to see what happens tomorrow with Alk and cal
But just concerned about the slightly cloudy water in my glass ato

 

[bertoni]

Kalkwasser often looks a bit cloudy. I don't think anyone is sure why, but it's never been a problem. My Kalk was a bit cloudy for a while, and I never had any issues. Just avoid dosing any precipitate, if any ever forms in your setup.

 

[muz_z]

Thanks fir the reassurance Bertoni
Just strange how it's clear in the container I use to fill ato tank but cloudy in ato tank


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[hkgar]

You might find this helpful, if you know your evaporation rate. I dose Kalk with my ATO but the primary source for alk and calcium is my calcium reactor. I saturate my ATO water to 25% (1/2 tsp/gallon). Over the seasons my evaporation rate varies from about 1.5 to 3.5 gallons/day.

https://www.hamzasreef.com/Contents/Calculators/KalkContribution.php

 

[bertoni]

Yes, it's not clear what's happening. Moving the liquid into the new container might have added a bit of carbon dioxide, which would have caused some precipitation. That might cause some cloudiness. Mostly, I just don't know, though.