How do you mix your Kalk?

[stash98]

I can tell you how NOT to do it (at least for me).

 

Do not just dump teaspoons of it into your ATO container. That ended up causing some serious issues with my tank. A few mass water changes later and a clean ATO, and things are ok.

 

The issue was the stuff just doesn't dissolve enough. I have a 2.5 gallon ATO going into an 11 gallon rimless tank and I simply, over time, added too much Kalk since there was such a large deposit of it on the bottom.

 

To make matters worse, my test kit never was accurate enough to tell me I was overdoing it. It kept reading at 400 or so, sometimes less - even though that was simply not the case.

 

I think the way to go is to premix this stuff and make sure it is all dissolved. Or maybe not dose Kalk, but I do feel it is good for my LPS tank. I don't have any space to add losers, so I need a basic system of getting the proper amount of dissolved Kalk (1tbsp per gallon - right?) into my ATO.

 

Any ideas?

[East1]

I've never dosed Kalk myself, I prefer pre-mixed cal and alk solutions.

When I read into it, though, I found this method which looks quite handy, and you can just empty out the bottle and start over, to avoid any build ups. It's not too large (obviously depends on the size of the container you use) so you can tailor it.

 

Have you considered just using a two-part solution and dosing every few days? unless you have a lot of hard coral, most tanks will be fine with this

[markalot]

I figure out how much topoff water I'm going to add to my reservoir, add the appropriate teaspoons based on my daily ALk usage, add vinegar (currently dosing 30ml per gallon topoff) and then add the water which does a good job mixing the Kalk.

[stash98]

I've never dosed Kalk myself, I prefer pre-mixed cal and alk solutions.

When I read into it, though, I found this method which looks quite handy, and you can just empty out the bottle and start over, to avoid any build ups. It's not too large (obviously depends on the size of the container you use) so you can tailor it.

 

Have you considered just using a two-part solution and dosing every few days? unless you have a lot of hard coral, most tanks will be fine with this

 

 

This is not a bad idea, although I'd like to automate the process more if possible. I believe some people mix the Kalk in a separate container and it may be tied to Vinegar dosing.

 

I figure out how much topoff water I'm going to add to my reservoir, add the appropriate teaspoons based on my daily ALk usage, add vinegar (currently dosing 30ml per gallon topoff) and then add the water which does a good job mixing the Kalk.

 

 

I think I need to mix the talk separate and then add to the reservoir. Directly adding it did not work well for me.

[gmanreefer]

I also use a separate container to premix the kalk and RO water. I only pour the top 70 percent of the mixing bucket into the my ato container to be sure that no slurry of undissolved kalk goes into the ato reservoir. I leave the slurry behind in my kalk mixing bucket and I dont throw it out because I just replenish more kalk over time. This has seemed to work for me but I am not testing alk and calc on a regular enough basis to see if its working perfectly but by trial and error it seems ok and hard to overdose the tank.

[Cencalfishguy56]

why not just do more frequent water changes or dose a 2 part, I think it would be easier and a safer bet but thats just me

[chipmunkofdoom2]

Kalk isn't a bad way to dose Ca and Alk, especially if you're in tune with how much Ca and Alk your tank needs. It's definitely a bit tricker, as dosing errors will crash your tank, but with a bit of care, this can be avoided. I probably wouldn't dose Kalk in my ATO.. I'd set up a dosing pump to dose a predetermined amount daily. I know that defeats the purpose for some, but ATO is too volatile for my liking, and I wouldn't use kalk in my ATO without a pH controller as a safety net.

 

As far as mixing it goes, if you're using an ATO, most people put their required dose into the RO/DI and stir until it's well mixed. Just dump the dose and stir well.

[BoxKing]

If you're applying the Kalk and experiencing a lot of slurry ie: un-dissolved solids... Then you're experiencing what would be known as a supersaturated solution and your volume of solids to be dissolved is greater than the volume of RO/DI required to dissolve your portion allotted. Try cutting back on how much you mix in, or mix in greater volumes of water. I assure you that you will get a lot let slurry and longer life of your Kalk.

 

Ps.. You should pre mix this stuff prior to just shoveling it in your ATO, and a small amount of vinegar will help dissolve the solid.

[OCNcheffy]

These are the instructions I follow, and it works well for me for my small IM Nuvo 16.

 

http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/how-to-add-kalk-to-your-auto-top-off

 

[strummerfan]

That stuff at the bottom isn't supposed to mix in, they are impurities. Mix your desired amount of kalk per gallon of water and let it settle. Carefully without stirring it up pour off the clear liquid into your ato container. The clear liquid is what you want. The remaining sludge/precipitate should be discarded and not added to you tank.