I'm confused...Kalk dosing through ATO

[nikkipigtails]

Ok...I'm really confused. We're about to start designing our ATO system and we want to dose Kalk through it. This is our first large system and in our smaller tanks, we manually dosed a two part system for Calc and Alk. From what I gather, they have an ATO resevoir of FW and dose kalk through a kalk reactor. How do these two things tie in together? I'm confused with the mechanics of it all.

We have an evaporation rate of ~7-10 gallons/day so the FW resevoir will have to be rather large. The rest of the supplements would be dosed through a 1 gallon jug and an IV line through a gravity feed. Would it be easier for me to dose kalk that way and have the ATO feed directly into the tank?

 

[BigAl07]

Well since I'm in the SAME boat with you I can only "speculate" but here is what I have "in mind"..

They have some type of "Kalk" drip system dripping into the RO/DI reservoir and this in turn puts Kalk into the tank with each top off cycle.

Just a hunch/guess though.

 

[Disciple882542]

I have the below listed unit with the low voltage upgrade.

Double Switch Auto Top Off Controller

You will first need to get your pump and resevoir figured out. I use an aqualifter pump and a 20 gallon tall tank. The aqualifter is controlled by the auto top off controller. When the float switch falls low enough, the pump is turned on by the controller. The pump is pulling water out of my resevoir and pumping into my kalk reactor. The RODI water then goes through kalk reactor and into my sump.

This setup is good because you don't have the limewater (kalkwasser) clogging up the float switch as with some other level control systems. Also, you might want to put a check valve between the pump and reactor to keep the limewater from getting to your pump.

To me, adding an ATO with a kalk reactor is the best thing since sliced bread.

God bless,
Chris

 

[Scouter Steve]

My ATO is through a peristalic (sp) pump, meaning just a few drips at a time. With a small addition it is possible to add kalk right with top off water. I fill up my 40 gal. resevoir about once a week and dump and mix a jar of pickling lime in at each fill up then let it sit and restart the top off. If your top off is by a pump pumping say a half gallon in a couple times a day that would not be good with kalk.

 

[Disciple882542]

Well since I'm in the SAME boat with you I can only "speculate" but here is what I have "in mind"..

They have some type of "Kalk" drip system dripping into the RO/DI reservoir and this in turn puts Kalk into the tank with each top off cycle.

Just a hunch/guess though.

I used a 5 gallon kent aquadose to dose kalk prior to a reactor and ATO combo. The aquadose was very inconsistent and a pain in the butt to keep adjusted. It worked but was pretty labor intensive to get consistent delivery.

 

[nikkipigtails]

I have the below listed unit with the low voltage upgrade.

Double Switch Auto Top Off Controller

You will first need to get your pump and resevoir figured out. I use an aqualifter pump and a 20 gallon tall tank. The aqualifter is controlled by the auto top off controller. When the float switch falls low enough, the pump is turned on by the controller. The pump is pulling water out of my resevoir and pumping into my kalk reactor. The RODI water then goes through kalk reactor and into my sump.

This setup is good because you don't have the limewater (kalkwasser) clogging up the float switch as with some other level control systems. Also, you might want to put a check valve between the pump and reactor to keep the limewater from getting to your pump.

To me, adding an ATO with a kalk reactor is the best thing since sliced bread.

God bless,
Chris

Ok. That's the set-up I keep seeing.

I think, for simplicity, I'm going to set the kalk up like the rest and dose it through a gravity feed.

 

[BigAl07]

Nikki I'll needs LOTS of detailed pics each step of the way!! Capiche?

 

[Octoman]

I just mix kalkwasser in a jug (I use pickling lime), let it sit 24 hours, then add that to my ATO reservoir. I fill up about once a week. I monitor calcium and alk and adjust the concentration of kalk accordingly. I don't have the fancy Kalk reactor. I can imagine it would be handy for larger top-off's though, I only go through 5-7 gallons a week.

 

[nikkipigtails]

Thanks Mark.

Al: I'll try to draw up what I'm thinking about doing and post it for you.

 

[fatman]

I just mix Kalkwasser and use a peristaltic pump that pulls water from a reservoir tank that uses the Kalwasser as ATO water and pumps it into the sump. I have it running on a timer cycle so that it is only pumped at night when the display tank's pH was a little lower. With the kalkwasser pumped at night and the sump containing macro algae with the lights run in a cycle opposite of the display tank lighting the pH changes very little between day and night.

 

[Boomer]

There are a number of ways to do this but the ones Steve, Chris and Fatman mention are the best.

 

[hma]

There are a number of ways to do this but the ones Steve, Chris and Fatman mention are the best.

mhhhh ...?



“Kalkwasser” = Source product Calciumhydroxid Ca(OH)2

- admit only calcium, no Carbonat.
- a relatively easy, also automatic use
- can equalise too high dKH, because exclusively Ca is added
- strong pH increase...... thereby only restricted Ca amount suppliable






Calcium reactor = Source products are Calciumcarbonat and carbon dioxide
CaCO3 + H2CO3 -> Ca2+ + 2 HCO3

- can supply big Kalk amounts
- automatically run
- admits more KH than Calcium
- adjusting not always simply
- can lower pH by excessive CO2
- substrate can contain phosphate and Silicat





Balling Methode or Two Part

Production of dissolvable Hydrogencarbonat from 2 components:

Ca (Cl)2 + 2 NaHCO3 -> Ca2+ + 2 HCO3 + 2 Na+ + 2 Cl-

- Balance of the excessive NaCl by use of NaCl free salt (Balling only)
- Big calcium Addition amounts possibly
- The dosage is very easy to adjust
- Ca / KH relation neutrally


If one compares the possibilities as well as advantages and disadvantages of the Calcium /KH supply (see above); it is in my eyes no question which system I would use.

 

[SATELLITE]

i made my own Kalwasser system. got a 4L jug that was used for chocolate milk. drilled 2 holes in the lid put 2 lines in one with a valve to control the drip and the other line was put in 4-5 " and you blow on. and it forces the water out the other line with the valve. sounds funny but i tried it out with just fresh water to test it....

 

[Boomer]

Crap Heniz, I forgot about the Kalk reactor Thanks for posting that and the Calcium reactor Glad you caught it also. I'm a lover of kalk reactors. Guess I had ATO systems and the likes in my head to much. If ones system can get by with just a kalk reactor that is the only way to go, as it adds nothing else but Ca++ and Alk, with none of that Na+, SO4--, Cl- etc., which accumulates.

 

[hma]

Hi Boomer ..... a calcium reactor is perfect enough if one does not keep too many SPS corals and uses the right medium. I use the calcium reactor only for my breeding tanks (4) in a closed circulation. For my reef tank I use exclusively the Balling Plus method. NaCl and So4 is with Balling absolut no problem. We use with the Balling method NaCl free salt around the higher salt portion to compensate.

 

[cuttie100]

I have my kalk running day and night. Is that bad? My ph drops to about 78 at night and to 81 in the daytime. I have my kalk dosed when the water evaporates with an auto top off system

 

[Boomer]

Heinz

Someone just asked me about the Balling Method here IIRC, only just called it the NaCl free sup method. I'll see if I can find it for you to commemt on. I know little about it and don't want to make a mess out of method I'm not familar with with I just told the guy it was fine to use. Maybe you should start a thread in the Chem forum for this and I'll make it a sticky

 

[Boomer]

Wait, I just saw you already did that and we need to fix it and get it up to the Chem forum. Doniiiiiiiiii

 

[nikkipigtails]

Ok, I have another question:
How do you know how much kalk to dose?

 

[Boomer]

You really don't nikki it is trial and error. First, you have to look at the Alk and Ca++ demands / day ...........or / week and /7............ and go from there. Then it s just math. or fine tuning.