BrsTV Investigates Kalkwasser

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Total: 1, Members: 0, Guests: 1)

VJV

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 28, 2015
Messages
1,476
Reaction score
751
Location
Portugal, Europe
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
#randyBRS hi! In the context of your recent findings on pH levels and the impact in coral health and above all growth, it would be interesting if you guys could make a short video on kalk. What is the best way to mix to ensure full potency (how much, how long, until clear? Manual, pump...) and what is the best way to dose.
I personally have used it with a 5 gallon deposit and a Kamoer dosing pump linked to a timer so that it would only dose during the night continuously at 2ml/min to combat pH drop.

However, I was never able to mix it clear, for as much as I tried, using a powerhead or manually.

Would love to see you guys diving in a bit deeper
 

Bulk Reef Supply

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 15, 2013
Messages
2,183
Reaction score
4,277
Location
Minneapolis, MN
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Love the idea! We've got a few different kalk videos on the YouTube channel with week 30 of the 52 Weeks of Reefing series and the video titled "Which Kalkwasser additive: store bought, hobby-grade, or USP-pharma?" probably being some of the more in depth. One thing that we never really covered in great detail was the setup and operation of a kalk stirrer. If we're talking best practices in implementing kalk, it would be hard to ignore a stirrer with a dosing pump feeding it. Maybe kalk is something worth revisiting with all of the pH talk lately :)
 

kenchilada

Palytoxin Abuser
View Badges
Joined
Jun 27, 2018
Messages
1,396
Reaction score
2,586
Location
Mandeville
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Kalk is great. I’m just getting back to the hobby and I’m surprised how few people know of it or use it. I will definitely be using my Deltec KM500 on my new system.

I think any video on kalk would benefit a lot of people.
 

chipmunkofdoom2

Always Making Something
View Badges
Joined
Jun 6, 2017
Messages
2,417
Reaction score
4,497
Location
Baltimore, MD
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
BRS should consider stocking and selling food grade (or better) sodium hydroxide. Using Randy's new high-pH recipe gives you the same pH boost as limewater, but in a two-part. This really feels like one of the first dosing "innovations" we've had in a really long time. No large reservoir needed for limewater, no waiting for it to settle out impurities, no making sure your pump doesn't suck up the lime slurry at the bottom, no more dosing with an unreliable and prone-to-failure ATO. Really the only downside to this opposed to limewater is the salinity increase, but that happens with standard two parts anyway.

I'm going to switch to a NaOH two-part once my 5 lbs of calcium hydroxide is gone.
 

Potatohead

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Aug 3, 2017
Messages
2,427
Reaction score
3,581
Location
Vancouver
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
BRS should consider stocking and selling food grade (or better) sodium hydroxide. Using Randy's new high-pH recipe gives you the same pH boost as limewater, but in a two-part. This really feels like one of the first dosing "innovations" we've had in a really long time. No large reservoir needed for limewater, no waiting for it to settle out impurities, no making sure your pump doesn't suck up the lime slurry at the bottom, no more dosing with an unreliable and prone-to-failure ATO. Really the only downside to this opposed to limewater is the salinity increase, but that happens with standard two parts anyway.

I'm going to switch to a NaOH two-part once my 5 lbs of calcium hydroxide is gone.

Ryan has stated a few times he won't do it because he believes it is too dangerous for the average person to be messing around with.
 

randyBRS

BRStv Host :-)
View Badges
Joined
Dec 9, 2014
Messages
2,124
Reaction score
3,970
Location
Minneapolis, MN
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Although there will be far less Kalk slurry using pharma grade Calcium Hydroxide over others, I haven't seen any of them mix completely homogeneously without any insoluble left at the bottom of the container. (Meaning it won't ever mix 100% clear, but it's the clear saturated solution we want to dose)

Randy Holmes-Farley has a couple of articles out there about mixing calcium hydroxide and reaching max saturation based on electrical conductivity. I'm probably butchering this, but if I remember correctly there is a point of "overmixing" where there are diminishing returns related to electrical conductivity as well as other factors that also affect max saturation tied to more prolonged exposure to ambient CO2.

There is probably a BRStv Investigates in here somewhere. I hope we can explore this deeper in the future! :)
 

Mono

Well-Known Member
View Badges
Joined
Feb 12, 2017
Messages
539
Reaction score
531
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Although there will be far less Kalk slurry using pharma grade Calcium Hydroxide over others, I haven't seen any of them mix completely homogeneously without any insoluble left at the bottom of the container. (Meaning it won't ever mix 100% clear, but it's the clear saturated solution we want to dose)

Randy Holmes-Farley has a couple of articles out there about mixing calcium hydroxide and reaching max saturation based on electrical conductivity. I'm probably butchering this, but if I remember correctly there is a point of "overmixing" where there are diminishing returns related to electrical conductivity as well as other factors that also affect max saturation tied to more prolonged exposure to ambient CO2.

There is probably a BRStv Investigates in here somewhere. I hope we can explore this deeper in the future! :)

FWIW,

 
OP
OP
VJV

VJV

Valuable Member
View Badges
Joined
Jan 28, 2015
Messages
1,476
Reaction score
751
Location
Portugal, Europe
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Although there will be far less Kalk slurry using pharma grade Calcium Hydroxide over others, I haven't seen any of them mix completely homogeneously without any insoluble left at the bottom of the container. (Meaning it won't ever mix 100% clear, but it's the clear saturated solution we want to dose)

Randy Holmes-Farley has a couple of articles out there about mixing calcium hydroxide and reaching max saturation based on electrical conductivity. I'm probably butchering this, but if I remember correctly there is a point of "overmixing" where there are diminishing returns related to electrical conductivity as well as other factors that also affect max saturation tied to more prolonged exposure to ambient CO2.

There is probably a BRStv Investigates in here somewhere. I hope we can explore this deeper in the future! :)
Yes please!
 

A worm with high fashion and practical utility: Have you ever kept feather dusters in your reef aquarium?

  • I currently have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 68 37.2%
  • Not currently, but I have had feather dusters in my tank in the past.

    Votes: 62 33.9%
  • I have not had feather dusters, but I hope to in the future.

    Votes: 25 13.7%
  • I have no plans to have feather dusters in my tank.

    Votes: 28 15.3%
  • Other.

    Votes: 0 0.0%
Back
Top