KALK + A4R

[Kika]

Yeah. So this leave the doors open for kalk + A4R or another dosing method that can integrate with kalk. So maybe I’m thinking Kalk + 2 part such as Sodium Bicarb & Calc chloride where I can mix them with TM A&K. I don’t need Mag as I do a lot of water changes, plus Mag testing is not accurate

If you're going to do that you could just use Randy's high PH DIY Balling or 2 parts. I used his Sodium Carbonate version on my old tank with Calcium Chloride, TM Balling part C till I went with a calcium reactor because I was dosing so much (I was using Zeo for trace at the time but I think you can use A+K with it too). I suppose you could even use a hydroxide version if you're comfortable having that around.

Interesting, do you have any PH historical data while using Randy’s 2 part?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

So would it make sense to do kalk + sodium carbonate? Wouldn’t this result in a potential higher PH values than expected ? If so, then would just sodium carbonate + calcium chloride + TM A & k make more sense?

If the highest pH (or Largest boost) is a priority, then all hydroxide for alk is the best. Could be all kalk, some kalk and some sodium hydroxide alk, or just sodium hydroxide alk.

Mixing kalk and sodium carbonate is fine if you do not need to or do not want to use sodium hydroxide.,

 

[Otago]

Interesting, do you have any PH historical data while using Randy’s 2 part?

No, it was before controllers became popular. I do remember that PH was never a problem, it sat around 8.3-8.4 on the meter when I put it in the tank ( which was never in the middle of the night) but I lived alone in a drafty Victorian house in London at the time so there was naturally lots of air exchange happening.

 

[rblackmon89]

I use AFR + kalk for awhile now and like it.

I’m currently in the process of switching to all day dosing of the kalk to a period overnight. Hopefully to help compensate for nightly pH drop. (Also bringing a small bucket fuge online overnight too)

So far I’m pleased.

Keeping SPS mostly.

 

[Kika]

So would it make sense to do kalk + sodium carbonate? Wouldn’t this result in a potential higher PH values than expected ? If so, then would just sodium carbonate + calcium chloride + TM A & k make more sense?

If the highest pH (or Largest boost) is a priority, then all hydroxide for alk is the best. Could be all kalk, some kalk and some sodium hydroxide alk, or just sodium hydroxide alk.

Mixing kalk and sodium carbonate is fine if you do not need to or do not want to use sodium hydroxide.,

Thank you. I’ll go kalk for now, for the traces can I use TM A & K? If so how many minutes apart from kalk should I dose them?

 

[kylejames89]

I dose afr during the day. Then I dose kalk 6 times 1 hour after lights out every 3 hours. My corals look great, increased my ph by .1-.2 and I’m running a co2 scrubber

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Thank you. I’ll go kalk for now, for the traces can I use TM A & K? If so how many minutes apart from kalk should I dose them?

That’s a fine plan. Kalk needs to be dosed slowly over hours. The traces can go in all at once.

 

[ChrisfromBrick]

Hey folks,

Anyone here doing kalk + all for reef? If so how you do this? A4R during lights On and Kalk when lights are off? Also can you share some ph historical data while dosing these products?

Thanks in advance

I run both. Kalk 24/7. Don’t care about ph drop at night

 

[skey44]

Hey folks,

Anyone here doing kalk + all for reef? If so how you do this? A4R during lights On and Kalk when lights are off? Also can you share some ph historical data while dosing these products?

Thanks in advance

I’m glad you asked. I dose all for reef as my primary additive based on kH. I started adding kalkwasser to my top off to boost pH and growth. Combo works brilliantly. I’m doing 65ml/day for afr divided by 5x lights on. Then I just dose the kalk 24/7 from the top off. I do a teaspoon per 2 gallons in the top off water. My pH has been great lately. Tank is in growth spurt can see in person and on graph :)
Family in town today, pH depressed due to cO2 concentrations

 

[MBruun]

I use to dose Randy's DIY 3-part 24/7 with sodium hydroxide and TM part-C together with Kalk Wasser at night (2 ml/hour for 10 hours) and a recirculating CO2 scrubber which got my PH quite high, but unplugged the CO2 scrubber when I added a Xenia refugium, as it was not needed anymore.
Six months ago I switched the 3-part to AFR to simplify the dosing, an all looks at least as good as before :-)
PH swing from 8.15 at night to 8.40 at peak during day-time.
I've also been dosing a little Captive8 iso8:mt daily for a few years

 

[ReefRogue]

That’s a fine plan. Kalk needs to be dosed slowly over hours. The traces can go in all at once.

Wouldn't you need to supplement K and Mg as well?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Wouldn't you need to supplement K and Mg as well?

Potassium, not necessarily. It does not necessarily deplete. But maybe. It’s not in AFR.

Magnesium? Again, maybe. Depends on your salt
Mix, water changes, tank target level, and amount of kalk.

When I was dosing just kalk (for 20 years) I just boosted to magnesium in the salt mix used for water changes a little bit. I never dosed K and it never depleted in that tank.

 

[56longroof]

I dose AFR all at once in the morning and kalk in the ATO.

 

[Kika]

Hey folks,

Anyone here doing kalk + all for reef? If so how you do this? A4R during lights On and Kalk when lights are off? Also can you share some ph historical data while dosing these products?

Thanks in advance

I’m glad you asked. I dose all for reef as my primary additive based on kH. I started adding kalkwasser to my top off to boost pH and growth. Combo works brilliantly. I’m doing 65ml/day for afr divided by 5x lights on. Then I just dose the kalk 24/7 from the top off. I do a teaspoon per 2 gallons in the top off water. My pH has been great lately. Tank is in growth spurt can see in person and on graph :)
Family in town today, pH depressed due to cO2 concentrations

Amazing tank !! Thanks for sharing!

 

[PatricioLG]

Do you run a skimmer? My daily pH was 7.6-7.9 daily. I added a skimmer with an outside airline and now pH is 8.0-8.3 sometimes hitting 8.4. From reading people that dose both they dose kalk at night when pH drops.
TBH my acros did very well at the lower pH. The only benefit I've seen from increasing pH is faster growth of stoney coral, nothing else. If you don't need accelerated growth it may not be worth the trouble.

I have been using a tube to the skimmer from the window for 3 weeks and my PH has dropped from 7.9 to 7.7, I have now started using a home made 3 bottle device with soda Lime hoping this will help instead, although I am struggling with all of my parameters at the moment including phosphate

 

[Reign1]

I have been on Kalk and AFR for about a year. 120 SPS tank. I dose my Kalk at night and AFR during day. I dose around one liter (max out at daily evap. 950ml-1100ml) daily and am around 55mls AFR daily during photoperiod. I have had really good luck but my growth can fluctuate slightly so every month or two I add Sodium Hydroxide (by hand in small amounts ) to get into range. I likely will get a aquawiz or Ca Reactor down the line. I like this combo as my ICP tests come back pretty good. My PH is really stable ( 8.3-8.5 on average) .

 

[Blitheran]

I run Kalk + ESV Bionic on my main system.

I’m in the works of building a seperate system.

I really want to try Kalk and AFR on it.