Mixing Kalk

[DeepBlue]

When I had started adding SPS corals to my reef about 3 months ago, I decided to start using Kalk so as to provide the needed Calcium levels as well as keeping my PH and Alk. more stable. I am wondering if I am mixing the Kalk properly. My Calcium levels are now at around 425 and PH is a constant 8.4. But is Kalk supposed to look like milk when it is mixed? I take RO/DI water and add 1 teaspoon per gallon and I run a power head in my mixing bucket for about an hour. Everything churns up and remains milky. I then add the Kalk water to my top off container and let it settle out for about 1/2 hour and then begin the drip into my sump. What settles out to the bottom of the top offf container appears to be as much Kalk powder as I had added, I could be wrong of course. But some of the dripped Kalk water into the sump makes the water somewhat cloudy but does disapate in about 10 minutes. Does this sounds right, is this what everyone else experiences? I just want to make sure I am doing it correctly. Like I said, my parameters are right in there, I guess I just expected the Kalk to fully disolve.

 

[rmlevasseur]

I do the mixing similar to how you describe. I then turn of the powerheads and let the entire solution settle. I then siphon off the clear water and introduce that into my sump. You dont want the stuff that has settled out.

 

[ragvette]

Sounds the same way I mix Kalk but I only use 1/4 teaspoon.

I feel anything remaining on the bottom after mixing is that much extra that was added and not required from the start, why waste it. My guess is that only so much can be dissolved in water and the rest is wasted.

 

[sasquatch]

imagine a kalk reactor, you add a pile of powder and add water, and add water and add water at some point you add more water, the sludge at the bottom is still usable to a point, i know somebody here who adds the slurry to the tank as well, at what point you should clean out the remains?? I dont know

 

[rmlevasseur]

My understanding is that you use the clear liquid because certain undersirables precipitate out of the solution, and you don't want the precipitates in your tank. This is one of the advantages of using Kalkwasser.

 

[ReefGuy69]

I do exactly what Rodney does. Why waist more when only so much will be absorbed into the water. the rest is wasted. i have used sludge 2-3 times before and then i discard the sludge and start all over again with a 1/4 teaspoon. and use that 2-3 times.

 

[DeepBlue]

Thank you all for the responses. That is what I had thought, but I just wanted to make sure. I set my drip line inside the top-off container so that it is 1" above the bottom so that I am not drawing the sludge up, just the clear, at least most of the time.

I do exactly what Rodney does. Why waist more when only so much will be absorbed into the water. the rest is wasted. i have used sludge 2-3 times before and then i discard the sludge and start all over again with a 1/4 teaspoon. and use that 2-3 times.

Does the Kalk lose it's potency however by reusing the precipitate 2-3times making it not as effective?

 

[ReefGuy69]

I read somewhere a while back that it was ok to use 2-3 times but then it does loose its ability to precipatate anything, thus its useless after a couple of times. this could be wrong. but it worked then for me and i plan on doing it again.