kalk mixing question

shifty51008 · 04/26/2011, 07:39 AM

ok so I have my top off set up to top off very slowly and ready to dose kalk. here is my dumb question.

my top off container is about 10 gal. and I have a section on the bottom that will keep my top off pump off the bottom and a kalk mixing pump below, my question is if I have the mixing pump on a timer to mix for a couple min. a day but my ATO isn't on a timer how bad would it be if the ATO pump kicks on when the mixing pump is also on? just tring to save room as I don't have room for another timer to put my ATO pump on.

BTW I plan on just dumping about half a jar of Mrs. wages in the bottom of the container so that I don't have to keep measuring it everytime.

Thanks for any help.

Randy Holmes-Farley · 04/26/2011, 08:09 AM

I prefer to mix it and use the whole container before adding water and stirring again. It is not necessary or useful for the container to be stirred unless you add more fresh water.

shifty51008 · 04/26/2011, 04:05 PM

thats perfect, thanks very much so I will mix it once and leave it off, that will save me from using a timer on the mixing pump

Randy Holmes-Farley · 04/27/2011, 04:41 AM

You're welcome.

Good luck.

reef-newbie-11305 · 04/27/2011, 02:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Randy Holmes-Farley

I prefer to mix it and use the whole container before adding water and stirring again. It is not necessary or useful for the container to be stirred unless you add more fresh water.

can i see a picture of your setup? do you just use a kalk reactor or both a kalk reactor and calcium reactor?

Randy Holmes-Farley · 04/27/2011, 02:59 PM

I don't have any pictures of it. I have a huge, still reservoir of 132 gallons of limewater (3 x 44 gallon brute cans plumbed together).

I draw from it with 2 reef filler pumps on a float switch. It lasts several weeks in my system.

reef-newbie-11305 · 04/27/2011, 03:15 PM

In that large of a system.... does the kalk / limewater remain good for weeks before you have to add more? what kind of float switch do you have on it? with kalk / limewater coming thru it does it ever clog up either open or closed?

bertoni · 04/27/2011, 04:12 PM

The limewater will be fine for weeks if it's not stirred. I used dual float switches from reeffanatic.com, but there are a number of good products around. I didn't have much trouble with clogging, but I used peristaltic pumps to deliver the kalk.

jason2459 · 04/27/2011, 05:09 PM

What would cause clogging? Wouldn't that only happen if solids are being sucked up or the end of the line is touching the water for some reason. Both of which shouldn't be happening.

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bertoni · 04/27/2011, 05:21 PM

Evaporation at the end of the kalk line can be an issue, too. Carbon dioxide uptake might be part of the problem, too.

reef-newbie-11305 · 04/28/2011, 05:58 AM

ok, being new to this kalk dosing my next question is " i started dosing kalk on the 17th and i notice last night that the kalk in the container has turned to "paste" does that mean that its time to change it out and put new kalk in? or is the paste form ok too?

Randy Holmes-Farley · 04/28/2011, 07:05 AM

What would cause clogging? Wouldn't that only happen if solids are being sucked up or the end of the line is touching the water for some reason. Both of which shouldn't be happening.

There will usually be some solids in limewater, either there initially, or forming over time. Take a look any anyone’s clear limewater lines and you'll probably see a layer of white settling out in them. Well, in mine that is the case, anyway.

Randy Holmes-Farley · 04/28/2011, 07:05 AM

ok, being new to this kalk dosing my next question is " i started dosing kalk on the 17th and i notice last night that the kalk in the container has turned to "paste" does that mean that its time to change it out and put new kalk in? or is the paste form ok too?

Is this inside a reactor?

reef-newbie-11305 · 04/28/2011, 08:23 AM

yes its inside of a reactor.... it was turning and staying stirred up every 30 min. but i noticed last night it stopped stirring up... so everything settled on the bottom and now it is what it is.... so needed to know if that means time to change out for some fresh kalk..

Sk8r · 04/28/2011, 08:27 AM

Could be your stirrer has died. Mine was a pita: after two stirrers, I finally chucked them and the reactor in favor of just putting kalk in my ATO reservoir. You put in a dose, and keep the ATO pump where it won't suck up what settles out, and you can run that as long as you don't let it run dry. Kalk only needs to be stirred once, really, when you put fresh water in, and that's it. What CAN go into solution goes into solution right then and stays dissolved, and what is in excess falls to the bottom as white goo and waits for more fresh water.

reef-newbie-11305 · 04/28/2011, 08:46 AM

So is the white paste / goo any good? its a closed cylinder where water is pumped in one line and just comes out of another line..... its on a timer for when it doses and another timer for when the stirrer comes on to keep the mix stirred, but not stirring and it settled and now looks like paste or as you said goo...... so thats what prompts my question.

jason2459 · 04/28/2011, 10:03 AM

Thanks Randy and Bertoni. I guess I just haven't ran the lime in my ATO long enough yet to get those issues. I did have the outlet pretty close to the water before and was getting enough splashing to cause some precipitation to solidify at the end.

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Randy Holmes-Farley · 04/28/2011, 10:52 AM

it was turning and staying stirred up every 30 min. but i noticed last night it stopped stirring up... so everything settled on the bottom and now it is what it is....

The consistency of the material is not a concern as long as it can be stirred to allow dissolution. But a paste just sitting there isn't going to dissolve much.

reef-newbie-11305 · 04/28/2011, 11:34 AM

oh, ok, thanks, so i just need to get it stirring up again and the paste will be fine.... i think thats what you are saying.

04/26/2011, 07:39 AM	#1
shifty51008 12-5 Chiefs record Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: NW Iowa Posts: 10,134	kalk mixing question ok so I have my top off set up to top off very slowly and ready to dose kalk. here is my dumb question. my top off container is about 10 gal. and I have a section on the bottom that will keep my top off pump off the bottom and a kalk mixing pump below, my question is if I have the mixing pump on a timer to mix for a couple min. a day but my ATO isn't on a timer how bad would it be if the ATO pump kicks on when the mixing pump is also on? just tring to save room as I don't have room for another timer to put my ATO pump on. BTW I plan on just dumping about half a jar of Mrs. wages in the bottom of the container so that I don't have to keep measuring it everytime. Thanks for any help. __________________ 75 gal. mixed DT, 100 gal. sump, 50 gal. fuge, Clownfish breeder

04/26/2011, 08:09 AM	#2
Randy Holmes-Farley Reef Chemist Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Arlington, Massachusetts Posts: 86,233	I prefer to mix it and use the whole container before adding water and stirring again. It is not necessary or useful for the container to be stirred unless you add more fresh water. __________________ Randy Holmes-Farley Current Tank Info: 120 mixed reef

04/26/2011, 04:05 PM	#3
shifty51008 12-5 Chiefs record Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: NW Iowa Posts: 10,134	thats perfect, thanks very much so I will mix it once and leave it off, that will save me from using a timer on the mixing pump __________________ 75 gal. mixed DT, 100 gal. sump, 50 gal. fuge, Clownfish breeder

04/27/2011, 04:41 AM	#4
Randy Holmes-Farley Reef Chemist Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Arlington, Massachusetts Posts: 86,233	You're welcome. Good luck. __________________ Randy Holmes-Farley Current Tank Info: 120 mixed reef

04/27/2011, 02:59 PM	#6
Randy Holmes-Farley Reef Chemist Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Arlington, Massachusetts Posts: 86,233	I don't have any pictures of it. I have a huge, still reservoir of 132 gallons of limewater (3 x 44 gallon brute cans plumbed together). I draw from it with 2 reef filler pumps on a float switch. It lasts several weeks in my system. __________________ Randy Holmes-Farley Current Tank Info: 120 mixed reef

04/27/2011, 03:15 PM	#7
reef-newbie-11305 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 117	In that large of a system.... does the kalk / limewater remain good for weeks before you have to add more? what kind of float switch do you have on it? with kalk / limewater coming thru it does it ever clog up either open or closed?

04/27/2011, 04:12 PM	#8
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	The limewater will be fine for weeks if it's not stirred. I used dual float switches from reeffanatic.com, but there are a number of good products around. I didn't have much trouble with clogging, but I used peristaltic pumps to deliver the kalk. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

04/27/2011, 05:09 PM	#9
jason2459 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Iowa Posts: 9,671	What would cause clogging? Wouldn't that only happen if solids are being sucked up or the end of the line is touching the water for some reason. Both of which shouldn't be happening. Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk __________________ rebuild and recovery log: No more red house, you'll have to click on my name and visit my homepage! You can check out my parameters at reeftronics dot net website and look for my username. Current Tank Info: 180g mixed reef w/ a beananimal overflow to a dolomite RRUGF. \| 20g long G. Smithii Mantis Tank

04/27/2011, 05:21 PM	#10
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	Evaporation at the end of the kalk line can be an issue, too. Carbon dioxide uptake might be part of the problem, too. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

04/28/2011, 05:58 AM	#11
reef-newbie-11305 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 117	ok, being new to this kalk dosing my next question is " i started dosing kalk on the 17th and i notice last night that the kalk in the container has turned to "paste" does that mean that its time to change it out and put new kalk in? or is the paste form ok too?

04/28/2011, 07:05 AM	#12
Randy Holmes-Farley Reef Chemist Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Arlington, Massachusetts Posts: 86,233	What would cause clogging? Wouldn't that only happen if solids are being sucked up or the end of the line is touching the water for some reason. Both of which shouldn't be happening. There will usually be some solids in limewater, either there initially, or forming over time. Take a look any anyone’s clear limewater lines and you'll probably see a layer of white settling out in them. Well, in mine that is the case, anyway. __________________ Randy Holmes-Farley Current Tank Info: 120 mixed reef

04/28/2011, 08:23 AM	#14
reef-newbie-11305 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 117	yes its inside of a reactor.... it was turning and staying stirred up every 30 min. but i noticed last night it stopped stirring up... so everything settled on the bottom and now it is what it is.... so needed to know if that means time to change out for some fresh kalk..

04/28/2011, 08:27 AM	#15
Sk8r RC Mod Join Date: Feb 2006 Location: Spokane WA Posts: 34,628 Blog Entries: 55	Could be your stirrer has died. Mine was a pita: after two stirrers, I finally chucked them and the reactor in favor of just putting kalk in my ATO reservoir. You put in a dose, and keep the ATO pump where it won't suck up what settles out, and you can run that as long as you don't let it run dry. Kalk only needs to be stirred once, really, when you put fresh water in, and that's it. What CAN go into solution goes into solution right then and stays dissolved, and what is in excess falls to the bottom as white goo and waits for more fresh water. __________________ Sk8r Salinity 1.024-6; alkalinity 8.3-9.3 on KH scale; calcium 420; magnesium 1300, temp 78-80, nitrate .2. Ammonia 0. No filters: lps tank. Alk and cal won't rise if mg is low. Current Tank Info: 105g AquaVim wedge, yellow tang, sailfin blenny,royal gramma, ocellaris clown pair, yellow watchman, 100 microceriths, 25 tiny hermits, a 4" conch, 1" nassarius, recovering from 2 year hiatus with daily water change of 10%.

04/28/2011, 08:46 AM	#16
reef-newbie-11305 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 117	So is the white paste / goo any good? its a closed cylinder where water is pumped in one line and just comes out of another line..... its on a timer for when it doses and another timer for when the stirrer comes on to keep the mix stirred, but not stirring and it settled and now looks like paste or as you said goo...... so thats what prompts my question.

04/28/2011, 10:03 AM	#17
jason2459 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Iowa Posts: 9,671	Thanks Randy and Bertoni. I guess I just haven't ran the lime in my ATO long enough yet to get those issues. I did have the outlet pretty close to the water before and was getting enough splashing to cause some precipitation to solidify at the end. Sent from my DROIDX using Tapatalk __________________ rebuild and recovery log: No more red house, you'll have to click on my name and visit my homepage! You can check out my parameters at reeftronics dot net website and look for my username. Current Tank Info: 180g mixed reef w/ a beananimal overflow to a dolomite RRUGF. \| 20g long G. Smithii Mantis Tank

04/28/2011, 10:52 AM	#18
Randy Holmes-Farley Reef Chemist Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Arlington, Massachusetts Posts: 86,233	it was turning and staying stirred up every 30 min. but i noticed last night it stopped stirring up... so everything settled on the bottom and now it is what it is.... The consistency of the material is not a concern as long as it can be stirred to allow dissolution. But a paste just sitting there isn't going to dissolve much. __________________ Randy Holmes-Farley Current Tank Info: 120 mixed reef

04/28/2011, 11:34 AM	#19
reef-newbie-11305 Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 117	oh, ok, thanks, so i just need to get it stirring up again and the paste will be fine.... i think thats what you are saying.

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