Kalkwasser Instructions / Questions

[Serren]

Member Shively gave me two bottles of what he indicated were the chemicals needed to make up Kalkwasser. One bottle was labeled Ca, the other Mg.

He gave me the link to the Kalkwasser instructions, which is here:
www.bulkreefsupply.com/a1/kalkwasser-instructions/article_info.html

My questions are, first, is Mg the same as Alk? Second, these instructions seem to indicate that Kalkwasser is one soultion. I have two? What gives?

I just have no clue what to do with these two gallons of mix I just made.

I have a 34g Red Sea Max with a mix of corals and fish. It has been mentioned to me that my lack of new corraline growth may be because I never supplement with Kalk.

 

[eeorrandy]

These are not Kalkwasser.. They are calcium and magnesium.

They make up (along with Baking Soda) the two-part additive system.

Kalkwasser is essentially pickling lime. The two-part and kalkwasser systems are two different ways of achieving the same thing.. replenishing calcium, alkalinity and magnesium in a balanced fashion.

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-01/rhf/index.php
This will help explain the pickling lime (kalkwasser)

http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/Two-Part-Instructions/t1/articles.html

Look at recipe 1.. it's probably the one you are looking for.

The alkalinity supplement is made by spreading 2.5 cups of baking soda thinly on a cookie sheet and baking it at 400 degrees for about an hour to drive out the moisture and carbon dioxide. Mixed with one gallon of RO/DI water will make the same as the BRS alk supplement. This will tend to keep your ph higher.

http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/Two-Part-Instructions/t1/articles.html

This is Randy's system... the BRS is the same thing.

Hope this helps

Randy

 

[Matt_Wandell]

Before adding either one to your tank, ask him:

Does the bottle labeled "Ca" contain CaOH or CaCl?

Same with "Mg", is it MgCl or MgSO4, or a mix of both?

 

[eeorrandy]

Ditto what Matt said.. make sure you know what it is.

Just as an explanation.. I also use Randy's recipe for my two part, but due to some manufacturing changes to the Dow calcium product, it is no longer as safe to use as it once was. I just buy my calcium and magnesium from BRS and make my own Alk supplement. I use the BRS recipe 1 and the dosing calculator to determine my daily needs. It works well, is safe and relatively cheap.

Kalkwasser is also a good option for some tanks, but it's hard to keep up with a high calcium/alk demand with just Kalkwasser.

Whatever route you decide to use for supplementation.. test your water often.

 

[shiveley]

actually, one is kalkwasser (calcium hydroxide) and one is magnesium (Magnesium Chloride and Magnesium Sulfate 2-part recipe 1). they were both prepared via instructions per bulk reef supply and are ready for usage. the dosage, however, will be relative to your specific needs, so i can't help you out much in that regard. also, they weren't supposed to be mixed together, so i really hope that you didn't do that...

 

[shiveley]

eeorrandy, can you expand on this statement, "Kalkwasser is also a good option for some tanks, but it's hard to keep up with a high calcium/alk demand with just Kalkwasser"?

what are the pros and cons of kalkwasser (calcium hydroxide) vs. Calcium Chloride? I have both, but aside from the alk properties of kalkwasser i'm not exactly clear on the difference between the two with regard to the differences between the two forms of calcium.

 

[Serren]

Shiveley, just to confirm, if you remember, is the bottle labled Ca the Kalkwasser and the other bottle labled labled Mg the magnesium?

And to confirm further, both are already pre-mixed and ready to go?

And lastly, I do not have the ability to test Calcium or magnesium I don't think. Would I be ok to just put a few tablespoons of the above pre-mixed solutions into the tank to supplement the water for the corals?

Sorry to sound so confused! I would like more coralline algae, and I know Calcium is a key to that. Otherwise, I am fumbling in the dark!

 

[Serren]

Just found this:

Like hard corals, Coralline Algae is calcareous by nature, requiring many of the same things corals do in order to flourish:

SG - apx 1.024
Calcium - 350 to 480 ppm
Carbonate Alkalinity - Between 2.5 and 4.0 meq/L (7-12 dKH)
Strontium
Low Phosphates (Close to Zero)
Low Nitrates (5 ppm or lower)

 

[tcoral]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13815136#post13815136 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by shiveley
eeorrandy, can you expand on this statement, "Kalkwasser is also a good option for some tanks, but it's hard to keep up with a high calcium/alk demand with just Kalkwasser"?

what are the pros and cons of kalkwasser (calcium hydroxide) vs. Calcium Chloride? I have both, but aside from the alk properties of kalkwasser i'm not exactly clear on the difference between the two with regard to the differences between the two forms of calcium.

I had to stop using Kalk since it was raising my pH more than supplimenting the Ca. I had to switch to Randy's recipe 2 due to the high pH of my water.

 

[shiveley]

The bottle labeled Ca is the Kalkwasser
The bottle labled Mg is the Magnesium

both are mixed and ready for use.

but, honestly, i can't really advise you on the amount to dose. it all depends on where your levels are at currently. you should pick up a test for each, they're not that expensive.

 

[Serren]

Ok. At least I now know what I have, and that is a HUGE plus.

I did dilute a cup of each into a gallon of ro/di water thinking I was making the instructions on the above web link but I never mixed the two together.

I'll pick up a Ca and Mg test this weekend. I might as well! I already test 7 or 8 things, what's two more!

Thanks!!!

 

[Matt_Wandell]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13815575#post13815575 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by tcoral
I had to stop using Kalk since it was raising my pH more than supplimenting the Ca. I had to switch to Randy's recipe 2 due to the high pH of my water.

You can always add vinegar to your kalkwasser to lower the pH.

 

[Matt_Wandell]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13815136#post13815136 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by shiveley
what are the pros and cons of kalkwasser (calcium hydroxide) vs. Calcium Chloride? I have both, but aside from the alk properties of kalkwasser i'm not exactly clear on the difference between the two with regard to the differences between the two forms of calcium.

CaOH provides calcium and alkalinity in balanced amounts.

CaCl just provides calcium, but no alkalinity. If you dose CaCl for maintenance, you will also need to separately dose a source of alkalinity, like NaHCO3 (sodium bicarbonate).

 

[shiveley]

but should i be dosing CaCl if i'm currently dosing CaOH, or is the CaOH sufficient on its own for calcium supplementation?

 

[Matt_Wandell]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=13816346#post13816346 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by shiveley
but should i be dosing CaCl if i'm currently dosing CaOH, or is the CaOH sufficient on its own for calcium supplementation?

You need to test your water for calcium and alkalinity to know for sure. For most tanks CaOH is all that is ever needed.

To correct Ca/Alk values you should read this article:
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/nov2002/chem.htm