Recirculating Kalk with tank water.

jetfixr · 09/27/2009, 02:41 PM

I know the most effective way of adding Kalk is adding it in the RO/DI water via your ATO. I really like my ATO system as it is right now, it has been running for 2 years straight off of my RO/DI system and it is like quadruple safe-guarded, one of the best things I ever did for my tank. What I would like to do is run tank water thru a kalk reactor hooked up to a aqua-lifter (super slow pump), and control it with a ph controller. I have never seen it done before so there must be some reason it is not done. I just cannot imagine why tank water could not be saturated to some point with the kalk water. It wouldn't even have to be very efficient, it could run for long periods of time without affecting the tank water level, and being turned off by ph controller.

rezaktp · 09/27/2009, 04:32 PM

Sounds like it should work, the 2 main things to look out for are raising your PH and overflowing your sump. The PH controller will take care of keeping your PH in control, and since you are just recirulating the tank water you will not overfill your system. Give it a try, as usual there is always a combination of more than one system failures but that is where a check a couple of times a day really come in handy! If you have a controller you may want to input a high pH alarm as a safegaurd.

good luck!

bertoni · 09/27/2009, 06:14 PM

It might work some, but it's likely to cause some magnesium carbonate or magnesium hydroxide precipitation, and perhaps some calcium carbonate as well. I just don't think it'll work. A lot of people have considered it. There's a lot of threads on the idea.

luther1200 · 09/27/2009, 07:46 PM

There has to be a reason everybody uses RO/DI water for kalk.

Randy Holmes-Farley · 09/28/2009, 06:19 AM

There has to be a reason everybody uses RO/DI water for kalk.

Yes, there is a simple reason. Adding more than a tiny bit of limewater directly into recirculating tank water will precipitate calcium carbonate and magnesium hydroxide into mud.

edandsandy · 09/28/2009, 06:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by randy holmes-farley

there has to be a reason everybody uses ro/di water for kalk.

yes, there is a simple reason. Adding more than a tiny bit of limewater directly into recirculating tank water will precipitate calcium carbonate and magnesium hydroxide into mud.

To Reef Central back anyways... We missed you!

jetfixr · 09/28/2009, 09:14 AM

Thanks Randy, I had actually never seen any threads on it. That saves me time and money, I have enough failed projects already in my scrap heap.

Randy Holmes-Farley · 09/28/2009, 01:04 PM

Happy Reefing!

sjm817 · 09/28/2009, 04:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Randy Holmes-Farley

There has to be a reason everybody uses RO/DI water for kalk.

Yes, there is a simple reason. Adding more than a tiny bit of limewater directly into recirculating tank water will precipitate calcium carbonate and magnesium hydroxide into mud.

Glad to see you back!!

Now that we have a new board, you can increase your post count past the 65535!

Randy Holmes-Farley · 10/01/2009, 06:22 AM

Happy Reefing.

09/27/2009, 02:41 PM	#1
jetfixr Premium Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 329	Recirculating Kalk with tank water. I know the most effective way of adding Kalk is adding it in the RO/DI water via your ATO. I really like my ATO system as it is right now, it has been running for 2 years straight off of my RO/DI system and it is like quadruple safe-guarded, one of the best things I ever did for my tank. What I would like to do is run tank water thru a kalk reactor hooked up to a aqua-lifter (super slow pump), and control it with a ph controller. I have never seen it done before so there must be some reason it is not done. I just cannot imagine why tank water could not be saturated to some point with the kalk water. It wouldn't even have to be very efficient, it could run for long periods of time without affecting the tank water level, and being turned off by ph controller.

09/27/2009, 06:14 PM	#3
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	It might work some, but it's likely to cause some magnesium carbonate or magnesium hydroxide precipitation, and perhaps some calcium carbonate as well. I just don't think it'll work. A lot of people have considered it. There's a lot of threads on the idea. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

09/27/2009, 07:46 PM	#4
luther1200 Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: NJ, shore Posts: 4,376	There has to be a reason everybody uses RO/DI water for kalk. __________________ Matt, 65G reef tank Current Tank Info: 65g reef, mix of sps, lps, few softies. Hoping to upgrade within the year.

09/28/2009, 06:19 AM	#5
Randy Holmes-Farley Reef Chemist Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Arlington, Massachusetts Posts: 86,233	There has to be a reason everybody uses RO/DI water for kalk. Yes, there is a simple reason. Adding more than a tiny bit of limewater directly into recirculating tank water will precipitate calcium carbonate and magnesium hydroxide into mud. __________________ Randy Holmes-Farley Current Tank Info: 120 mixed reef

09/28/2009, 01:04 PM	#8
Randy Holmes-Farley Reef Chemist Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Arlington, Massachusetts Posts: 86,233	Happy Reefing! __________________ Randy Holmes-Farley Current Tank Info: 120 mixed reef

09/27/2009, 04:32 PM	#2
rezaktp Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2007 Location: Gurnee, IL Posts: 1,407	Sounds like it should work, the 2 main things to look out for are raising your PH and overflowing your sump. The PH controller will take care of keeping your PH in control, and since you are just recirulating the tank water you will not overfill your system. Give it a try, as usual there is always a combination of more than one system failures but that is where a check a couple of times a day really come in handy! If you have a controller you may want to input a high pH alarm as a safegaurd. good luck!

09/28/2009, 09:14 AM	#7
jetfixr Premium Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Posts: 329	Thanks Randy, I had actually never seen any threads on it. That saves me time and money, I have enough failed projects already in my scrap heap.

10/01/2009, 06:22 AM	#10
Randy Holmes-Farley Reef Chemist Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Arlington, Massachusetts Posts: 86,233	Happy Reefing. __________________ Randy Holmes-Farley Current Tank Info: 120 mixed reef