Tell me about your Kalkwasser

[tcamos]

Anyone using Kalkwasser?
If you are, how do you like it? Pros/cons...

Up to this point I've used water changes to maintain calc in my tank but now that I have the 210 I find this is more and more difficult to do. I've used the liquid calcium from Kent and it works great but it's a lot more money than Kalkwasser is.

Thoughts on this issue?

 

[mic209]

I STOPPED using it and couldn't be happier. If you do use it, I don't recommend using it with an ATO like a lot of people reccomend, that was my problem right there. With season changes, my evaporation rate would change. When fall came my tank evaporated way less as compared to summer, so less kalk was being added which lead to my alk dropping way low and caused almost all my SPS to die. I was already dosing 2 part to compensate for what the Kalk couldn't add so I decided it would be best to ditch kalk all together and just up my 2 part dosing. Would I ever use kalk again? Yes I would, but either through a dosing pump on a timer or a steady drip, but never again through an ATO where you really have no controll on how much is being added to your tank.

 

[Da Kind Reef]

I use a 5g bucket dripping into my tank slowly a 150g with 55 sump about 5g a week at a very slow rate. not as an ATO i love it Coraline has gone crazy all my coral are going and happy.

 

[landy]

I agree with what has been said already, im not a fan of the ATO method. I used a dosing pump controlled by an apex. Right now I’m @ 25 minutes on and 35 minutes off oscillation, and if PH goes above 8.45 it shuts down. I test alkalinity around every 5 days, and adjust if needed. For me, it’s the easiest way to keep alk and calcium where they need to be. I also dose magnesium with a separate pump. Also, my kalk reactor has a PH probe installed, and if the effluent drops below 11.8 or so, I know it needs more powder. Usually add about 2 cups every month. It has been running this way for 2 years now. Before that it was 2 parts, and before that calcium reactor.

landy

 

[Dre59]

I was using ATO method but with a timer using my RKL.. Which was nice as I was able to control my PH and time when dosed. Had a 2nd ATO for evaporation if levels went low with just RO.

This took time and testing to make sure it was dialed in for my 75gal needs.

But in your case with a big system.. You might be better off using a kalk reactor or CAL reactor

 

[tcamos]

Good info! Thanks.
Anyone else?
Sounds like the ATO method is out and a reactor with pH meter is in.

 

[Weyrman]

I don't use the ATO method either for the above reasons. Summers I'm replacing evaporated water at 3+ gallons a day. In winter it is only about 3L a day. I dose kalk separately at ~ 3L a day from a 5 gallon container. The 3L is divided into about 150 doses by the Litermeter and dosed 24/7. Keeps things pretty stable.

 

[m-six hundred]

Why are you wanting to use Kalk? Why not dose with a two part?

 

[tcamos]

Why are you wanting to use Kalk? Why not dose with a two part?

I don't have a huge load or pH swings. I really just need a bit more calcium and I want it to be more affordable than the liquid I've been using.

 

[tatuaje08]

I use the ato method on 2 40s without issue. I keep the ambient temp in my house the same all year (why wouldn't you??), so I don't have a huge swing in evap rates. The ato kalk method is usually only effective in tanks up to 90 gallons. It really depends on your livestock and how much ca Is being consumed.

Between the kalk and red sea salt, I rarely have to hand dose. Mag stays at 1400, ca stays at 500 and alk stays around 9.

 

[tcamos]

When I started this I planned on using the ATO method. There's a video from BRS that states it's the easiest to use. My evaporation is pretty consistent as well but I must admit it's a bit more in the summer since I turn on my ceiling fan. I've never taken the time to actually measure how much per day though.

It would be worth my doing that just to see.