kalk in ato - Page 2

RocketEngineer · 08/11/2011, 02:09 PM

Depending on how things are set up, this could be kalk that isn't desolved OR calcium carbonate that has percipitated out.

If the ATO container is open to air, the kalk will react with CO2 in the air and form a crust of calcium carbonate which will not disolve. To make sure I have the correct amount of kalk, I only add as much kalk as I want to disolve when I fill the bucket. So if I add two gallons of ATO water, I add enough kalk to the bucket to make two gallons. Once you get beyond about two teaspoons per gallon, kalk will remain undesolved in the bottom which is how a kalk reactor works. Since I'm not dosing full strength kalk, I add just what I need each time.

Every so often you should empty the ATO bucket and rinse everything out of it. The stuff left on the bottom of the bucket is normally a combination of stuff that has percipitated out of the ATO water. This is the kind of stuff that can kill an ATO pump so rinsing out the bucket is a good way to keep the pump working.

HTH,
RocketEngineer

kduen · 08/11/2011, 02:50 PM

^ +1 I never could figure out when to add more kalk or just add RO/DI so I just premix in a 1 gal water jug and refill. This way I know for sure that I am adding fully saturated top off water. About every 6 months I will clean out the crud in the bottom of my ATO container.

jamest0o0 · 08/11/2011, 06:20 PM

That's a good idea I'll start doing that, thanks for the responses everyone

08/11/2011, 02:09 PM	#26
RocketEngineer Space is big. Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Maryland Eastern Shore Posts: 3,226	Depending on how things are set up, this could be kalk that isn't desolved OR calcium carbonate that has percipitated out. If the ATO container is open to air, the kalk will react with CO2 in the air and form a crust of calcium carbonate which will not disolve. To make sure I have the correct amount of kalk, I only add as much kalk as I want to disolve when I fill the bucket. So if I add two gallons of ATO water, I add enough kalk to the bucket to make two gallons. Once you get beyond about two teaspoons per gallon, kalk will remain undesolved in the bottom which is how a kalk reactor works. Since I'm not dosing full strength kalk, I add just what I need each time. Every so often you should empty the ATO bucket and rinse everything out of it. The stuff left on the bottom of the bucket is normally a combination of stuff that has percipitated out of the ATO water. This is the kind of stuff that can kill an ATO pump so rinsing out the bucket is a good way to keep the pump working. HTH, RocketEngineer __________________ -RocketEngineer "Knowledge is what you get when you read the directions, experience is what you get when you don't." - Unknown Current Tank Info: None Currently

08/11/2011, 06:20 PM	#28
jamest0o0 Registered Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Pittsburgh, PA Posts: 2,325	That's a good idea I'll start doing that, thanks for the responses everyone __________________ Planning on new tank, been about 5-6 years since I've been in the hobby

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08/11/2011, 02:50 PM	#27
kduen Registered Member Join Date: May 2009 Location: Panama City, FL Posts: 684	^ +1 I never could figure out when to add more kalk or just add RO/DI so I just premix in a 1 gal water jug and refill. This way I know for sure that I am adding fully saturated top off water. About every 6 months I will clean out the crud in the bottom of my ATO container.