Kalkwasser with ATO or 2 part dosing
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reefgeezer
Active member
Why not both? Replace evaporation with kalkwasser and a dosing pump. The quantity would be preset so taking water out of the tank wouldn't change the kalkwasser added. When that quantity doesn't meet demand, start dosing two-part also.
ryeguyy84
New member
I just was never able to keep my parameters stable with kalkwasser. On hot days the tank would evaporate more and add more top off hence more kalkwasser. Maybe I'm just lazy but this way works.
Two-part dosing can keep the parameters in line in most any system. The problem with limewater is that it's very dilute, and often it can't keep up with the alkalinity and calcium demand of the system. Kalkwasser is easiest to dose with a very slow pump as ATO, IMO, although I agree that evaporation can fluctuate.
kellerexpress
New member
Kalk alone doesn't keep with my tanks demands, so i use both.
I use only limewater since it is adequate for my tank. 
reefgeezer
Active member
I'd like to chime in here to point out that I didn't like using kalk in my ATO when it was controlled by a level controller or float switch. There always seemed to be too much variation and occasional mishaps dumped more kalk into the tank than I intended. A dosing pump seems to have solved that issue. Now, no matter what happens, kalk is delivered to the tank in small doses on a regular basis. This does result in some very minor sump level fluctuation. It requires some timer adjustment or adding a little extra fresh top-off water manually every once in a while.
Sport507
~Just a Farm Boy~
Ok hold the train, I'm missing something here. I thought all this time that Kalkwasser was the German word for limewater.
Jon in his post talks like they are 2 different things. I use Mrs. Wages Pickling Lime. What is it considered to be Limewater or Kalkwasser?
Confused!
I use kalkwater at 2 teaspoons per gallon in my ato. This is not enough to keep my values high enough. Right now I am manually dosing alk and calcium (the brs 2 part) at about 100 each per day in a 120g system. I will be setting up dosing pumps in the next few days. I have heard dosing alot of limewater as topoff water can shock the system with regards to ph. It is better to drip it in via an ato.
skunkmere
New member
look into using vinegar to increase the kalk to 3 tsp per gallon.
There are the same thing, although some folks might distinguish the two based on whether the label on the bag of calcium hydroxide said pickling lime or kalkwasser mix.
In Jonathan's case, he simply switched names in the same paragraph without intending, I expect, any difference.
mos90
New member
im doing kalk in ato on my 125g. i use 1tsp per gal and a slow drip (60 drops per min) from my calcium reactor. i test once a week and make adjustment to drip rate to raise or lower alk as needed. i really dont need the reactor on this tank i had it lying around so i figured id use it.
pweissma
Member
I dose kalk with a timer and have a seperate ato.
I don't have much sps, mostly lps and clams, but I think many people who aren't, meeting demands with kalk aren't using saturated kalk. Randy has written that pH is a crude measure of saturation and that at 50% saturated the pH is still over 12.
I don't have much sps, mostly lps and clams, but I think many people who aren't, meeting demands with kalk aren't using saturated kalk. Randy has written that pH is a crude measure of saturation and that at 50% saturated the pH is still over 12.
