Kalwasser is Calcium hydroxide and is used to maintain both calcium and alkalinity. It differs from other Alkalinity and calcium additives in that it maintains both.
Basically, you take Kalwasser powder and mix it with water and then let it settle. The clear liquid left on top is what you use and is called limewater.
One of the advantages of using Kalkwasser is that it is cheap compared with two-part additives.
It also has a high PH which will help aquariums with low PH by boosting the PH. It does this by removing carbon dioxide. It has been found that corals grow slower with lower PH values and faster with higher PH. This is one of the reasons I am going to use Kalkwasser. My Reef system is in my basement and suffers from slightly low PH. Some will add the Kalkwasser just at night when PH values are lower to help stabilize PH some. Ph should be monitored when adding kalk.
If you already have a higher PH tank you will want to use a different method. The current PH being higher also can limit the amount of Kalk you can use. Usually this in not an issue for most.
Kalkwasser also can help precipitate phosphate but that is minor advantage and where does it go anyway.
Kalkwasser can be used in addition to two part or a Calcium reactor on those reefs with a large demand where one method may not keep up.
There are several ways to add Kalkwasser to a reef.
The main way most do it is through their top off system and evaporation. They mix up the lime water and add it to their top off reservoir. Disadvantage is it makes a mess in the reservoir and can cause premature failure of pumps. They also expose the limewater to air which can degrade the lime water.
Some use a drip method which can be a very cheap way to add limewater.
I am also going to use a Kalkwasser reactor or Kalk stirrer for simplicity. I like them because they are sealed, and limewater is not exposed to air. They mix the kalk up automatically and keep the solution totally saturated. I will be using the IceCap Kalk Mixing Reactor.
A couple videos on it:
How to set it up by Coralvue.
Review By Premium Aquatics:
First thing I am going to do is with a two part additive get the calcium and Alkalinity levels where I want first and then use Kalkwasser to maintain it those levels. Kalk is best used to maintain not raise those levels.
I am going to use a smart outlet to turn the motor on for the reactor to mix up the kalk. You could use any timer for this. I will set it to run 4 times in a 24 hour period because that is what is recommended by Coralvue.
For now since I have a few spare dosing pumps laying around I will be feeding my reactor with one of those vs going off the top off system. This adds consistency and I know my exact dosage. My issue with feeding it with the ATO water is evaporation is not consistent and no way to dial it in. Not only that an ATO can fail dumping allot of limewater into the tank causing a huge spike in ph. Some may use a small pump on a timer to feed the Kalk stirrer.
Basically, you take Kalwasser powder and mix it with water and then let it settle. The clear liquid left on top is what you use and is called limewater.
One of the advantages of using Kalkwasser is that it is cheap compared with two-part additives.
It also has a high PH which will help aquariums with low PH by boosting the PH. It does this by removing carbon dioxide. It has been found that corals grow slower with lower PH values and faster with higher PH. This is one of the reasons I am going to use Kalkwasser. My Reef system is in my basement and suffers from slightly low PH. Some will add the Kalkwasser just at night when PH values are lower to help stabilize PH some. Ph should be monitored when adding kalk.
If you already have a higher PH tank you will want to use a different method. The current PH being higher also can limit the amount of Kalk you can use. Usually this in not an issue for most.
Kalkwasser also can help precipitate phosphate but that is minor advantage and where does it go anyway.
Kalkwasser can be used in addition to two part or a Calcium reactor on those reefs with a large demand where one method may not keep up.
There are several ways to add Kalkwasser to a reef.
The main way most do it is through their top off system and evaporation. They mix up the lime water and add it to their top off reservoir. Disadvantage is it makes a mess in the reservoir and can cause premature failure of pumps. They also expose the limewater to air which can degrade the lime water.
Some use a drip method which can be a very cheap way to add limewater.
I am also going to use a Kalkwasser reactor or Kalk stirrer for simplicity. I like them because they are sealed, and limewater is not exposed to air. They mix the kalk up automatically and keep the solution totally saturated. I will be using the IceCap Kalk Mixing Reactor.
A couple videos on it:
How to set it up by Coralvue.
Review By Premium Aquatics:
First thing I am going to do is with a two part additive get the calcium and Alkalinity levels where I want first and then use Kalkwasser to maintain it those levels. Kalk is best used to maintain not raise those levels.
I am going to use a smart outlet to turn the motor on for the reactor to mix up the kalk. You could use any timer for this. I will set it to run 4 times in a 24 hour period because that is what is recommended by Coralvue.
For now since I have a few spare dosing pumps laying around I will be feeding my reactor with one of those vs going off the top off system. This adds consistency and I know my exact dosage. My issue with feeding it with the ATO water is evaporation is not consistent and no way to dial it in. Not only that an ATO can fail dumping allot of limewater into the tank causing a huge spike in ph. Some may use a small pump on a timer to feed the Kalk stirrer.
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