to Z or not to Z
- Thread starter nebraska dreamin
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tyler1503
2500 Club Member
I would say neither and go for the natural method.
There's nothing better than water changes and a big refugium! Nature invented the solutions to all our problems millions of years ago
There's nothing better than water changes and a big refugium! Nature invented the solutions to all our problems millions of years ago
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nebraska dreamin
Community Member
I would say neither and go for the natural method.
There's nothing better than water changes and a big refugium! Nature invented the solutions to all our problems millions of years ago
i like where your head is at. as for water changes I want the best going into my system. would you suggest for an sps dominant tank? been using rc. not happy with it. thinking about checking out aqua vitro salinity or red sea coral pro, or maybe even tritons mix? I am currently running a trigger systems emerald 34 and my fuge is growing chaeto like a weed, so I agree with you simple is better. but ive been doing research and based on what Ive come up with cheato is great for nitrates but removes minimal p03. thats why I thought run zeovit in a reactor
mcarroll
10K Club member
A properly stocked tank doesn't necessarily need any of that and runs best without it. My SPS reef got by on nothing but water changes (rc) for about the first year...until the stonies grew out and I couldn't manage any bigger/more frequent water changes. Simple dosing of (e.g.) kalk takes care of the corals further needs. If you want to stock more animals, consider saving up the money from those "extras" and spending instead on a bigger (or additional) tank. You'll get A LOT more out of spending the money this way too.
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nebraska dreamin
Community Member
so you would suggest kalk over a 2part system? been using brs 2 part. dont get me wrong my sps have been growing and colors pop, just looking to see what people thought was the best method for RAPID growth while keeping things looking bright and not pastel looking
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Rob Top1
Well-Known Member
Kalk works great if your demand for alk and ca is low or you have a lot of evaporation. Used if for years but then it was time for two part. BRS is affordable and works. As far as the zeovit method, the tanks do look amazing but for me, I'd prefer to spend the cash on cor as l not a bunch of additives. Seen just as many great non zeovit tanks
mcarroll
10K Club member
I've used both two part and kalk together for most of my tank's history at this point. FWIW
Two-part's weakness is in the long term, if you dose heavily and don't do (enough) water changes. The chemicals in two-part leave a NaCl residue after the corals use up the Ca and carbonates. Balling and others try to work around this with enhanced "third parts". But other methods, like kalk, or kalk+vinegar (bio calcium), theoretically don't carry this long term penalty...or at least carry a different, smaller penalty that a moderate water change regime can manage.
I'm still dosing two-part cuz it's so cheap and it's still working, but I am considering a switch to an all-kalk strategy someday. Again FWIW.
OP
OP
nebraska dreamin
Community Member
great info! Thank you!
OP
OP
nebraska dreamin
Community Member
why is kalk a better option if you experience a lot of evaporation? I ask as I want to learn more of the "why" behind the "what" when it comes to reef chemistry. i have a about a 100 gal water column. i lose about 1.5 gal a day.
Rob Top1
Well-Known Member
Couple reasons I think kalc is better IF it works for your system. First is price. While BRS 2part and other diy methods are quite affordable a jar of Mrs Waggs pickeling lime is way cheaper. So main reason I like kalc is price. Next I found it simple to use. While dosing two part only takes a second making the batches can take a bit of time. I'm sure there really is no difference in time but it felt like kalc was quick and easy. I also liked the simplicity of a balanced solution to using two solutions to achieve balance. Though two part does allow easy correction s if Ca or alk get out of wack. Kalc's high Ph helps limit Ph swings when dosed over night and also aids in the precipitation of phosphate.
The main down side IMO is its limitation, you can only add so much. Some will put a fan blowing on their sump to increase evaporation allowing more kalc to be dosed. Or use vinegar instead of water to allow more kalc to be desolved in solution. But even with these factors once the demand for alk gets high enough there comes a point where kalc alone won't to it.
Randy has some great articles that helped me understand the chemistry better. One is older but you can still find it and it is still relevant "what your grandmother didn't tell you about pickeling lime" and there is one in the first issue of the online mag about alk and it's maintenance options. I think both are linked in the sticky about Randy's arrivals. HTH
The main down side IMO is its limitation, you can only add so much. Some will put a fan blowing on their sump to increase evaporation allowing more kalc to be dosed. Or use vinegar instead of water to allow more kalc to be desolved in solution. But even with these factors once the demand for alk gets high enough there comes a point where kalc alone won't to it.
Randy has some great articles that helped me understand the chemistry better. One is older but you can still find it and it is still relevant "what your grandmother didn't tell you about pickeling lime" and there is one in the first issue of the online mag about alk and it's maintenance options. I think both are linked in the sticky about Randy's arrivals. HTH
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mcarroll
10K Club member
Well...
Kalk+vinegar doesn't have any theoretical limits. But I also can't name one soul using kalk+vinegar exclusively to dose a packed stony reef. Definitely consider it experimental.
The best reference I've seen on this is the breefcase article titled "kalkwasser." I have it linked in my Favorite Chemistry Links in the chemistry section if you wanna check it out.
FWIW, I'm pretty sure Tropic Marin's Bio Calcium is kalk+vinegar (calcium acetate, iirc) so you can try a preformulated mixture if you prefer.
I've also never seen kalk/lime for sale anywhere near as cheap as road salt ($20/five gal) and arm&hamner (<$1/pound). Pickling lime is virtually unavailable around here outside of aquarium stores.
Kalk+vinegar doesn't have any theoretical limits. But I also can't name one soul using kalk+vinegar exclusively to dose a packed stony reef. Definitely consider it experimental.
The best reference I've seen on this is the breefcase article titled "kalkwasser." I have it linked in my Favorite Chemistry Links in the chemistry section if you wanna check it out.
FWIW, I'm pretty sure Tropic Marin's Bio Calcium is kalk+vinegar (calcium acetate, iirc) so you can try a preformulated mixture if you prefer.
I've also never seen kalk/lime for sale anywhere near as cheap as road salt ($20/five gal) and arm&hamner (<$1/pound). Pickling lime is virtually unavailable around here outside of aquarium stores.
Akida17th
Well-Known Member
Changed to Red Sea coral pro and couldn't be happier. Best salt I've used imo. Was using royal nature then tropic marin pro
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