Dosing Kalk via ATO?

Hi Matt, (sorry about the hijack)

All good thoughts you have there.
I now have the frag tank, which is fed by a seperate RP from the main sump.

NOw that you mention it, I'll take a Ph reading (my second in over 2 years), from the frag tank after a bolus dose the Dalk/vinegar mixture just for grins. All the other coral is doing well luckily.

 

Posting some results in a new thread, so as not to hijack this one too far.

 

Ok I am crusing at 8.3 at 1700, Ca 430 Alk 7.6, Temp 77.5 F, SG 1.024. I have been consistent with regard to the Kalk in ATO method for a little over a week, corals look better.

 

Thanks for the thorough post.

Yeah I considered the dilution of kalk to the 5 gallon, starting really slow. I will increase the kalk amount slowly, to go a little higher on my dkh. I am still dosing part b a small amount every other day.

The ato container looks like crap, but my line is clear, hoping a diluted version causes less problems in the pump and tubing department.

I am going to look into the stirrer Chris suggested.

Surprised you have no pumps or sensors, hmmm.

Since I am trying to drive up the pH no vinegar.

Well detailed and encouraging.

Thanks for the description and the numbers, helps a lot. Need some assist in the administration and the maintenance of the ATO system.

This is the reason I am not dosing the 2 part anymore, just not consistent enough, and I test and dose frequently.

I got the pumps and the BRS system, but I am going with the ATO and kalk as long as I can because the value are so consistent.

You're suppose to post numbers Todd.

 

My experience with kalk:

I used it for a long time on my biocube until the demand was too great. Worked well but did clog up my aqualifter from time to time, not a big deal on the biocube though.

At Christmas time I got a miracles 120 rimless and moved livestock over from my other tank. I was using 2 part and it was alright, but my pH was dropping below 7.8 at night. Yea don't chase pH, but there are a few studies that indicate above 8 is best. Anyway I am using avast diaphragm ato pump and don't like running kalk through those, plus the tank varies considerably with evaporation. I really don't like using anything that can mess with the ato at all on this system, so I simply picked up a brs 150ml/min pump and use that to dose kalk. 3 min every hour doses about 1g a day which is around 1dkh/day in that system and at 1g/day the brute can lasts 1 month. I like having the kalk independent of the ato - my talk always evap over 1g/day so no worries and I know the dose is consistent every day. I still use 2 part to provide the additional dosing needs, but for only the price of the brs pump and brute can I keep pH well above 8.1 at night now and it's less demand on my ato.

So if you think eventually the system will require using 2 part as well you can pick an amount less than the min evaporation the tank sees and still get many benefits of kalk even if you are not using it to the maximum possible.

 

Hey Corailline, I dose kalk in my 5.5 gal ATO as well.

Since my tank is evaporative cooled, I go through a lot of ro/di water, so I mix the kalkwasser to half of saturation.

So far this is working great for my monti's and lobo.

 

Yeah I missed that important detail Whiskey, my evaporation went up and so did my pH and Ca.

Now I am mixing at half as well.

Duh is what I am saying to myself. It's like Dominos, one thing leads to another and so on an so on........

 

pH 8.4 now and stable. Unfortunately since my ATO did double duty,

Ca: 500, no biggie it will come down.
Alk: 6.7 uggggg biggie.

I remember telling hobbyist all the time do not chase the numbers look at the corals.

SG: 1.0245, I am lucky that is all it dropped.
Temp: 77.5 right where I like it, thank you LED's.