Teach me how to dose (kalkwasser)

[The Gooch]

I've been looking into the avast k2 stirrer with kamoer fx-stp2. However, I'm still a little confused. I have an AIO, so would i be able to use it since its a gravity feed? Theirs no way to put it higher than my display lol

Edit: so I ordered a fx-spt2 off aliexpress and won a avast k1 off ebay for cheap. I realized I have to have it higher than my display so maybe ill make a stand to sit it on. It will probably look ugly but maybe it'll do for now

I get what you’re saying. The reactor pours into you back chamber and need to be higher obviously. The pressurized geo sounds cool. Never tried one. If the system isn’t very big or has a lot of demand I would sooner do all for reef, it’s so much easier lol.

 

[The Gooch]

How big is your tank and how much are you adding?

It’s a 300g system and I’m dosing 13000ml or 3 1/2 gal kalk daily. That’s my max dose because of evaporation rate. I dose esv alk,ca, and mg on top of it.

 

[The Gooch]

Honestly, didn't expect to win it. I was the only bidder LOL. I'll make it work to dip my toes into kalk.
Someone suggested to use this

Supposedly there maybe impurities in pickling lime but who knows. Mississippi pickling lime is what we used for years with no issues. It’s probably the same stuff a lot of the companies package and rebrand. FWIW I do notice that the avast brand kalk doesn’t clump nearly as much as other kalks that I’ve tried.

 

[nvladik]

It’s a 300g system and I’m dosing 13000ml or 3 1/2 gal kalk daily. That’s my max dose because of evaporation rate. I dose esv alk,ca, and mg on top of it.

I am dosing 12,000 ml to 200 gallons in a very lightly stocked tank and my Alk is not going up.

 

[kevin]

Supposedly there maybe impurities in pickling lime but who knows. Mississippi pickling lime is what we used for years with no issues. It’s probably the same stuff a lot of the companies package and rebrand. FWIW I do notice that the avast brand kalk doesn’t clump nearly as much as other kalks that I’ve tried.

The k1 i won comes with some avast lime so ill try that first.
I'm trying to figure out how to mount the k1. I don't have much space next to the tank LOL. It'll be much easier when I have the k1 in hands

 

[The Gooch]

I am dosing 12,000 ml to 200 gallons in a very lightly stocked tank and my Alk is not going up.

Hmm… Something don’t sound right there. Maybe check the potency of the Kalkwasser, ph should be 12 if saturated I believe, and check the calibration of the pump. My system is heavily stocked for 13000ml. Either that or you have Coraline on steroids

 

[MadReefer]

Kalkwasser is pickling lime, aka calcium hydroxide. Just don't get the flavored ones.

Paul, the powder did not dissolve well and clogged a doser and when I did a drip line clogged the end of it, so gave up.

Even when I used AFR powder it did not dissolve with a magnetic stirrer.

No idea what I was doing wrong.

 

[redfishbluefish]

Paul, the powder did not dissolve well and clogged a doser and when I did a drip line clogged the end of it, so gave up.

Even when I used AFR powder it did not dissolve with a magnetic stirrer.

No idea what I was doing wrong.

Mark, no idea what was going on with your issue. Realize that it doesn't take much to reach saturation. When I was dosing, I would never go past 2 teaspoons of powder per gallon of RO/DI water. Anything more than that didn't go into solution.

 

[MadReefer]

Mark, no idea what was going on with your issue. Realize that it doesn't take much to reach saturation. When I was dosing, I would never go past 2 teaspoons of powder per gallon of RO/DI water. Anything more than that didn't go into solution.

Think it was 2 pints of water and add 150g of AFR.
I may try Kalk on my nem tank.

 

[kevin]

So the avast k1 i won on ebay is being shipped from Tinton Falls LOL. Wonder if he's on here haha

 

[kevin]

Okay, so for my AIO
Right chamber is filter sock with UV hose water being pumped into it.
2nd chamber is pump for uv
Middle chamber has the return pumps etc

Would I have a problem having the kalk drip into the filter sock or should I extend the tubing to the middle chamber?

 

[ole farny]

the k1 is pretty tall, even though its the smaller of the two. with your AIO setup, the only way i think you might be able to pull it off is to have it on a shelf behind your tank so that just enough of the top and output is sticking up above the sump area. but that's going to make maintenance not so fun. i'd look to put the effluent into a high flow area like the return chamber or the uv hose area before i'd put it in the filter sock. you could probably get away with dumping in there i suppose, not sure what it would do to the socks over time.

all that said, it does sound like the pressurized kalk stirrer/reactor is going to be a better solution for your aio. i have no experience with them though.

 

[kevin]

the k1 is pretty tall, even though its the smaller of the two. with your AIO setup, the only way i think you might be able to pull it off is to have it on a shelf behind your tank so that just enough of the top and output is sticking up above the sump area. but that's going to make maintenance not so fun. i'd look to put the effluent into a high flow area like the return chamber or the uv hose area before i'd put it in the filter sock. you could probably get away with dumping in there i suppose, not sure what it would do to the socks over time.

all that said, it does sound like the pressurized kalk stirrer/reactor is going to be a better solution for your aio. i have no experience with them though.

Appreciate the info! The k1 arrives today so ill test out some scenarios when I get home. The kamoer should be here sometime next week if it doesn't get held up in customs

 

[kevin]

So got the k1
Bought a shelf that can hold the weight of the k1
Bought some avast kalk
The k1 came with some avast kalk and a whole thing of seachem kalk.
Hopefully the kamoer comes soon

 

[kevin]

Okay, the kamoer came. Crazy only took 5 days to get here from over seas.

How do I know how fast to make it pump into the avast k1? Im so confused

 

[Coral Reef To Classroom]

I have had luck making a saturated solution in one container. Waiting a day or two and pouring only solution into dosing container careful not to add the slurry.

 

[kevin]

Hung a shelf for the kalk stirrer. (Its rated for 40lbs)
I have no idea how to use the kamoer fx-spt2. Its all hooked up to the wifi but no idea how much ml/rate to use

 

[ole farny]

in my approach which isn't the same as some of the other's approaches here, ideally, you want to dose a bit below your minimum daily evaporation amount throughout the year.

obviously, you're not going to take a year to figure that out, so your going to have to guesstimate, based on when you think your tank is thirstiest during the year. you probably have a fair idea based on your last tank in that spot of when that is.

not familiar with that pump, but hopefully its a continuous dose job and you can just put in your daily dose amount on a continuous dose job and be done with it.