Is Kalk all it’s cracked up to be?

[BryanD]

Just a quick note to anyone reading this and thinking "To complicated/expensive to do". Although the materials and methods here are spot on, this is what I've been doing for the last ten years. Mix up Kalk powder with dechlorinated water, 2 teaspoons per gallon. RO/DI water is ideal, but have used regular tap water with no ill effects, I've always used a PO4 remover anyways and with the amount of live rock I have nitrates are rarely an issue. I use a 4 gallon water cooler jug with a spigot on the bottom, its about 1-2 inches above the actual bottom of the jug. Add Kalk, shake the crap out of the cooler and let sit for atleast 12 hours. Get a dosing container, I happen to use one made by Kent with the simple gravity drip control thingy like the hospitals use. They have 3-4 sizes to choose from. After 12 hours tap the first liter or so and throw out. My drip container is 1 liter so I add 3-5mls of white distilled vineger to it and fill up to a liter of kalkwasser. This accomplishes a couple things, vinegar provides an equivalent of all the CO2 you need to avoid precipitating the newly-added calcium ions as calcium carbonate powder. Also the leftover acetate ions from the broken-down vinegar leave you with free organic carbon in the water if your interested in carbon dosing to further break nitrates down to nitrogen gas. Some people recommend dissolving the kalk in the vinegar first but I've found that leaves to much of a calcium carbonate scum, mixing the kalk then adding the vinegar when you dose avoids this. I have this hanging over the return portion of my sump and set it to drip so that it takes 2-3 hours for the liter to empty. I have nice coral growth, used to have 3 dinner-plate size pieces of montpora until I lost power late October for 48 hours and lost all but a quarter size piece that is presently regrowing. Got smart and bought a portable generator after that.

Like I said, the materials and methods already discussed in this thread are spot on, but if you have a smaller system or aren't into spending any more than you have to on reactors and such, there is a low-tech, low-cost method of dosing Kalkwasser that is also effective. My alk is around 180 ppm and calcium 450 ppm in a 65 gallon system. pH stays around 8.2-8.3.

 

[prsnlty]

Just a quick note to anyone reading this and thinking "To complicated/expensive to do". Although the materials and methods here are spot on, this is what I've been doing for the last ten years. Mix up Kalk powder with dechlorinated water, 2 teaspoons per gallon. RO/DI water is ideal, but have used regular tap water with no ill effects, I've always used a PO4 remover anyways and with the amount of live rock I have nitrates are rarely an issue. I use a 4 gallon water cooler jug with a spigot on the bottom, its about 1-2 inches above the actual bottom of the jug. Add Kalk, shake the crap out of the cooler and let sit for atleast 12 hours. Get a dosing container, I happen to use one made by Kent with the simple gravity drip control thingy like the hospitals use. They have 3-4 sizes to choose from. After 12 hours tap the first liter or so and throw out. My drip container is 1 liter so I add 3-5mls of white distilled vineger to it and fill up to a liter of kalkwasser. This accomplishes a couple things, vinegar provides an equivalent of all the CO2 you need to avoid precipitating the newly-added calcium ions as calcium carbonate powder. Also the leftover acetate ions from the broken-down vinegar leave you with free organic carbon in the water if your interested in carbon dosing to further break nitrates down to nitrogen gas. Some people recommend dissolving the kalk in the vinegar first but I've found that leaves to much of a calcium carbonate scum, mixing the kalk then adding the vinegar when you dose avoids this. I have this hanging over the return portion of my sump and set it to drip so that it takes 2-3 hours for the liter to empty. I have nice coral growth, used to have 3 dinner-plate size pieces of montpora until I lost power late October for 48 hours and lost all but a quarter size piece that is presently regrowing. Got smart and bought a portable generator after that.

Like I said, the materials and methods already discussed in this thread are spot on, but if you have a smaller system or aren't into spending any more than you have to on reactors and such, there is a low-tech, low-cost method of dosing Kalkwasser that is also effective. My alk is around 180 ppm and calcium 450 ppm in a 65 gallon system. pH stays around 8.2-8.3.

Great information Brian! I have always had trouble with ph being no more than 7.8 on a good day. I believe that Kalk is helping raise it and that the really low ph along with topping off via bucket has hindered my ability to keep acros for very long. Everything is looking and behaving better and i just started getting better ph readings as of today with the addition of kalk and a new jbj ato. Personnally i think, along with ro/di, an ato is a MUST if you're wanting to keep coral. Then something such as kalk to keep it all in check.

Excellent thread!

Jackie

 

[BryanD]

Yes, I neglected to mention that I don't have what you'd consider more advanced corals, I have a frogspawn, some pulsing Xenia, a small-tentacled plate coral, a birdsnest and the afore-mentioned montipora. Plus tons of 'shrooms. For sure if your going to spend the time and money on the more advanced stuff it makes perfect sense to go the always RO/DI, ATO and reactor rout.

 

[mocika]

Its a great topic and im planing to use kalk from tomorow ATM am using FM baling light but i will try with kalk. This is my plan.

I have 75G mixed reef with a lot of SPA. My ATO isnt safe, its DIY so i want to dose Kalk with my dosing pump. My evaporation rate is 1G per day. I will continue to use my ATO but i will dose 0.5G per day full saturated limewater (2TSP per 1G) with my dosing pump and the rest (something like 0.5G) with my ATO clear ro-di water. So I will test Kh and Ca every day to see what will happen. If parameters drop i will use more limewater with my dosing pump (0/6) and if they go up i will use less (0.4G) limewater and more pure ro-di water. I hope i will find balance in one or two week.Also because i want to mix kalk once per week is it beater to mix it with the vinegar?
I hope my plan is ok and im looking forward for any ideas that will help me.
TNX in advance.

 

[Bob101]

I have a question are you using a HOB skimmer?

 

[mocika]

If you asking me, no. I use Ati Power cone 200i.

 

[BryanD]

My protein skimmer is in my sump, came with the sump and is run by a Rio 800 powerhead. As for your vinegar question Monicka, IMO its better to add the vinegar to the kalk solution just before you add it to the tank, I make up about 4 gallons at a time, it takes me a couple weeks to use it up, I don't use kalk solution for all my topoff, just about 1 liter per day in my 65 gallon set-up. Probably have to increase that as things grow and/or I add more. But as for adding the vinegar WHEN you mix up the kalk, some recommend it and I've tried it but had better results (ie less calcium carbonate coming out of solution) if I add the vinegar to the kalk solution instead, 3-5 ml per liter.

 

[mcarroll]

Thanks Matt! I was a bit worried. My new try at acros and millies begins today. I finally have an ato set up and have started dripping kalk. A tlf kalk reactor is on it's way and a local guy (1 hr away) gave me an unbeatable deal ($60 total) on 6 gorgeous frags that he even delivered to me today. Plus Chris is sending me a nice green slimer the end of the week. I am very nervous and hoping all these guys make it. I tried 2 times before and lost eventually

That's a lot of corals to add all at once IMO, especially if you haven't had the best of luck already and are still adding reactors, etc, changing your system at the same time. You've got a lot of new things to learn how to live with all at once, all of which are changing the environment of the tank while you are learning them. That's a fairly tall order.

If at first you don't succeed...check if you may be ignoring the "Nothing good happens fast in a reef." truism. We can live by it, or die by it. Ignoring it doesn't really work.

You're going to have to be johnny-on-the-spot with your test kits (water changes too) to make sure you aren't overdosing or underdosing, once those frags go in. I would plan on testing weekly, at minimum, for at least a month or until things are settled.

Better luck this time!

-Matt

 

[prsnlty]

Thanks Matt Yeah I know... I've added the last of them today, probably for the year with exception of some new figi rock that's coming and refugium macro and mud. I'm also removing all xenia. I have a TON of it. I'm testing daily (paranoia I guess) and will be doing small 5 gallon water changes every other day for about a month. Then twice a week and taper down to once a week. Idk, I may stay at twice a week and see how it goes. The ATO seems to be doing very well and I am only going to be low dosing Kalk to start. 1/4 or 1/2 tsp per gallon and go from there slowly.

Jackie

 

[Gwitness]

So I started dosing Kalk into my 180 through my tunze ATO and I love it, but I think I am getting to the point where my Alkalinity demands are not being met by the Kalk alone.....do I just start to dose a little bit of 2 part on top of the Kalk?? I'm assuming so, just want to make sure!

 

[Maximus]

So I started dosing Kalk into my 180 through my tunze ATO and I love it, but I think I am getting to the point where my Alkalinity demands are not being met by the Kalk alone.....do I just start to dose a little bit of 2 part on top of the Kalk?? I'm assuming so, just want to make sure!

That's exactly what you do!

 

[scoobysnack77]

That's exactly what you do!

I'm going to start dosing KALK next week using a reactor. but I'm now dosing a 2 part. should i stop the 2 part completely and slowly start adding the 2part as needed . or should i back up my dosing by half when i begin adding the kalk so that my parameters don't dip too low? i have acros so i wanna be cautious

 

[Gwitness]

Well used to do 2 part andbi stopped everything except kalk and make sure you start on the low end and just jeep testing to find out how much kalk you need! You might not need to dose at all!

 

[scoobysnack77]

Well used to do 2 part andbi stopped everything except kalk and make sure you start on the low end and just jeep testing to find out how much kalk you need! You might not need to dose at all!

ok but the million dollar question for me is does kalk provide all the micro nutrients like strontium,iron, potassium, copper ect ect ect that my b-ionic provides in their 2 part? i have a 5 gallon bucket topping off a 75 gallon tank. how much KALK should i start with and whats the max i can use when my numbers fall?

 

[Gwitness]

I started with a 5 gallon bucket and I did 6 teaspoons at first but I am at the max at 10 teaspoons now which is ths max of 2 teaspoons per 1 gallon....just start off lower just in case and keep testing your alkalinity....I have no idea about the other elements though....hopefully someone else can chime in because I'm interested in that also! Kalk also eats up magnesium so I have to dose a little more of that nos but I think it's all worth it....my tank is a lot more stable!

 

[scoobysnack77]

I started with a 5 gallon bucket and I did 6 teaspoons at first but I am at the max at 10 teaspoons now which is ths max of 2 teaspoons per 1 gallon....just start off lower just in case and keep testing your alkalinity....I have no idea about the other elements though....hopefully someone else can chime in because I'm interested in that also! Kalk also eats up magnesium so I have to dose a little more of that nos but I think it's all worth it....my tank is a lot more stable!

Does anyone out there know whether kalkwasser has all the micro nutrients that sea salt and a 2 part contain?????

 

[mcarroll]

Does anyone out there know whether kalkwasser has all the micro nutrients that sea salt and a 2 part contain?????

Lime is mostly calcium, hydrogen and oxygen.

Two-part is typically calcium chloride (calcium and chlorine) and baking soda (sodium, hydrogen and oxygen).

Artificial salt mix (a la Red Sea Coral Pro, Instant Ocean, et al) has dozens of elements, minor elements, trace elements as well as vitamins.

-Matt

 

[scoobysnack77]

Lime is mostly calcium, hydrogen and oxygen.

Two-part is typically calcium chloride (calcium and chlorine) and baking soda (sodium, hydrogen and oxygen).

Artificial salt mix (a la Red Sea Coral Pro, Instant Ocean, et al) has dozens of elements, minor elements, trace elements as well as vitamins.

-Matt

thanx my B-ionic 2 part says it has the trace and minor elements in there in the ingredients. they are probably added. so if use KALK should i use it at the minimum dosage and cut back my dosing by half the mililiters that my dosing pump adds daily. or cut my dosing completly while using KALK? I just want to make sure my corals get thier trace and minor elements too

 

[FlyinBryan]

Kalk is the greatest product ive ever added to my tank. My tank was anemic for the longest time and when i added Kalk it turned around!
I dose it thru my tunze ATO. i mix and add it use. Some guys let it sit for 24 hrs but ive never had probs on my 150.

 

[scoobysnack77]

Kalk is the greatest product ive ever added to my tank. My tank was anemic for the longest time and when i added Kalk it turned around!
I dose it thru my tunze ATO. i mix and add it use. Some guys let it sit for 24 hrs but ive never had probs on my 150.

tunze makes a great reactor for KALK that attaches to its ATO unit and sits in a 5 gallon bucket. saves your pump from getting all gunked up and mixes the KALK before each topoff