Using ATO jug water + dosing?

[thewire]

Has anyone doing this right now? Using their ATO (which is 1g jug in my case) and adding maybe baked baking soda or lime into the ro water?

if so what component should I use? I have some sps in the tank

[Nano sapiens]

I've been doing this since the tank was started 2 years ago. I use clear, fresh Kalkwasser (Calcium hydroxide) which is added to my distilled ATO water in a rato which keeps the Calcium and Alkalinity at the proper levels.

[thewire]

I've been doing this since the tank was started 2 years ago. I use clear, fresh Kalkwasser (Calcium hydroxide) which is added to my distilled ATO water in a rato which keeps the Calcium and Alkalinity at the proper levels.

 

 

So you are only using Kalkwasser only mixing into the ATO water? What's is your amount you added per gallon or water? Also is it going be a caking problem? like the Kalk will from cake or cream in the water?

[Nano sapiens]

So you are only using Kalkwasser only mixing into the ATO water? What's is your amount you added per gallon or water? Also is it going be a caking problem? like the Kalk will from cake or cream in the water?

 

You first need to have a mixing container where you combine the Kalkwasser with pure water (about 1 rounded teaspoon of Kalk/gal.). Shake vigorously for a minute, then let the solution settle for around 8 hours. Decant or siphon off the clear, saturated Kalkwasser leaving the residue in the mixing container. You can reuse the old Kalk residue 2-3 times if you add a bit more Kalk each time you make a new batch or just make up a new batch each time. Remember to tightly cap the Kalwasser containers to prevent carbon dioxide in the air from turning the Kalkwasser into useless Calcium carbonate.

 

No two tanks have the same Cal and Alk needs. You'll need to determine the Kalkwasser to pure water ratio by first testing your water for Alk and Cal. Start with a conservative level of Kalkwasser in the ATO and over time test the tank water to determine if you need to raise or lower the Kalk/pure water ratio in the ATO..

[gulfsurfer101]

Yeah what he siad. I would make about 30g of ro water into a plastic container and when I need kalk I just fill a clean home depot 5g bucket with a small ball valve plumbed about an inch and a half from the bottom mix 6tblspoon of kalk as my tank requires mix let sit over night. The next day the water has settled and I drain the kalk water into another 5g bucket and what I'm left with in the first bucket I toss out and rinse for next weeks batch. The hotter months like summer will use more kalk water mix if you run fans like me to cool your tank, just a tip.

[Captain Billy]

The hotter months like summer will use more kalk water mix if you run fans like me to cool your tank, just a tip.

 

Be careful of this, adjust your dosage when this occurs. Evaporation and calcification are not related.

[thewire]

thanks for tips guys!

 

I will use a teaspoon or maybe half of dose initial per gallon of ro water mix with my cheap ATO

[gulfsurfer101]

Be careful of this, adjust your dosage when this occurs. Evaporation and calcification are not related.

Forgot to mention that, sorry and thanks for stepping in and clearing things up. You can deliver the amount of calcium needed by your reef but amount of water you will need will be higher due to heavy evap. I loose about 3/4 a gallon a day these hot summer months.

[Captain Billy]

thanks for tips guys!

 

I will use a teaspoon or maybe half of dose initial per gallon of ro water mix with my cheap ATO

 

Honestly I would go a little more dilute kalkwasser is some pretty potent stuff!

[Nano sapiens]

Honestly I would go a little more dilute kalkwasser is some pretty potent stuff!

 

Ditto on this. For my mature, open-top mixed reef (with a fair amount of calcifying organisms) I use around 1/4 Kalkwasser to 3/4 distilled in the ATO.

[psykokid]

i use a 1:1 ratio of kalk:ro/di in my top off for my 60 gallon tank. Keeps my alk and my CA solid. I dont dose in the nano since its all zoas/softies, i just keep up on my water changes..