Kalkwasser dosing advice

spedly · #1 04-21-2016, 05:15 PM

@whatcaneyedo - thanks for posting that link. That gave me an idea.

My water mixing station is in a different room from my aquarium. Fresh RO/DI water is going into a 32 gallon Rubbermaid Brute container. I then use a 36' hose (5/8" clear vinyl tubing) to pump fresh RO/DI water to my ATO reservoir when it needs re-filling.

Could I just go buy a new Brute, transfer fresh RO/DI to it, mix the kalkwasser in the Brute, put a lid on it, and then then use the hose to pump it directly to the ATO reservoir? It would be easier to make one big batch as opposed to small weekly batches.

spedly · #2 04-21-2016, 05:16 PM

Shiftline/soapy - thanks for the information. That's helpful!

spedly · #3 04-21-2016, 06:49 PM

Did some snooping online over lunch and found the answer to my bulk kalkwasser question. The answer is YES - use some newspaper as a gasket between the container and the lid and get some eggcrate for the pump to sit on.

I think this is going to work out nicely!

shiftline · #4 04-21-2016, 06:53 PM

Really? interesting! it took me ages to find some sheets of rubber to make gaskets. (ended up finding some at home hardware)

whatcaneyedo · #5 04-22-2016, 02:54 AM

One item for consideration: kalkwasser can do a number on pump impellers. Either clean the pump frequently with vinegar or be prepared to replace the impeller from time to time. Little maxi jet pumps are especially susceptible to wearing out in my experience.

spedly · #6 04-22-2016, 02:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by whatcaneyedo

One item for consideration: kalkwasser can do a number on pump impellers. Either clean the pump frequently with vinegar or be prepared to replace the impeller from time to time. Little maxi jet pumps are especially susceptible to wearing out in my experience.

That's good advice. So to clarify, are you referring to return pumps/powerheads in the aquarium? Or the pumps in the Kalkwasser storage/ATO pump? Or all pumps in general?