Unstable Paramaters

[Mortaliton]

I’ll let my Kalk reactor run for a week with new mixing settings. If I exhaust in less than a week I’ll switch over to baking soda in a 5 gal res and test that then.

I appreciate all the info everyone. Got some more research and testing to do now. But that’s a couple more paths forward I didn’t know about previously.

Thanks all!

 

[jabberkaycee]

FWIW, I am also not a fan of kalkwasser reactors. They often do not produce saturated kalk, and if one actually wants less than saturated kalk, the exact amount dissolved is hard to control.

I think kalk delivered from a settled reservoir is a great way to go, and used that for 20 years, but one needs substantial space for them.

To clarify, are you adding kalk through your ato? Do you keep it mixed? I’ve never used kalk in my 20+ yrs but am considering it now. I just want to make sure I’m understanding you correctly. My tank is SPS dominant and I was considering it as a compliment to my 2 part dosing.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

To clarify, are you adding kalk through your ato? Do you keep it mixed? I’ve never used kalk in my 20+ yrs but am considering it now. I just want to make sure I’m understanding you correctly. My tank is SPS dominant and I was considering it as a compliment to my 2 part dosing.

When I used kalk (20 years that my previous tank was running), I always delivered it by ATO from a settled reservour (Brute cans; most of that time was from 3 x 44 gallon Brute cans plumbed together to make a large kalk reservoir that was stirred to mix, then left unstirred for 1-2 months). it is BEST unstirred, as stirring just drives CO2 into it faster, depleting it.

I used a Reef Filler pump (no longer sold).

Using a dosing pump set just below the evaporation rate would give more control over the daily dose, and is likely a better practice, but I did not do that.

 

[Mortaliton]

I use a 20 gallon RV water res. It’s square and fits better under the stand. I make my own RODI water which this is attached to both my ATO and my Kalk reactor. The Kalk reactor is attached to a echotech versa that feeds it from the res.

I keep the ATO seperate from all dosing so if evaporation is to much. I can top off without force dosing other things.

 

[Mortaliton]

Quick update

After switching my Kalkwasser reactor from running. 5 minutes every 2 hours.

To… 15 minutes every 6 hours.

My dkh coming out of the reactor is still concentrated after a week at 14.6.

This was a significant improvement as before it was only 7.056

I just changed it again to 17 minutes every 8 hours. Definitely mixing it as reef octopus recommended was burning my Kalk out significantly faster by disturbing it every 2 hours.

Also for the heck of it . I got rid of the bio pellets for the moment. And turned it into a Chaeto reactor 4 days ago. Got some led grow lights and zip tied them around it and set it to 12 hours on, 12 hours off. Got very noticeable growth on day 4 after Chaeto got use to parameters

I had Chaeto previously in refugium section in sump. It would flourish, melt, flourish. But would always clog my protein skimmer. Since I have this reactor sponged and also feeding into filter sock I won’t have to worry about it.

If this goes very well I’ll get a bigger reactor for more Chaeto space.

For now I keep ceramic biofilter media in that section of sump for copepods and bacteria to live. Even without Chaeto copepods are crawling in sump everywhere.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

FWIW, your kalk is very weak if that test is accurate. Saturated kalkwasser has a potency over 100 dKH.

Constant stirring only depletes the kalk if CO2 is entering somehow. Most kalk stirrers prevent that. Stirring alone does not hurt it.

 

[Mortaliton]

Definitely got more to mess with since it is weak Kalk. I’m messing with different amounts in stirrer to. Maybe I havnt been adding enough to start off with.

I just added more Kalk yesterday. I will test in 6 more days and see how saturated it is.

My Chaeto reactor is still growing noticeably daily.

My 75 gallon just finished topping with RODI today. I added salt for water change. So hopefully get this done and see what happens. Need a day to mix though. Hopefully the reactor at least keeps nitrate from rising but it’s a small reactor so no high hopes yet. But the fact it’s working great and keeps that way. I’ll get a bigger reactor and convert over.

 

[gms1234]

How much kalk powder are you actually adding into the reactor?

I put in a couple cups in mine and it will last many weeks if not months before needing a top off- about 250g / 1/2 lb.

 

[mcarroll]

I have done freshwater most of my life but reef side it’s significantly more labor intensive.

There are enough different ways to accomplish a successful reef tank that IMO the hobby is as hard as we choose to make it.

Kalk is not one of the easier ways to maintain alkalinity. For one, it's not just an alk supplement....which is why your Ca levels are pegging your test kit. It can also cause quite large pH spikes which can cause issues for other things. It's quite hard to manage in most circumstances.

Regular water changes might be a better option for you. Reef Crystals has higher Ca, alk and Mg levels if your tank needs a stronger supplement than what comes with the standard Instant Ocean formula. The limit to watch out for is that you don't do too many water changes and lower nutrient levels too much. Eventually this is when folks add dosing of one kind or another to their arsenal.

An all in one product might be better...I've used Brightwell Liquid Reef and Elemental and Tropic Marin BioCalcium with good results under light demand scenarios. I guess you really can't get any simpler than BioCalcium – so maybe it would be the best for you.

If you are comfortable setting up some dosing pumps, then I've had great luck with varaious two-part and three-part dosing systems. ESV B-ionic is probably my favorite, and it comes as a very convenient two-part. But I've used Brightwell's equivalent and it's almost as good.

I have also used A LOT of Randy's Recipe #2 (using baking soda) and I think it's the standout best of all the DIY formulas. None are totally easy, but probably still easier than kalk. And they are all VERY economical. Magnesium chloride is the part I was never able to source locally tho.

Using kalk+vinegar is something you might want to look into if you DO intend to keep using kalk. Vinegar can take the edge off of that giant pH spike as well as getting higher rates of solubility. So it does simplify some aspects of using kalk, but then you have more things to manage with the vinegar blend and what else it can bean in your tank.

So it's still a pretty complicated system compared to a one-part or two-part option.

Just regular arm and hammer baking soda will work just fine from day Walmart? Assuming it has no additives, scented or whatever for soda ash?

Yep. If you shop around someplace around you probably sells the larger (7 pound?) bags. But the 1 pound standard boxes are also convenient since it's a pre-weighed pound and they are never expensive even when you pay full price.

 

[Mortaliton]

How much kalk powder are you actually adding into the reactor?

I put in a couple cups in mine and it will last many weeks if not months before needing a top off- about 250g / 1/2 lb.

I have been adding 2 tablespoons up until recently. That is what the reef octopus instruction said.

I noticed that that amount however wasn’t even reaching the prop of the motor and wouldn’t be disturbed

Ironically when I notice the saturation dip I would clean it and refresh the Kalk. However it’s been 3 weeks and I add once a week a spoonful. Now that it’s hitting the prop decently I’m sure it’s mixing a lot better.

I actually had that epiphany last night. I plan on cleaning the reactor later and adding a cup or more to start off with. Since I added the last batch of powder it has stayed very saturated by the looks of the mixture. I have to test later and verify though.

I also use Echo-tech versa pumps for all my dosing. I have had great luck with Kalk in the past but since going to the Kalk reactor I havnt. But I still think as of right now it’s user error on my part.