Two Part & Kalkwasser - Unite?

[diverdick]

System Description:

300 gallons total - 3 tanks + sump

Two main displays - lights on - normal day time

75 gallon prop with oposite lighting schedule - to iron out temp swings due to lighting systems

I use BRS two part # 1

I am considering adding Kalkwasser ( I am old school at heart ).

Question:

Does anyone do this? Two Part + Kalk

Please share your stories if applicable.

Regards,

--Rich

 

[cmm1970]

I use this configuration and it has seemed to work better than two part plus magnesium alone. That being said, my 120 system seems to need about 180mL a day of alkalinity and similar amount of calcium and I am running a mere 5 hour halide cycle. I am finding as growth continues with my SPS that the demand is outpacing what I am willing to put in 2 part solution into the tank. So much so in fact, that I am retrofitting with a Precision Marine calcium reactor and transitioning back that direction. I will then decide whether to keep the kalk reactor on the system as I move forward.

Mike

 

[diverdick]

That outpacing you mention is the reason I am considering blending the two in my system. Its beeing gobbled up very quickly. I am at a gallon of each part/week & still under targeted values.

Thanks for your input

 

[cmm1970]

From what I understand from reading strings of similar nature, this is the very issue that handicaps two part for tanks 120 and larger in volume. The addition of kalk will help as it did in my situation and I am able to maintain more constant values in relation to alk/calc than I was able to to with two part alone, but that being said, it still takes a wad of two part to make a 120+ gallon system flourish.

Then, add in the chloride argument over time and one starts to worry...hence, I am back to the world of calc reactors, CO2 bottles and bubbles per minute.

 

[tmz]

Hi Dick. I toped of with fully saturated kalk and supplemented 2 part with no problems. I switched over to a calcium reactor to supplement the kalk.The two work very well together in terms of meeting the need for calcium and alkalinity and by tweaking one or the other you gain lot's of control over ph. In a high demand system , I don't rely heavily on the calcium reactor since the limewater along with a high calcium/magnesium salt mix seems to do most all of it.

 

[diverdick]

Tom, Thanks, that is the larger system data point I was hoping to find. I have avoided Ca reactors for years (not sure why - maybe the low Ph content - anyway) and feel the system would benefit from the bump of old school Kalc. Can you share your input regimen vs. volume? I realize that Ca loads may differ, juat looking for the Kalwasser starting point - safe starting point lol. Thanks again for sharing

Regards,

--Rich

 

[eyesinthedrk]

just think of it this way, kalk is for maintaining

2part is still good for correcting

the danger of kalk is the high ph so the less you use the better, for this reason you don't want to correct you cal and alk with kalk,

i mix 9 tsp per 5 gal of water, and add to the tank as my fresh top off, if you need to use more to maintain levels add a half or whole teaspoon at a time until you cal and alk stabilizes

i still keep dts 2 part on hand incase the cal and or alk measure low on a test and will use that to bring up the levels

 

[tmz]

Rich,
I dose 14 liters ( top off need) of fully saturated limewater( 2tsps per gallon ) daily for 550gallons of water. The dose is spread out over a 24/7 period. I buy the kalk/calcium hydroxide in 5 g buckets from BRS.

This plus incremental water changes approximating 45% per month with Coralife salt keep calcium at 540ppm, alkalinity at 11 to 12 dkh , magnesium at 1400ppm plus and ph at 8.2 /8.3.. I have not had to tweak with calcium chloride or carbonate/bicarbonate for years aside from small baked baking soda additions when running a sulfur denitrator.

Starting out you may want to try 1 tsp per gallon an see how it goes. As you probably know you need to spread it out . No more than 1/4 tsp per 50 gallons in any hour is generally recommended to avoid a ph spike.

I have not used the calcium reactor in the last month . When I do it's minimal. Seems like CO2 in the air in the summer months provides more than enough for the 14 liters limewater.

 

[addicted2reefin]

i added kalk to maintain my ph. i have been adding it to as topoff water in my tank, roughly a gallon per day. as i dont use a "two-part" system. i do use seachems reef builder and reef complete calcium powders for my alk/calcium. my alk was WAY high. and calcium was very low. i have been using the seachems to raise my calcium over a few days and the kalk to raise/stabilize my ph. i have not seen any ill effects of the kalk to the system.

 

[Runfrumu]

I use 2 part and kalk and find that I need to add more than 6oz a day of part b (alk) to keep it in check along with all top-off water being kalk.

I guess the time has come to upgrade to a calcium reactor.

BTW, I have a 125 with numerous LPS, zoa's and softies with only 2 clams and only one sps.

 

[wmilas]

I have a kalk reactor and dose 2 part from BRS in my 1000 gallon system. I don't use a calcium reactor. I'm perfectly happy with this system as its dummy proof a s the kalk is fed from a double float top off and the 2 part is dosed through timers. Ie its REALLY hard to overdose.

I use the Precision Marine kalk reactor. I put two full cups of kalk in it and let it run until it its mostly gone then fill it up again.

I dose 2 part out of 5 gallon Reef crystals buckets which I drilled 2 holes in the lids. One for tubing and a small one to break a vacuum. I mix up 4.5 gallons of 2 part at a time with a pvc stir rod. Its VERY fast and my 2 part lasts a couple of weeks. Something to note. You can mix up the two part PAST the amount the directions state. Mix them to saturation and you'll get an even long life out of a 5 gallon bucket Since you are timed dosing they don't have to be dosed 1:1 if you mix to saturation as the saturation points are different.

The kalk reactor is there mostly to maintain PH and add a little bit extra. I had the 2 part before the kalk reactor. Kalk reactor went in later when ph started to slide.

Hope this helps.

Oh as far as a calcium reactor, I'll get one some day. But the two part from BRS is so cheap, its hard to make the justification right now. When I'm changing 5 gallon buckets more than once a week then I'll look at the reactor.

 

[sjm817]

My TSV is ~ 240G. I topoff ~ 2.5 - 3G of fully saturated Kalk/day from a settled container. It doesn't keep up with demand so I also dose 330ml of each part recipe 1 day. Everything is automated, and the cost is pretty cheap.

 

[ckoral]

I'm dosing two part using a reef doser.

Against the advise of many, I dose kalk as my primary replacement. I dose a LOT of kalk. I keep a 35 gallon RO storage, but feed a smaller safety top off vat that fills a specific evaporation amount everyday using a solenoid and float switch (in other words the solenoid turns on, the tank fills up, manual kent float turns off, then solenoid closes), then that safety vat feeds a kalk reactor.

I have a reef keeper Lite that monitors PH and opens a solenoid from my kalk reactor to drip my tank. For some reason I can run this on my system constant and it does not change my water level or salinity (it just worked out that way I guess).

My calcium is always 430 or higher. I feel kalk is the way to go as long as you make it only possible to dose "x" amount per day and when it goes over "x" amount it simply runs out of RO top off water (the safety vat I mean).
If I ever see the safety vat run out quick, I know I have a problem. Usually happens when I need more kalk in the reactor.


so...

(35 gallon RO reserve) ------- to ---(solenoid stays on for Kent float to shut off, then solenoid closes doing a daily fill of the safety vat)--- (5 gal safety kalk feed)------to----- (kalk reactor) --------- to ------------ (solenoid controlled by Reef Keeper PH controller)


sorry for the length of this. Hope it was not confusing. May not be right for many people. If I did not have the reef keeper controller, I would not want to do this. I could not think of a better way to dose two part and kalk. Also, one more thing. I think the perfect way is to use all methods 2part+kalk+CAreact as they all have bennies. OK, I'm done.

 

[larryfl1]

i have been contemplating adding a kalk reactor...

currently dosing 2 part but may go calcium reactor...

ph currently is aroun 8-8.15

what advantage woulk kalk provide or just another gadget?

 

[wayne in norway]

I've been using kalk nearly exclusively but am going to go a 2part/3 part/Balling Light as I just cannot keep up Ca with kalk anymore. My limit is how much I can evaporate a day, and I can keep up if I use white vinegar to acidise the water before adding kalk, but I am uncomfortable with doing this long term.
I find it a little odd that some people can't keep up with 2 part, but can with kalk?

 

[sjm817]

I have been very happy with using both. The Kalk takes care of about 2/3 of the demand, the 2 part the balance. I dose the two part in the night hours to give a little PH boost.