Open top Kalkwasser? Help me out!

[Spicer]

Just so Im understanding this correctly, a STAGNANT kalkwasser resevoir will stay usable for up to 3 weeks?
My resevoir is topless! :celeb3: (Actually does have a top, but not air tight, or even close)

My topoff tank requires filling once a week, so 3 weeks is more than plenty.

I use rodi (filters probably need to be changed soon), and a glass aquarium as my ato resevoir.

Resevoir is 9g.
So I just add the amount of kalkwasser needed to my resevoir, (2tbs/1g, so 18tbs @ full).

The resevoir is never fully empty, so depending on how many G I add, I add the same amount of kalkwasser powder again?
My brain is telling me the amount of water left in the resevoir will be more concentrated no?
Must I rinse out my ato bucket every week?

Thanks.

(This is to raise ph to rid myself of the tiny amount of dinos that are left in the tank, and I will continue to use kalkwasser in my ato for coral growth once the dinos are gone, just not as concentrated as I use 2part aswell.)

[jbanks]

Based on what I've read, the fact that your container in not air tight, should not matter. I know it has not made any difference in my system due to the same situation. The shell that forms on the top of your Kalk mix supposedly helps in preventing CO2 from being absorbed into the water. Also, in my opinion, it is not necessary to wash ur kalk mix container weekly. What does not dissolve in your container and collects in the bottom will be absorbed over time as you fill, mix and empty into your tank. You don't need to worry about the water being super saturated with kalk. The max absorbtion is what it is unless you are adding vinegar to your kalk mix and even in that scenario, it's not a critical difference. Just make sure ur not dosing the sludge at the bottom into your system.

[Palting]

I just asked a whole bunch of simillar questions recently. You and I are contemplating vey simillar problems, I just happen to have a 22 gallon rubbermaid ATO with a cover (not air tight) sitting for 1 weeks worth of evap replacement.

I am sure one of the experts here will chime in, but here is what I've learned from them and hopefully it will help answer your question.
If you use straight RODI without vinegar, you can only dissolve 2 tsps/gallon Kalk, and thats the max concentration you get. Anything more will just stay as precipitate. So, if your ATO reservoir is low, you premix the replacment volume at 2tsp/gallon and add that to replenish your ATO reservoir, it should not get more concentrated. To be more specific, if your ATO reservoir needs 5 gallons for it to be full again, then just add 10tsps Kalk to 5 gallons RODI and add that to your ATO reservoir. Or you could also just add the 5 gallons RODI to your ATO reservoir then mix in the 10 tsps kalk. In my system, I use up anywhere between 18-22 gallons a week. So I just refill the 22 gallon reservoir with 20 gallons RODI and mix in 40 tsps (or actually slightly less than 1 cup) kalk when it gets real low.

i was also told a cover over the reservoir, not airtight, is fine for up to 3 weeks.

HTH!!

[Spicer]

I just asked a whole bunch of simillar questions recently. You and I are contemplating vey simillar problems, I just happen to have a 22 gallon rubbermaid ATO with a cover (not air tight) sitting for 1 weeks worth of evap replacement.

I am sure one of the experts here will chime in, but here is what I've learned from them and hopefully it will help answer your question.
If you use straight RODI without vinegar, you can only dissolve 2 tsps/gallon Kalk, and thats the max concentration you get. Anything more will just stay as precipitate. So, if your ATO reservoir is low, you premix the replacment volume at 2tsp/gallon and add that to replenish your ATO reservoir, it should not get more concentrated. To be more specific, if your ATO reservoir needs 5 gallons for it to be full again, then just add 10tsps Kalk to 5 gallons RODI and add that to your ATO reservoir. Or you could also just add the 5 gallons RODI to your ATO reservoir then mix in the 10 tsps kalk. In my system, I use up anywhere between 18-22 gallons a week. So I just refill the 22 gallon reservoir with 20 gallons RODI and mix in 40 tsps (or actually slightly less than 1 cup) kalk when it gets real low.

i was also told a cover over the reservoir, not airtight, is fine for up to 3 weeks.

HTH!!

I see, seems like were pretty much on the same page, and have heard the same things , so Im going to go with that.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Yes, limewater lasts for weeks in a large container with a loose fitting top. I use mine over 1-2 months and it is stored in trash cans. :)

[Spicer]

Yes, limewater lasts for weeks in a large container with a loose fitting top. I use mine over 1-2 months and it is stored in trash cans. :)

THANKS RANDY, if you say so its fact apparently. :)

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

:lol:

Well, I say it because I showed it experimentally here:

The Degradation of Limewater (Kalkwasser) in Air
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-05/rhf/feature/index.htm