New direction with Kalk delivery

Dolfan · 09/04/2019, 10:48 AM

I'm looking for a bit of advice on moving to a more automated and consistent method of delivering Kalk. My tank is a 90g reef tank with mostly mushrooms, polyps, frogspawn, fish and inverts.

For the past years, I have just used a simple Kent Marine drip container that I set and refill as needed. But of course this isn't a very exact method, and if I'm busy I don't always refill when needed.

Recently I've been thinking of a way to make this more consistent, I do run an Apex system so I have the automation to control some mechanism but just have not decided what as yet. I've looked at commercial stirrers and reactors but honestly, these seem pretty expensive for the job. My next idea was to build a simple mixer/stirrer using a 5g Instant Ocean bucket, a powerhead that could be switched on several times a day and a simple lift pump to deliver the clear liquid at the top for a few minutes every few hours as needed.

Now thinking to simplify, I'm curious if I use this 5g method but don't have a stir/mix mechanism if it would be sufficient to simply add kalk powder on occasion, say once a week and mix the solution by hand and then a feed from my R/O would slowly mix in to keep the level constant as used? My thought is that today I mix up the 2g container set it and let it drip with no further mixing. Thinking that same general approach should work on just a slightly larger scale with water replenishment.

Open to other ideas.

mcgyvr · 09/04/2019, 10:54 AM

Once a simple drip or ato kalk setup isn't working well enough a switch to dosing pumps and regular 2 part cal/alk mixtures makes plenty of sense to me.. Super easy there too..

No need for frequent stirring/mixing/cleaning lines,etc...

Dolfan · 09/04/2019, 11:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mcgyvr

Once a simple drip or ato kalk setup isn't working well enough a switch to dosing pumps and regular 2 part cal/alk mixtures makes plenty of sense to me.. Super easy there too..

No need for frequent stirring/mixing/cleaning lines,etc...

I wasn't thinking to move to 2 part mixtures, just looking for a bit more automated approach to the kalk delivery. I guess my main question would be how large a volume of water would work fine, only being mixed initially then having replenishment water at a slow rate added to the bottom of the vessel.

Vinny Kreyling · 09/04/2019, 01:31 PM

I used to mix a 30 gallon drum & let it settle before using.
The only problem was hardening @ the end of the delivery hose.

bertoni · 09/05/2019, 11:42 PM

It's usually best to run RO/DI in batches since the filter rejection rate is poor at startup (a lot leaches through). If it's possibly, I'd run the level down close to empty and then fill it up with RO/DI, along with stirring after it's full. Stirring at other times will do very little but convert the lime back into sand, so I'd avoid that.

shellsea · 09/09/2019, 01:30 PM

I use an aquamedic kalk stirrer w/dosing pump. That is fed from my ATO reservoir and controlled by my apex to deliver about one minute of kalk solution per hour. If the kalk does not compensate for my evaporation my ATO kicks in.

reefgeezer · 09/09/2019, 03:26 PM

I use a dosing pump that delivers about 1.3 liters a day of kalkwasser from a 5 gallon bucket to replace some of the water that evaporates daily. The ATO makes up the rest of the evaporation automatically... less in the summer and more in the winter. This allows me to add a measured amount of kalkwasser without variances produced by changing evaporation rates.

09/04/2019, 10:48 AM	#1
Dolfan Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2001 Location: Atlanta Posts: 493	New direction with Kalk delivery I'm looking for a bit of advice on moving to a more automated and consistent method of delivering Kalk. My tank is a 90g reef tank with mostly mushrooms, polyps, frogspawn, fish and inverts. For the past years, I have just used a simple Kent Marine drip container that I set and refill as needed. But of course this isn't a very exact method, and if I'm busy I don't always refill when needed. Recently I've been thinking of a way to make this more consistent, I do run an Apex system so I have the automation to control some mechanism but just have not decided what as yet. I've looked at commercial stirrers and reactors but honestly, these seem pretty expensive for the job. My next idea was to build a simple mixer/stirrer using a 5g Instant Ocean bucket, a powerhead that could be switched on several times a day and a simple lift pump to deliver the clear liquid at the top for a few minutes every few hours as needed. Now thinking to simplify, I'm curious if I use this 5g method but don't have a stir/mix mechanism if it would be sufficient to simply add kalk powder on occasion, say once a week and mix the solution by hand and then a feed from my R/O would slowly mix in to keep the level constant as used? My thought is that today I mix up the 2g container set it and let it drip with no further mixing. Thinking that same general approach should work on just a slightly larger scale with water replenishment. Open to other ideas.

09/04/2019, 10:54 AM	#2
mcgyvr Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: North Carolina Posts: 20,050	Once a simple drip or ato kalk setup isn't working well enough a switch to dosing pumps and regular 2 part cal/alk mixtures makes plenty of sense to me.. Super easy there too.. No need for frequent stirring/mixing/cleaning lines,etc... __________________ Who me?

09/04/2019, 01:31 PM	#4
Vinny Kreyling Registered Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Miller Place, NY Posts: 7,206	I used to mix a 30 gallon drum & let it settle before using. The only problem was hardening @ the end of the delivery hose. __________________ 250 gallon mixed reef, 2 Reefbreeder's Photon V 2, Deepwater BLDC 12, DAS EX-3 Skimmer, MTC mini cal, 2-3/4" Sea Swirls, Aquacontroller & 6 Tunze pumps.

09/05/2019, 11:42 PM	#5
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	It's usually best to run RO/DI in batches since the filter rejection rate is poor at startup (a lot leaches through). If it's possibly, I'd run the level down close to empty and then fill it up with RO/DI, along with stirring after it's full. Stirring at other times will do very little but convert the lime back into sand, so I'd avoid that. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

09/09/2019, 01:30 PM	#6
shellsea Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2012 Location: Destin, Fl. Posts: 479	I use an aquamedic kalk stirrer w/dosing pump. That is fed from my ATO reservoir and controlled by my apex to deliver about one minute of kalk solution per hour. If the kalk does not compensate for my evaporation my ATO kicks in. __________________ Jack "Shellsea" 120 mixed reef, Reef Breeder Photon 48, Apex and a proud owner of a Lifereef Skimmer

09/09/2019, 03:26 PM	#7
reefgeezer Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2009 Location: Wichita KS Posts: 2,621	I use a dosing pump that delivers about 1.3 liters a day of kalkwasser from a 5 gallon bucket to replace some of the water that evaporates daily. The ATO makes up the rest of the evaporation automatically... less in the summer and more in the winter. This allows me to add a measured amount of kalkwasser without variances produced by changing evaporation rates. __________________ John, Current Tank Info: In-process, 90 Gallon SPS Reef