Do I need kalkwasser?

[mikebusc]

So I'm a little over a year on my new tank. (It's been over 20 years before that). Its a 120 gallon reef with 40 gal sump/refugium. I have 2 ocellaris clowns, salfin tang, yellowtail damsel, 3 pajama cardinals, a bungia cardinal, 4 staghorn damsels, lawnmower blenny.

Also, a large feather duster, clean up crew members, tuxedo urchins, green bubble tip anemone, some gorgonian's, green star polyp coral, acan coral, meteor coral, 2 green palythoa coral. kryptonite candy cane coral, and a rainbow coral (I think it's called).

I've been trying to find some basic simple info on what kalkwasser does and when it's needed but I'm having trouble.

Water parameters:
Alk 8.6
Ph 8.0
Mag 1380 ( I've been dosing to get it higher since I read it as one more thing to do to fight GHA.)
Nitrate 10.3
Phosphate .21
Salinity 1.025
Calcium 600

I recently got my phosphate down to like .06 with phos rx and then I started using GFO. My nitrate has actually been as high as 14.3 but I dont see any negative reaction. Corals seem to love it.

So do I need kalkwasser for anything you see here? Or is it just something that's good to do for coral skeleton?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

It is primarily an alk and calcium supplement.

If alk is not low (yours is not low) you do not need or want it. :)

 

[mikebusc]

It is primarily an alk and calcium supplement.

If alk is not low (yours is not low) you do not need or want it. :)

Thanks. That's what I was assuming but just wanted to be sure. I guess when I start getting more stony coral then it may be needed.

 

[Garf]

So I'm a little over a year on my new tank. (It's been over 20 years before that). Its a 120 gallon reef with 40 gal sump/refugium. I have 2 ocellaris clowns, salfin tang, yellowtail damsel, 3 pajama cardinals, a bungia cardinal, 4 staghorn damsels, lawnmower blenny.

Also, a large feather duster, clean up crew members, tuxedo urchins, green bubble tip anemone, some gorgonian's, green star polyp coral, acan coral, meteor coral, 2 green palythoa coral. kryptonite candy cane coral, and a rainbow coral (I think it's called).

I've been trying to find some basic simple info on what kalkwasser does and when it's needed but I'm having trouble.

Water parameters:
Alk 8.6
Ph 8.0
Mag 1380 ( I've been dosing to get it higher since I read it as one more thing to do to fight GHA.)
Nitrate 10.3
Phosphate .21
Salinity 1.025
Calcium 600

I recently got my phosphate down to like .06 with phos rx and then I started using GFO. My nitrate has actually been as high as 14.3 but I dont see any negative reaction. Corals seem to love it.

So do I need kalkwasser for anything you see here? Or is it just something that's good to do for coral skeleton?

I would stop dosing Magnesium as the advice that increasing levels to fight hair algae is probably flawed. Keep your eye on Alkalinity, and as it drops you can just add small amounts of Alkalinity supplement such as bicarb until calcium drops. Have you been adding calcium ? (it's testing very high, can you test your new,fresh saltwater? ). When calcium is in the 400 to 450 range then small amounts of kalkwasser can be dosed to maintain both Alk and calcium.

 

[mikebusc]

Ok I'll keep mag at suggested levels. My alk has always been good. Between 8-10 regularly. I don't dose calcium, just what's in the salt mix. I will test my next saltwater batch. So if my calcium and alk are good then I shouldn't need kalk at all at this point as Randy Holmes-Farley has stated.

 

[Garf]

Ok I'll keep mag at suggested levels. My alk has always been good. Between 8-10 regularly. I don't dose calcium, just what's in the salt mix. I will test my next saltwater batch. So if my calcium and alk are good then I shouldn't need kalk at all at this point as Randy Holmes-Farley has stated.

Correct, happy reefing :)

 

[sayurasem]

Is 8.0pH during photo period? Have you test pH 6 hours after lights off?

For example I need to dose kalkwasser during the night or else my pH goes down to 7.7. I’m a big fan of kalkwasser, no cons all pros for my reef tank.

 

[Garf]

Is 8.0pH during photo period? Have you test pH 6 hours after lights off?

For example I need to dose kalkwasser during the night or else my pH goes down to 7.7. I’m a big fan of kalkwasser, no cons all pros for my reef tank.

There's no problem with doing that as long as the alkalinity isn't going through the roof and calcium is in a good zone.

 

[mikebusc]

Is 8.0pH during photo period? Have you test pH 6 hours after lights off?

For example I need to dose kalkwasser during the night or else my pH goes down to 7.7. I’m a big fan of kalkwasser, no cons all pros for my reef tank.

I’ll check it out.

 

[goosemans]

I would advise against blindly dosing anything unless if you have “accurate” test kits and see what your consumption rate is.