Kalk containers

[L/B Block]

What are people using for kalk containers?
Right now I am using a one gallon jug with a rubber stopper that has a line going through it. I prefer glass over acrylic or HDPE plastic due to its caustic PH. I was considering the avast kalk stirrer but it seems to run via ATO which I don’t like and my ATO is anything but consistent.

The gallon jug seems to work well. There are air gaps I can tell in the line but seems to not affect the consistently.

What I don’t like is that it only lasts for 5 days and then I need to make a new batch. This is also problematic when I go away as I really don’t want the dog sitter having to contend with it.

I am going to see if I can fit a two gallon in the cabinet. It’s getting a little tight in there! My only concern is that over 10 days there will be a reduction in potency.


I do have a magnetic stirrer that I may see if that works.. the weight of jug and water may be a little much for this one..

 

[JVU]

I use a 55 gallon Brute can and lid. They make smaller sizes.

 

[Patio]

I was considering the avast kalk stirrer but it seems to run via ATO which I don’t like and my ATO is anything but consistent

ATO- I don't think this is how the avast is intended to run.

I utilize the ecotech dosing pump at a set ml/minute rather than letting an ATO pump dose way too much at a time, inconsistantly. The pump pulls water from my ato container and pushes into the avast reactor which then drips out kalk effluent.

I wont tell you which method is better because I dont know. Each have pros and cons. The reactor pro for me is that I do not need to have another container holding kalk water near my tank when i can utilize the ATO resevior already taking up space. If my tank was near a garage wall, I might consider utilizing a large kalk container stored in the garage.

 

[L/B Block]

ATO- I don't think this is how the avast is intended to run.

I utilize the ecotech dosing pump at a set ml/minute rather than letting an ATO pump dose way too much at a time, inconsistantly. The pump pulls water from my ato container and pushes into the avast reactor which then drips out kalk effluent.

I wont tell you which method is better because I dont know. Each have pros and cons. The reactor pro for me is that I do not need to have another container holding kalk water near my tank when i can utilize the ATO resevior already taking up space. If my tank was near a garage wall, I might consider utilizing a large kalk container stored in the garage.

Just coming from what Dan said at Avast-or I misinterpreted-
But my question is - how much are you pushing into the avast at a time and how much are dosing kalk overall?

My total is 600 ml over ~12.5 hours.
It comes to approximately 10 ml every 11 or 13 minutes (intervals broken up over midnight so not exactly same)

I don’t think I can just dose 10 ml at a time?
I would have to push in 600 ml at once snd then get a valve and drip it on for 1 drop almost 30 seconds give or take.

Possibly I could do 6 100 ml intervals.


Appreciate your input on your current set up. The avast is of interest if I can make it work..
especially that I could just fill it once every two weeks.

 

[ReyDeFarts]

I use a 55 gallon Brute can and lid. They make smaller sizes.

Whoa! How much are you dosing daily? How long does it last you? Considering those are not airtight, do you lose potency of the kalk over time?

How big of a DT is this for btw? I honestly haven't seen your tank. I'll go and look for a journal too, but figured I'd ask.

 

[L/B Block]

Whoa! How much are you dosing daily? How long does it last you? Considering those are not airtight, do you lose potency of the kalk over time?

How big of a DT is this for btw? I honestly haven't seen your tank. I'll go and look for a journal too, but figured I'd ask.

[
You asking me or @JVU?
My DT is only 54 gallons

 

[Patio]

But my question is - how much are you pushing into the avast at a time and how much are dosing kalk overall?

My pump is set at a continuous rate of 1.7ml/minute when lights are off. Shy of 1.5 liters total a night. Those numbers are not exact but just an idea (I have not calibrated the dosing pump in a couple years).

 

[JVU]

Whoa! How much are you dosing daily? How long does it last you? Considering those are not airtight, do you lose potency of the kalk over time?

How big of a DT is this for btw? I honestly haven't seen your tank. I'll go and look for a journal too, but figured I'd ask.

I have a Red Sea Reefer 750, which is 160g display, 200g total. I use 5-6 liters per day of saturated kalk, limited by evaporation, and dose some more multi part for the rest of the consumption.

The bin holds 180 liters so it lasts about a month, but I refill it before it gets too low. I wanted a solution that didn’t need a lot of intervention and was easy for trips.

It seals plenty tight enough with the Brute lid. No issues at all with losing potency over time. As Randy Holmes Farley has shown, if you don’t mess with the thin surface crust it forms, it doesn’t continue to react with the air. So a larger amount is more stable, not less.

 

[L/B Block]

My pump is set at a continuous rate of 1.7ml/minute when lights are off. Shy of 1.5 liters total a night. Those numbers are not exact but just an idea (I have not calibrated the dosing pump in a couple years).

Thanks for the info-
And at that rate -it just pushes in the fluid consistency without need for a valve?

 

[Patio]

And at that rate -it just pushes in the fluid consistency without need for a valve?

I believe so. I do not have a valve.
I may be misunderstanding what you are asking though

 

[JVU]

I prefer glass over acrylic or HDPE plastic due to its caustic PH.

Whatever plastic the Brute can is made of doesn’t react.

I was considering the avast kalk stirrer but it seems to run via ATO which I don’t like and my ATO is anything but consistent.

Kalk stirrers can be good, but are less consistently saturated, and more prone to errors than still kalk. They are not recommended to use with ATO, though you can.

My only concern is that over 10 days there will be a reduction in potency.

I do have a magnetic stirrer that I may see if that works.. the weight of jug and water may be a little much for this one..

It doesn’t lose potency over time unless you mess with it, for example by stirring. You definitely do not want to be stirring regular still kalk. The kalk stirrers need to stir only because they are constantly adding fresh water, otherwise you don’t.

 

[L/B Block]

Whatever plastic the Brute can is made of doesn’t react.


Kalk stirrers can be good, but are less consistently saturated, and more prone to errors than still kalk. They are not recommended to use with ATO, though you can.

It doesn’t lose potency over time unless you mess with it, for example by stirring. You definitely do not want to be stirring regular still kalk. The kalk stirrers need to stir only because they are constantly adding fresh water, otherwise you don’t.

This is all good information. If I find a good 2 gallon jug might just do the trick then. Will last for 10-11 days then. Thank you

 

[H2OPlayar]

Whatever plastic the Brute can is made of doesn’t react.

I am 90% sure it is HDPE, High Density Polyethylene

 

[L/B Block]

I am 90% sure it is HDPE, High Density Polyethylene

I think you are correct. I just can’t fit them in my cabinet…

 

[H2OPlayar]

Amazon.com

I think these are what I use for dosing containers, which should work for you.

 

[L/B Block]

Amazon.com

I think these are what I use for dosing containers, which should work for you.

Might just work. Thanks.

 

[jonmedina]

I have the Avast stirrer and love it. It's a pretty simple setup, water is added via a long tube to the bottom part of the stirrer which causes the top saturated kalk to overflow out the spout. I have it hooked up to an ecotech versa, which doses 1.2L over the course of about 10 hours at night. It pulls water from my ATO reservoir. My ATO will very rarely come on because I'm mostly just replacing evaporated water with Kalk.

Only downside is as @JVU said, it's a bit annoying to track and make sure it's consistently saturated. I just measure the PH every other week and if it's over 12 I know it's still saturated.

 

[L/B Block]

I have the Avast stirrer and love it. It's a pretty simple setup, water is added via a long tube to the bottom part of the stirrer which causes the top saturated kalk to overflow out the spout. I have it hooked up to an ecotech versa, which doses 1.2L over the course of about 10 hours at night. It pulls water from my ATO reservoir. My ATO will very rarely come on because I'm mostly just replacing evaporated water with Kalk.


Only downside is as @JVU said, it's a bit annoying to track and make sure it's consistently saturated. I just measure the PH every other week and if it's over 12 I know it's still saturated.

It looks like a great product just at 600 ml a night I am not sure how well it will work

 

[JVU]

It looks like a great product just at 600 ml a night I am not sure how well it will work

Are you worried 600 ml is too little? I’m not getting why that is the concern. You just need a good doser that can do small amounts frequently or slowly.

 

[L/B Block]

I do have a good doser. My concern is finding something I don’t have to fiddle with all the time. To your point @JVU -put in kalk and leave it and not worry about saturation!