Kalkwasser

[MarksReef]

ok here is what I did have 2 30 brute trash can 1 with R/O 1 with kalk have Tunze top off to R/O water and the Litermeter to the Kalk. Also red sea make a salt blue bucket with Alk at 7.2 to 8.6 may switch right now I use Tropic marin

because you kalk isn't maintaining at your evaporation rate, that is a good idea for the 2.
OR you still can use just one and lower the amount of kalk per gallon of water. Full saturation is 2 tsp per gallon. You can try 1 tsp per gallon or use the 2 you have going now. Either way works.
Kalk is VERY hard on pumps thats why we use the peristaltic pumps. It will kill the Tunze pump in no time.
Gary, in your tank, I would think Kalk would be a tiny amount of your uptake...
When I see an S.P.S. tank like yours I think of a gallon a month of 2 part LOL

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

gallon per month liquid two part

gallon per month liquid two part

Is something I don't want any part of simply because it's much more expensive than topping off with kalk while running my calcium reactor.

I reserve liquid two parts for correcting imbalances. B-ionic is nice to that end but the BRS stuff works just as well and is more economical.

Stability is key. Constantly switching things around (such as salt mixes) does not promote stability. You must find methods that are easy, promote stabilty and remain low maintenance.

Personally, I find kalkwasser to be indispensible in all of those regards

 

[MarksReef]

I agree. I didn’t realize kalk and a calcium reactor could keep up alone with a Very large amount of SPS.
It’s been many years since I ran a reactor.
Right now I’m doing L.P.S. and Anemones with a perfect amount of evaporation/kalk, and only small adjustments are needed (for now). I too prefers BRS.

 

[gandolf8]

ok ALK is dropping that I stop Kalk but now what do I do when ph starts dropping
I have 40 Clownfish and 12 Anemones and a few sps

 

[tmz]

I use fully saturated kalk for top off via a still reservoir ( brute can ) ;dispensed by a litermeter 3 pump which delivers a preset daily dose approximating daily top off needs in 150 equal increments over a 24 hour span. Been doing it this way for over ten years. The kalk alone does help pH and does meet alsost all of the needs for calcium and alk in my system with rare small tweaks with two part.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

Hey Tom...

Hey Tom...

Is your litermeter dedicated to kalk... or did you ever add another pump head to serve double dosing duties?

 

[tmz]

Hi Gary; just kalk;: the only other stuff I dose regularly is vodka and vinegar and I do that manually .I do have two pumps on timers for two part did dose two part for a time but rarely need them ,; since ,kalk does it all for me it terms of calcium and alkalinity. Water changes food and a pinch of sodium nitrate handle the other ionic and nutrient balance issues for me . I play with a few trace element additions from time to time;haven't seen much benefit overall though

I still have a second pump head on my get list but more as a backup than for a designed use right now.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

reason I asked

reason I asked

my new 265 just doesn't evap fast enough for kalk to keep up with demand...even though it's only in it's infancy.
I don't want to increase evap or spike with vinegar. (Currently using a new-to-me kalkstirrer which has been a big help).
I was thinking of using a second Litermeter pump head to help maintain Ca/dKH.

 

[tmz]

Never used a stiirrer; I 'm good with a still reservoir and the liter meter 3 peristaltic pump which doses fully saturated clear kalk. While I dose acetic acid ( vinegar ) as an organic carbon source , I don't dose it to the kalk solution but prefer to keep it separate and dose it to the tank along with the ehtanol( vodka).
For continuous calcium chloride and carbonate additions I think two separate pumps are needed.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

Never used a stiirrer; I 'm good with a still reservoir and the liter meter 3 peristaltic pump which doses fully saturated clear kalk. While I dose acetic acid ( vinegar ) as an organic carbon source , I don't dose it to the kalk solution but prefer to keep it separate and dose it to the tank along with the ehtanol( vodka).
For continuous calcium chloride and carbonate additions I think two separate pumps are needed.

understood.
How do you replace Mg?

sorry for straying from kalk topic... but Zeomag works so well in my CaRx it's no wonder large (read : public aquarium) systems don't use this method more often!

 

[tmz]

Food and small water changes keep it over 1400. I only bump it up to 1450 every six months or so.

Haven' t used my calcium reactor in many years The kalk from a still reservoir with rare carbonate and calcium tweaks is simpler and steady IME. Also, I like to maintain pH in the 8.1 to 8.4 range .Even with continuos kalk dosing, the extra CO2 from the Calcium reactor coupled with the relatively small drop associated with carbon dosing makes that hard to do even with a CO2 scrubber in play.

 

[Smiley28]

I’m about to start dosing kalk with a drews doser on a smartthings timer. Dropping in cause like op my pH is pretty consistent at 7.5-7.6 and has been for a few months. Waterchanges temporarily bump it up but 7.9 at the highest.