Dose with kalkwasser

[dangros]

For those using Kalkwasser reactors, here's something to consider. I've been to Bruce's house to get frags and it's a really nice method of implementing Kalk to get all your coral goodness:
https://reefs.com/magazine/the-kalk-calc-combo-method-185/

I'm doing something similar since my Geo 612 calcium reactor cant keep up with a few medium sized SPS in a 90gallon.

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

You shouldn't be if your already dosing two part. Kalkwasser is a ratio of both alk and calcium so you would just be throwing off the levels in your tank.

Thats not true but good try

 

[BroccoliFarmer]

Not necessarily better just a different way to keep levels consistent. Kalkwasser is definitely cheaper. My two cents keep doing the two part. Way less risk involved with two part. Now there are people out there stuck in the old ways and have great success but it's not my cup of tea.

Kalkwasser has a high risk of pH shocking the tank. You have to add so much of it along with other reasons it has to be added via your ATO. That involves fine tuning and have to have consistent water evaporation if your evaporation changes your adding more or less of Kalkwasser solution to the tank e.g. inconsistent levels. If your ATO goes whacky and sticks on you kill the tank. Or you forget to turn off your ATO doing a WC and dump a bunch of Kalkwasser solution in you kill the tank. I'm sure I'm missing a couple inherent risks buts that's the big ones off the top of my head.

Dosing two part you can fine tune easier and has way less inherent risks. You can also use a dosing pump. Kalkwasser you can not put on a Doser, I looked this up for countless hours and for the life of me can't remember a single reason why you can't put Kalkwasser on a Doser but do know you can't do it.

Although I agree with most of the things you are saying, I turned away from the ATO method and now use a kalk stirrer. I have a wonderful Kamoer 1ml per minute pump and I keep a constant drip of Kalk going. As such, once I got it dialed in..the risks of PH and Alk shock are gone. Took me a while to change over from two part to Kalk..but given my low tank needs..very happy I did.

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

Although I agree with most of the things you are saying, I turned away from the ATO method and now use a kalk stirrer. I have a wonderful Kamoer 1ml per minute pump and I keep a constant drip of Kalk going. As such, once I got it dialed in..the risks of PH and Alk shock are gone. Took me a while to change over from two part to Kalk..but given my low tank needs..very happy I did.

Do you dose a slurry sometimes? Or is it always settled in the reactor before it doses to your tank? How much do you dose a day and how much top off water did it replace? Do you still add r.o for evaporation or just dose kalk?

 

[Dav2996]

One of the biggest benefits to kalk is that you are helping keep pH up. I plan to continue kalk until saturated top off no longer keeps up with demand, then start dosing 2 part

I use both as a science experiment. I save money dosing kalk with a doser every hour from my ATO the same exact amount. If evap an issue I can pour in some rodi. I use 2 part to balance my setup. I use a lot less 2 part now. One bottle of kalk is 84 gallons of it. It’s a big money saver.