Kalkwasser or A/B Setup Questions

[SigmaVX]

I have a 32 gallon fluval flex tank (ie it has a tight fitting hood) without a sump and some Apex equipment (an ATO and DOS). I’m looking to add A/B or kalkwasser for the first time. I’ve got some noob questions I was hoping to get advice on:

1. What are the pros/cons of A/B vs kalk for an LPS tank?
2. How would you add kalk in an ATO or in a DOS/DDR? I assume I would mix kalk separately, let it settle for a day, and add the non-slurry clear top part to the ATO after it sits for a day. Does this sound right and how much kalk to ATO water is a good ratio? I have a lid and little evaporation (a few cups a day).
3. Would you recommend using a DOS and DDR for adding kalk instead of an ATO reservoir? I worry about optical sensors in DDR with kalk or any other damage kalk may do to the DOS.
4. How long can kalk be mixed ahead of time and put into a container with a lid before its no longer good?

 

[ClownSchool]

I have a 32 gallon fluval flex tank (ie it has a tight fitting hood) without a sump and some Apex equipment (an ATO and DOS). I’m looking to add A/B or kalkwasser for the first time. I’ve got some noob questions I was hoping to get advice on:

1. What are the pros/cons of A/B vs kalk for an LPS tank?
2. How would you add kalk in an ATO or in a DOS/DDR? I assume I would mix kalk separately, let it settle for a day, and add the non-slurry clear top part to the ATO after it sits for a day. Does this sound right and how much kalk to ATO water is a good ratio? I have a lid and little evaporation (a few cups a day).
3. Would you recommend using a DOS and DDR for adding kalk instead of an ATO reservoir? I worry about optical sensors in DDR with kalk or any other damage kalk may do to the DOS.
4. How long can kalk be mixed ahead of time and put into a container with a lid before its no longer good?

Check out the recent article

 

[ClownSchool]

This product was just shared on a forum here and I’m considering it. It’s cheaper than two-part options (if you buy the powder and mix it yourself), and is supposed to be fairly hassle-free.
I think the product is all-for-reef mix
...the second option on the shopping list of this link.

All For Reef - Bulk Reef Supply

Find All For Reef at Bulk Reef Supply to keep your saltwater aquarium looking its best.

www.bulkreefsupply.com

 

[SigmaVX]

Thanks for the replies. Here is what I found and did after some more research.

1) Kalk is what I am choosing because it’s a nano with a lid and kalk prevents a build up of salt that happens with A/B. I don’t have a ton of corals and think I'll be sticking with LPS so the calcium provided by Kalk should be enough. Also the tank struggles with low ph due to the lid and it’s location so Kalk should help boost ph.

2) I decided to dose with the Apex DOS so I can precisely dial in what I need to provide. I mix in a separate container and fill the DOS DDR container with the clear part of Kalk (discarding the bottom 10% of Kalk mix container).

3) A big question I had was how long could Kalk retain its effectiveness and if it would damage the DDR over time. I got lucky and realized I mixed a sealed Kalk jug over a year ago in an experiment. The ph on this was still 12.1 vs 12.4 on new Kalk and the bottle did not have much residue. This was BRS Kalk. Not sure what other properties may shift over time but with DOS I expect to fill and mix regularly.

Hope this helps somebody in the future.