tunze ATO setup question

120reefermadnes

New member
I just ordered a tunze osmolator and some kalk fro BRS and was wanting to know the best way to set it up. I was thinking a simple 5 gallon bucket or maybe a 10gallon tank. But my question is does the pump sit on the bottom of the top off container or will the kalk settle at the bottom and clog the pump? Also is it better to keep a pump constantly stirring the kalk or only wen its added then let it settle?
 
Do the lines ever get clogged because of the kalk? If so how do I prevent it, I don't want the line to clog so bad it wont let water thru for top off
 
I use a 5 gal.bucket with a lid. I make the water in a separate container, and don't allow the sediment to get into the bucket, so its always a clear solution. About every thee for four months, I take the bucket and pump, and partially fill it with water and vinegar (3:1), and allow it to run for about an hour.
 
Just so that you know, kalk while being a really good option to keep stability in a reef tank, will break down the pump a lot faster than normal and will also void any warranty it has on it.
 
Yes I do realize that it will void warranty but wen the pump does fail we are only talking around $20 to replace, so at least its not a high priced repair. I just got rid of my calcium reactor so I'm just exploring other ways to keep things stable. And yes I do know that kalk in your top off alone will not replace wat a calcium reactor does. Just trying something different and would and do appreciate all that everyone has to say on the topic whether it is negative or positive
 
I think I got a plan, I'm just going with the 5 gal bucket with lid and just mix separate or make a small platform of eeg crate for the pump to sit on to avoid any debris that may settle to the bottom.
 
I know there are a lot of fans of this method out there and I would love to hear why those people stick with this practice

Okey, here's what I've done. I, too, have a Tunze osmolator, then decided to do kalkwasser just like you.

My tank evaporates about 20 gallons a week, so I used a 22 gallon bin as a reservoir. I cut up a plastic eggcrate to use as a plaform for the pump, then put 2 tsp/gallon kalkwasser, and let the thing run.

Worked well.

BUT.......I didn't like it. There's always a milky residue on the bottom, and a crusty surface film of calcium carbonate as well. Looked messy. Plus, the tunze tubings are so small I was always worried about the thing clogging.

So, I bought a Kalkwasser reactor. For the price and genius simplicity, you can't beat the TLF kalk reactor. he only issue was making the connection between the small tunze tubes and the larger reactor tubes. I just used progressively larger tubes 1" in length and nested them like nesting chairs, and it worked as a bridge between the two.

Here's the 22 gallon ATO reservoir. Clean as a whistle, since there is no kalkwasser.
E1BDD871.jpg


Here is the TLF reactor, I hung it close to the drain for my remote refugium. The Tunze pump fires for a few seconds, delivering just enough so that only the clear kalk saturated water gets delivered. Between deliveries, the stirred up undissolved kalk powder settles back down, leaving a clear kalk saturated supernatant for the next delivery.
FFD8E646.jpg
 
You'll definitely gonna need a kalkwasser reactor between your water storage container and your sump. My osmolator pump last me 5 years ++ in this setup. Best investment for me.
 
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