Kalk causing cloudy water.

[10" Red Devil]

I decided to try Kalk, because I think it would be a great way to maintain calcium and Alk in my 20 gallon (system volume including sump). Right now all I have is a few monti frags, and one acro. Anyway I am dripping it in via a autotopoff device and an Aqualifter pump. Problem is after running it for 3 days this way I am getting cloudy water. Now PH, Alk, Ca are all steady at normal params.

I am using Kent Kalk. I have been using teaspoon of kalk per gallon of R/O water. I then wait a few hours and then take 5 gallons worth and pour into another container, then when almost to the bottom I throw this out.

Am I doing something wrong? Should I maybe switch to just dripping it in very slowly with a medical dripper and just leave the Auto topoff device as an Freshwater replacement and if so what should I set the drip to?

Thanks in advance.

[sjm817]

Are you letting it settle? You should be pulling the limewater an inch or two of the bottom as not to suck in the stuff that settles there. You should only be pulling out the clear water.

[10" Red Devil]

I stir it up and let it sit for a few hours. Then I pour in the resulting mixture into my auto topoff container -the little bit of cloudy muck on the bottom of the 5 gallon bucket.

[kass03]

I don't quite understand what your doing lol but you need to NOT pour in the white stuff settled on the bottom.
The best way to do that is siphen it out of the container and let about 2 inches of water on the bottom so it doesnt mix up again.

kass

[leeweber85]

is the lifter pump running 24/7 or on a float switch?

[10" Red Devil]

leeweber85,

Yes.

[eidillitih]

I drip kalk also, you should allow it to sit a while, I usually let mine sit over night and drip it in the morning. I siphon right above the white cloud that settles at the bottom. This has been most effective.

[infrared69]

it is better to make it in the morning and drip it after lights out. its help keep the pH up overnight. but i guess thats the least for you problem. sound to me that you are adding it too soon and too fast. let it settle after making it at least 2 hrs and when adding 1 drip per second is about the fastest you should drip it. also 1 tsp/gallon makes an exteremly saturated solution. you can try cutting back to 3/4 tsp as your calcium demand isnt very high at all. or adding a tsp of white distilled vinagar to the entire batch helps break down the kalk. i do not personally do this, but people have sworn by it for years.

[ACBlinky]

What are your parameters (Ca, Mg, KH etc)? It could be that you're dripping the Kalk correctly but something is causing the Ca to precipiate out of the water column. Mg levels may affect things - just thinking out loud, I'm only just beginning to wrap my head around reef chemistry.

[10" Red Devil]

Ca is 460ppm Mg is 1440ppm Alk is 4.32 meq/l.

Not sure how but Mg shot up from 1350 3 days ago to 1440 without any addition of mg which I usually dose in the form of epsom salt. I tested twice just to make sure it is at the now 1440ppm.

So yesturday I made a batch basically put 3 teaspoons per 5 gallons and then let it sit overnight today I look at the fluid and it is extremely milky all the way through to the bottom. Everyone talks about moving just the clear liquid...well there is noo clear liquid. Soo Anyway took a small powerhead with a long hose and placed the power head about 2" under the water and kept moving down, but was careful not to get more then 2" to the bottom of the bucket. Anyway the fluid that went into my auto topoff resevoir is very milky and cloudy in appearance. What is up? Is it supposed to be milky?

This shaz is driving me nuts! Makes me want to go back to the two part!

[kass03]

It shouldnt be milky.
The white part should settle to the bottom and the rest should be clear.

kass

[10" Red Devil]

Okay well it is and this is after letting it settle overnight so *** is wrong! Is this bad kalk?

Thanks.

[CH]

It is actually ok to add the Kalkwasser while it is still cloudy, you just need to do it slowly, like 1 drop per second. By doing this you actually get a higher concentration of calcium into the tank (hence the reason for adding it slowly)
My guess it you have just added too much into a small tank at one time, and the water is over saturated, thus looking cloudy.
I top off every other night on my 75 (100 total) with 1 gallon of water with 2 teaspoons of Kalk. I just use a homemade dripper (made from a small rubbermaind type of container), I drop the two teaspoons in, pour the water in, mix a little bit, and start dripping. On the alternate night I do the same, I just don't add the kalk powder, since there is still some left from the night before.

[sipe]

If your kalk powder is not dissolving thoroughly in your mixing setup then something is wrong with your RO/DI water. Maybe not as pure as you think?

[CH]

It never dissolves entirely, this is why you get a layer at the bottom if you let it sit. I use distilled water, so it's about as pure as it gets, and mine always disolves into a cloudy mix.
Here's a really good article:

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-01/rhf/index.php

[10" Red Devil]

My RO reads 2 tds. No po4 or nitrate.

[10" Red Devil]

Can Kalk go bad? What is the shelf life?

Thanks.

[10" Red Devil]

up

[sjm817]

Try The Reef Chemistry Forum

[infrared69]

kalk cannot spoil, but i can be contanimated. altho i highly doubt u have a bad batch

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

It is the limewater that is cloudy? That's OK. As long as you have let it settle, it may still be cloudy after 24 h of settling, but I'd still use it. That happens to some folks. Maybe it is just has very fine calcium hydroxide, calcium carbonate, or magnesium hydroxide in it that is extra slow to settle. Keep it covered too.

That tank isn't cloudy, right?

[infrared69]

my tank clouds up when i drip in the kalk, but it quickly clears up in less then an hour. i dont wait for it to settle all the time and go about 2 drips per second to save time.