Kalk is low cost, keeps Alkalinity & Calcium in check and helps PH. Do you use it?

Do you dose Kalk (kalkwasser) in your reef aquarium?

  • YES

    Votes: 243 42.3%
  • NO I use other methods

    Votes: 198 34.4%
  • NO but I'm looking into it now

    Votes: 127 22.1%
  • Other (please explain)

    Votes: 7 1.2%

  • Total voters
    575

rhostam

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I use an IceCap kalkwasser reactor that I’ve had to retrofit to work properly.

The KW is super concentrated.

Dosing has most definitely help maintain stats (Alk/ Ca/ pH) I’m looking for without going nuts chasing specific numbers.

The tank always appears healthier via this method. I’ve had to take the reactor offline for the retrofit and had about a month of non-use to observe the frumpiness.
 

ScottB

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As I noted before, I use an APEX DOS to push water into a stirrer, which then gravity feeds into sump. In a lower section of my drip line I have a "loop" at the bottom of which I installed an EC Meter to try and understand how saturated my solution is.

Anyone else bother with this? If so, what kind of a reading causes you to add fresh powder? And at what interval do you empty/clean/refill the stirrer?
 
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Naso180

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"Kalkwasser is the easiest method to maintain calcium and alkalinity levels in a reef aquarium not to mention low cost. With a few different methods to implement it, if your corals are growing and you need to add calcium and alkalinity, you will more than likely find multiple benefits from using kalkwasser. Being the only way to add calcium and alkalinity from a single solution along with helping elevate the pH of your aquarium to helping purify your ATO water even further, there are plenty of reasons to add kalkwasser to your ATO reservoir or set up a Kalk reactor or drip system. By far the most common application for kalkwasser is by adding it to your tanks top off reservoir and then relying on the auto top off system to deliver small amounts of saturated kalkwasser solution throughout the day." - Bulk Reef Supply

1. Do you dose Kalk in your reef aquarium and what's the main reason as to why or why not?

2. What are your favorite kalk brands or kalkwasser sources?
exb-brs-210813-kalkwasser-4lb-an_1.jpg
I used to use Ca reactors, but have since switched to using Kalk. I just removed a Ca reactor from a system that had both a Ca reactor and Calc, but found that Kalk was able to maintain Ca and Kh while boosting ph. I still have both on my grow out flat since it consumes too much Ca for just the Kalk reactor to supply. BRS pharma grade as pictured in this thread is what I use.
 

Operation Philo Beddoe

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Kalk in both tanks for 5 years. Have K1 and Icecap kalk stirrer connected to DOS as ATO. Buy the BRS 5 gallon bucket when on sale if you can.
I do the Kalk because of the BRS videos stating the benefits, packaged in a low cost, fairly simple delivery.
 

Christopher Poore

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Hey everyone!

I'm looking to begin Kalk dosing in my 200L Reefer XL this weekend. With my previous tank, I dosed 2 part via a doser.

My plan is to start off with the minimum amount,1/2 teaspoon - 3.5 total teaspoons, dissolved in 7 gallons of RODI water in a dedicated ATO reservoir added to the system through my ATO.

My understanding of the process is that, the ATO pump should not be position on the bottom of the reservoir as to not pull the cloudy mix.
Would the professionals agree with this?

As a best practice, should I mix the Kalk/RODI in a separate container, then transfer to the reservoir? Is there any detriment to simply mixing in the reservoir?

Once I'm ready to refill reservior, should I dump out anything remaining and start fresh? If not; how will I know if the mixing ratio is consistent?

Are there any other pro-tips the experienced kalk users can provide?
 

Forty-Two

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For users of Kalk with reactors - how many of you just push from the ATO tank to your reactor and into the Sump for all of your top up volume, and how many divide it - 50% RODI water and 50% Kalk?

If you're doing 50/50 - how do you accomplish that? Are you using 2 dosing pumps?
 

NorthStarReefer

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I dose reef fusion. It's only up to $10 a bottle and raises magnesium and strontium in addition.
 

ineption

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I attribute my recent success to dosing kalk.
It was the cheapest and best solution for my sps dominant tank.
I mix up kalkwasser in a large water container (I.e saturate kalk) and use kamoer fxstp to drive that in to the sump.
I started off with dosing it 1ml a min and within few weeks I have seen a major improvement in all my sps. Some minor stn stopped, growth increased, polyps extended, uptake of nutrients increased /nutrients decreased. Ph stable 8.4 yes 8.4
After 3 months I increased the dosage of kalk to 4 ml a min for a 120 gallon tank which is my evaporaton bottle neck. This means that uptake in % terms went up by 400%. My ato container barely uses anything maybe on very hot days.
Now I am dosing 2 part on top of kalk.
If only I could go back in time and do this from the beginning. I wouldn't have all the grey hair I have now not understanding sps stn and rtn & thinking I am doing everything correctly. After all I have purchased that expensive calcium reactor it must give me success because its so expensive!!! And the more you pay the better it should be right? Right? Not in this case for sure. Cheapest solution is the best
 

ScottB

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For users of Kalk with reactors - how many of you just push from the ATO tank to your reactor and into the Sump for all of your top up volume, and how many divide it - 50% RODI water and 50% Kalk?

If you're doing 50/50 - how do you accomplish that? Are you using 2 dosing pumps?
My evaporation rate is quite volatile and Kalk consumption is high so I operate them completely separate.

For the kalk, I push RODI with a doser to the stirrer and from there it gravity feeds to the sump return section. I do have a small powerhead in that sump section.
 

Koigula

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I attribute my recent success to dosing kalk.
It was the cheapest and best solution for my sps dominant tank.
I mix up kalkwasser in a large water container (I.e saturate kalk) and use kamoer fxstp to drive that in to the sump.
I started off with dosing it 1ml a min and within few weeks I have seen a major improvement in all my sps. Some minor stn stopped, growth increased, polyps extended, uptake of nutrients increased /nutrients decreased. Ph stable 8.4 yes 8.4
After 3 months I increased the dosage of kalk to 4 ml a min for a 120 gallon tank which is my evaporaton bottle neck. This means that uptake in % terms went up by 400%. My ato container barely uses anything maybe on very hot days.
Now I am dosing 2 part on top of kalk.
If only I could go back in time and do this from the beginning. I wouldn't have all the grey hair I have now not understanding sps stn and rtn & thinking I am doing everything correctly. After all I have purchased that expensive calcium reactor it must give me success because its so expensive!!! And the more you pay the better it should be right? Right? Not in this case for sure. Cheapest solution is the best
I have same experience without RTN issues.

I will never buy frags under 3/4" and never stop using Kalk. I have 151 gallon Reef savvy tank and 150 gallon utility type sump in a storage room. I have about 2 liters of evaporation a day and I carefully meter in kalk with Avast stirrer. I did this because it was cheap and keeps the 5 gallon reservoir and BRS 50cc/min pump clean. There is nothing to break and I am not convinced stirrer is really needed.

It is really simple and maintenance free. I just fill up the feed resevoir 1-2x a week. I would not feed from a large RODI tank for safety reasons. Higher pH grows SPS. It is well known fact.

I do see demand consistenly increase. I now need to use Soada ash as I am near evaporation limit without a fan and alkalinity demand is slightly higher than calcium demand. Coraline algae growth took off too. I lost one frag in transitioning to this and it was a 1/2 frag not wanting to grow no matter what. The two part now lasts months per jug.
 

PeterReefer

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I am going to try dosing Kalk, after using ESV for about 10 years. Anything I should know about the mixing process? Does the powder not completely dissolve? Should I not get the sediment into my ATO reservoir?
 

ScottB

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I am going to try dosing Kalk, after using ESV for about 10 years. Anything I should know about the mixing process? Does the powder not completely dissolve? Should I not get the sediment into my ATO reservoir?
I would:

a) Study this thread and the linked videos in it. There are several different methods of doing this that are ideal for some situations and not others.
b) Try to develop a good understanding of the problems you are trying to solve for. Cost? Maintenance? pH?
c) Don't do a "hot swap" from what has been working before. Ease into this. I am (finally) pretty pleased with how my setup is working but I still run ESV but at about 1/2 what I was doing before. My pH range is MUCH improved.
d) If you don't have a controller, build in your own fail-safes.
e) Don't make ANY significant system changes too close to a planned vacation or travel event.
 

BiggestE222

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Ph/ALK/cal/mg. Easy as 1,2,3
 

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reeftigergal

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"Kalkwasser is the easiest method to maintain calcium and alkalinity levels in a reef aquarium not to mention low cost. With a few different methods to implement it, if your corals are growing and you need to add calcium and alkalinity, you will more than likely find multiple benefits from using kalkwasser. Being the only way to add calcium and alkalinity from a single solution along with helping elevate the pH of your aquarium to helping purify your ATO water even further, there are plenty of reasons to add kalkwasser to your ATO reservoir or set up a Kalk reactor or drip system. By far the most common application for kalkwasser is by adding it to your tanks top off reservoir and then relying on the auto top off system to deliver small amounts of saturated kalkwasser solution throughout the day." - Bulk Reef Supply

1. Do you dose Kalk in your reef aquarium and what's the main reason as to why or why not?

2. What are your favorite kalk brands or kalkwasser sources?
exb-brs-210813-kalkwasser-4lb-an_1.jpg
Hi it’s Nancy(ReefTigerGal)
I got my kalk stirrer set up and running through my ato uniton my newest build but not sure how to regulate it correctly
It’s a 72 or 75g with my custom 4’ Sump with my new
Nan’s
A/T-S. My own design and prototype Algae/ turf scrubber then fuge then skimmer then return
Sump is 42” long x 10” deep front to back x 8.3” at the full waterline. ANY SUGGESTIONS would be awesome. Not letting me post pictures
lol
 

Randy Holmes-Farley

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I installed an EC Meter to try and understand how saturated my solution is.

Anyone else bother with this? If so, what kind of a reading causes you to add fresh powder? And at what interval do you empty/clean/refill the stirrer?

I think a lot of folks would be surprised that their device is not delivering as strong of limewater (kalkwasser) as they assumed. :)

I always measured mine when making up a batch (a large reservoir) to know when to stop adding more solids and/or stop stirring.
 

ineption

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I think a lot of folks would be surprised that their device is not delivering as strong of limewater (kalkwasser) as they assumed. :)

I always measured mine when making up a batch (a large reservoir) to know when to stop adding more solids and/or stop stirring.
Hi Randy!

I take it you are implying that you measured your addiction of kalkwasser with a ec meter? If so what reading you are looking for to know that kalk is at max saturation?
 

ScottB

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I think a lot of folks would be surprised that their device is not delivering as strong of limewater (kalkwasser) as they assumed. :)

I always measured mine when making up a batch (a large reservoir) to know when to stop adding more solids and/or stop stirring.
As limewater runs through the line where the meter is "T" in, the reading bounces around a huge range for me 250-900.

When I let it rest, it settles only around 680 versus the 999 on the initial load & stir. There is still about an inch of slush in the bottom of the stirrer. Just trying to sort out in my mind the decision points surrounding:
a) When to add more powder
b) When to dump the slush and reload
 

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