Need advice on Adding Kalk to Top Off Water.

grahxen

grahxen

New member
Hey guys, need some advice as to what I can do to add kalk to my topoff. I have always used the drip method using a 1 Gallon jug and dripping it into my sump. This has become a pain because i have solely relied on this to keep my calcium levels stable, but lately its just becoming a pain to keep filling the jugs and dripping it in. A few months ago i purchased an auto topoff float valve/contoller. I have this hooked up to a 5 Gallon pail behind my tank that I keep fresh RO/DI water in. I have a 50G tank and my topoff is usually around 3/4 a gallon a day average. The auto topoff kicks on every few hours and spits out a few ounces. Besides the option of a kalk reactor, Is there any DIY possible ways to add kalk to my 5G auto topoff pail? I know i may have to worry about the solution possibly being mixed back up when the pump comes on and some water returns to the pail. Just not sure how i can do it. I was thinking about propping the pump a few inches off the bottom of the pail with eggcrate. Let me know your opinions and options.

Thanks
 
I'm not sure I'm grasping what you are asking.

Why not just add 5 teaspoons of lime to the 5 gallon bucket, stir it up, and be done with it?

Again, I'm not sure what exactly you are asking.
 
Because i will just be dumping powder instead of clear kalk into my tank. It was to my knowledge that you want to add the clear liquid from the kalk mix and not the powder as well. If i simply just add 5 teaspoons to my 5 gallon auto topoffpail, mix it and let it settle, everytime the powerhead comes on it will be sucking up the water as well as the powder. I hope that helps.
 
Also the fact that I will be pumping in fresh kalk instead of it dripping is the other question. But i didnt think that would be an isse only because of the small amounts my auto topoff would be pumping into the tank.
 
Well that clears it somewhat. But should I still prop up the powerhead in the bucket so it doesnt suck up the fresh powder? And my other question is, after the 5 gallons is depleted what do I do with the Kalk powder still at the bottom? Dump it out and add fresh, or can i stir it up again. Basically I am not sure how long it will last without adding fresh kalk powder.
 
i guess clean it every so often?

I haven't cleaned mine yet - maybe I'll do that later this week... I suppose rinse out the old? maybe remix it in some new make up water?

might want to ask that in the reef chem forum... Randy might have an answer.
 
Are you adding 5 fresh teaspoons of kalk everytime you run low in your pail? And how are you pumping the kalk into your tank?
Is your powerhead laying on the bottom of the bucket?
 
yes, I do 1 tsp per gallon for the water I add to the top off bucket (I usually add 3-4 gallons every 3-4 days)

the PH sits upside down in the bucket so the suction part is pointing straight up.
 
Thanks for the input, that should help me out. One last question, Is there any harm if powder gets sucked up directly and into the tank? Ive read alot of times where people dont even bother to wait for their kalk to settle and just dump it right in.

Thanks for all the help. This should help me maintain my calc values.
 
i would think the extra would precipitate out to the substrate

a little now and then is probably not damaging, I could see long term effects tho if someone did this every day.
 
I recently set up and automated system to top off all three of my tanks with kalkwasser. Here is a thread that may help you in which I had similar questions as you:

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&postid=8122382#post8122382

Here are a couple pics of the set up in my garage now:

96647IMG_5395_1_3_1.JPG


96647IMG_5392_1_1_3_1.JPG



I alternate filling the trashcans with RO/DI water, then add the appropriate amount of Kalk. Mix with a powerhead for a couple hours. Let sit overnight, then drop the powerhead (which is set on a timer) used for pumping kalk up the pvc (run up through the attic and then back down to each tank) to the drip system for each tank. Note that the pump is attacted to tubing which suspends the pump a couple inches off the bottom of the trashcan so as to avoid sucking up the kalk powder. The pump and it's tubing is detachable via a simple 1" union so that I can switch the trashcans easily. Each trash can is worth 2 days of top off for all three tanks (100, 150, and 270 gallon).

You could design something on a smaller scale for your tank.

I can tell you it has made my life a whole lot easier.

In simple answer to your questions though:

1. yes, you want to avoid sucking up the powder (or the layer
of film on the top for that matter)
2. you can do so by suspending the PH an inch or two from the
bottom of the bucket (or build a little platform out of pvc and
eggcrate and then set the PH on top of it)
3. no, you do not want to be continually mixing the kalkwasser
after you have initially stirred it and then let it settle.

HTH
 
Last edited:
Great feedback, i just mixed my 5G pail with kalk now, mixed and stirred it up with my powerhead, drilled a 3/8 hole in the top of the lid so i can squeeze through the PH tubing. In this way i can place the powerhead above the bottom of the pail without worry it may fall. So far so good, the kalk is settling now. The only other question i am still not 100% sure on is should i add fresh kalk everytime my bucket gets low with water? Or can i mix whats there at the bottom when i refill the pail and get another 5 gallons out of it?

Thanks!
 
I use a 5 gallon jug for my gravity fed top off. I premix the kalk with some distilled vinegar and then pour it into the jug. If you want to "mix" it, I guess you can put that solution in and then pour in the 5 gallons of water. Since my jug is sealed, I can just shake it after everything is in.
 
I meant can i re-use what kalk is already left in the bottom of the bucket, or should i rinse the pail add fresh kalk and then RO/DI. Just not sure how long the kalk will last before i need to add more. Srry to be confusing. I jsut dont want to waste more kalk if not necessary, and also dont want to be having little or no benefit by reusing the current mixture after i refill my pail with 5g of fresh ro.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8213977#post8213977 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by grahxen
Great feedback, i just mixed my 5G pail with kalk now, mixed and stirred it up with my powerhead, drilled a 3/8 hole in the top of the lid so i can squeeze through the PH tubing. In this way i can place the powerhead above the bottom of the pail without worry it may fall. So far so good, the kalk is settling now. The only other question i am still not 100% sure on is should i add fresh kalk everytime my bucket gets low with water? Or can i mix whats there at the bottom when i refill the pail and get another 5 gallons out of it?

Thanks!
Click to expand...

No, you should dump whatever remains in the bucket (and rinse the bucket out) after you've topped off with the clear, middle layer of kalk, and mix up a fresh batch from scratch every time. You can't reuse the powder at the bottom to try to mix up another batch to my knowledge. The only way you can get around mixing up a new batch every time is to make up a bigger batch, i.e. 10 gallons or 15 gallons. This is why I use big 32 gallon trashcans to mix up my kalk.

HTH
 
Actually, the kalk at the bottom of a "used" batch can be reused. It's left over because only a small amount of kalk dissolves in large amounts of water, even with various stirring. I used to reuse kalk at the bottom of the bucket all the time without an issue.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=8214298#post8214298 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by reefbuzz
Actually, the kalk at the bottom of a "used" batch can be reused. It's left over because only a small amount of kalk dissolves in large amounts of water, even with various stirring. I used to reuse kalk at the bottom of the bucket all the time without an issue.
Click to expand...

Hmm, interesting. I never knew that. It sure would save some $$$ on kalk! :lol:

Do you know if the kalk made up from the powder of the previous batch is as potent/strong as the first or do you have to add more powder to maintain potency?
 
Do you know if the kalk made up from the powder of the previous batch is as potent/strong as the first or do you have to add more powder to maintain potency?
Click to expand...

Well that depends on how much kalk you added. In my G bucket, I haven't cleaned it out in a year.:eek2: There is prob three inches of snot at the bottom. If you want to tell if it is fully saturated just test the ph. And then compare that to the ph of a kalk slurry. If they are the same then you are good to go. I just dump a bunch in every week, and give her a stir. It gets added with a dosing pump on a timer.:)
 
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