38 gallon system- kalkwasser or two part?

[Trever]

It seems like I should start dosing, and I'm wondering which would be the better approach- kalkwasser or two part? If it matters: I have the fancy Tunze ATO. I don't (yet) own any dosing pumps. I already own the BRS kalkwasser starter kit, which includes what I need to adjust levels before starting kalkwasser. I'm somewhat tempted by the Tunze $94 kalk "reactor", but regardless, not sure if should even go with kalkwasser, I won't have wasted my money on the BRS kit if I don't.

Getting conflicting advice on how to dose (kalk vs. two part), so please, hit me with more.

My alkalinity is pretty consistently 6.6 now (Hanna checker) and I'm not happy with that. Red Sea blue bucket mixes to 8 (7.8 on my Hanna checker).

Calcium was 390 the other day.

New tank (3 months old, ~2 weeks since I began to add coral and turned on the lights), 8 sps frags (which includes two small birdsnest colonies- they are bigger than frags).

P.S. Not sure why my alk is so low but supposedly, that's not unusual, so rather than try to solve that mystery, it seems like I should start dosing (however lightly/carefully) which given the corals I'm stocking I will need to do at some point.

 

[Brandon3152134]

Kalk is more stable imo.

 

[Trever]

@Brandon3152134 ok.

I have heard it can cloud the optical water level detector for the ATO, and then there's the whole overdose/acid issue.

But I really like the idea of simple and the pH boost, phosphate reduction (some say).

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I used limewater (kalkwasser) alone for 20 years. Both systems work perfectly well if implemented properly, but especially for a start, a two part is easier.

 

[Trever]

@Randy Holmes-Farley the BRS kalkwasser start kit that I have includes two part packets, so one can get initial levels before starting Kalk.

Are you suggesting that beyond initial level setting, it makes sense to start to watch/measure and use two part until the tank has settled in, or?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

@Randy Holmes-Farley the BRS kalkwasser start kit that I have includes two part packets, so one can get initial levels before starting Kalk.

Are you suggesting that beyond initial level setting, it makes sense to start to watch/measure and use two part until the tank has settled in, or?

The correction part is certainly true, but I was also thinking in terms of the equipment needed. A two part is great for manual dosing when a tank is starting off and demand is not high, while limewater needs either an ATO, dosing pump, or other slow delivery system.

 

[Brandon3152134]

@Brandon3152134 ok.

I have heard it can cloud the optical water level detector for the ATO, and then there's the whole overdose/acid issue.

But I really like the idea of simple and the pH boost, phosphate reduction (some say).

I dont use an ato so I dont have that issue. Kalk is just one chemical and your done it's easy no chasing numbers. I used 2 part and it was kinda confusing and never really kept my tank stable. It is true an ato can dump all of the kalk into your tank but if you have a float swicth it's probably not an issue

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I dont use an ato so I dont have that issue. Kalk is just one chemical and your done it's easy no chasing numbers. I used 2 part and it was kinda confusing and never really kept my tank stable. It is true an ato can dump all of the kalk into your tank but if you have a float swicth it's probably not an issue

I do not really see how a two part can be more confusing. If you stick to always dosing both parts equally, it is no more complicated than kalkwasser. Just because you can do something like mismatched dosing doesn't mean it is desirable.

 

[Brandon3152134]

I do not really see how a two part can be more confusing. If you stick to always dosing both parts equally, it is no more complicated than kalkwasser. Just because you can do something like mismatched dosing doesn't mean it is desirable.

It's only personal preference I'm not saying my way is easier it's just what works better for me. I was also alot younger when I was useing 2 part and didnt quite get it. I'm no expert by any means

 

[Dkeller_nc]

@Randy Holmes-Farley the BRS kalkwasser start kit that I have includes two part packets, so one can get initial levels before starting Kalk.

Are you suggesting that beyond initial level setting, it makes sense to start to watch/measure and use two part until the tank has settled in, or?

For right now, and since your tank is new with small corals that don't take up much calcium and carbonate, I would simply manually dose calcium and alkalinity. There are convenient calculators on BRS's website for how much to dose into a given water volume to raise calcium and alkalinity by X amount, and you should test the alkalinity of your tank water every day or two while you dial-in the amount of 2-part that you need to add every day.

BTW - dosing pumps are definitely convenient, but they are not necessary for coral health. Many of us have dosed calcium and alkalinity solutions manually, once-per-day, for many years into tanks with stony corals, and the corals are healthy and grow like weeds.

 

[Viking_Reefing]

My vote would go to kalkwasser. I’ve always found that to be the simplest and hassle free way of adding kh/ca when consumption is low. Just mix it in to your ATO reservoir and you’re done...and it’s dirt cheap.
That’s not to say that dosing is complicated or inferior in any way.
I will actually reimplement kalkwasser to my setup alongside dosing due to its positive effects on PH and cost savings.

 

[Trever]

Heh- my LFS is recommending All-4-Reef, which looks like a good product to start with on a small tank, but $$$ long term which then raises the question of why bother initially?

Then I guess the post would have been:

38 gallon system: kalkwasser or two-part or "one part"

I'm kind of liking starting with All-4-Reef to get levels up, then when there's enough growth, do kalkwasser. But then again I'm kind of liking using the two part packets I've already purchased to get levels up... then do kalkwasser, but that may in fact be needlessly complicated compared to the All-4-Reef followed by Kalkwasser.

Naively, I would doubt my small tank would ever "out grow" just kalkwasser, but I'm still not sure total volume has anything to do with how that works out.

 

[SMSREEF]

Hey- my LFS is recommending All-4-Reef, which looks like a good product to start with on a small tank, but $$$ long term which then raises the question of why bother initially?

Then I guess the post would have been:

38 gallon system: kalkwasser or two-part or "one part"

I have used all 3. I ended up with All-for-reef. My basic positives and negatives of each are as follows:

Kalk Benefits balanced additive, dosing at night gives ph boost. Negative, no trace elements/magnesium and if you dose too much, you get really high pH.

2 part - Benefits easy to dose manually, can use for corrections. Negatives, no trace elements, will increase your salinity over time.

All-for-reef - Benefits - balanced additive, only one doser needed. Has trace elements. Negative, cost and cannot use it for big changes, you do not see an actual rise in Alkalinity until later. May decrease ph due to bacteria (I do not have an apex or other controller so I have no idea if this is true)

if you are going to do large water changes, the need for trace elements decreases.

There is a diy recipe posted by BRS and Fauna Marin. All you need is a good scale and a magnetic stirrer.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I'm kind of liking starting with All-4-Reef to get levels up, then when there's enough growth, do kalkwasser.

Not a good plan.

You cannot readily detect the alkalinity that All for Reef adds, so it is not good for those sorts of corrections.

 

[SMSREEF]

I would doubt my small tank would ever "out grow" just kalkwasser, but I'm still not sure total volume has anything to do with how that works out.

You would be surprised. When corals get growing, you likely will outgrow Kalk only because you will be limited by the amount of evaporation in your tank. Until you get to that point, it’s great.

like Randy said above, AFR is not for making big changes, it’s meant for dosing steady amount to keep tank stable. You really have no idea how much Alk you are dosing with it. You just dose a certain amount each day and if your levels are going up too much, you dose less. If levels are going down too much, you dose more. But you cannot test right after you dose and expect to see the rise. Bacteria needs to do it’s work first.
Also you start on low side and work your way up so that bacteria have a chance to populate the tank.

 

[Trever]

Ok, thanks all. This is all VERY useful. There's so much information on this, and yet, seems like not so much... maybe I just haven't hit upon the right resource.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Ok, thanks all. This is all VERY useful. There's so much information on this, and yet, seems like not so much... maybe I just haven't hit upon the right resource.

I compare methods of dosing here:

The Many Methods for Supplementing Calcium and Alkalinity - REEFEDITION

 

[Daddy-o]

How often are you doing water changes?

 

[Trever]

How often are you doing water changes?

10% weekly minimum, but have done more frequent recently and about a month back, the get nitrates down. 3 month old tank. Did one 20% but I try to keep it to a 5 gallon bucket, it just keeps things so much simpler.

 

[Daddy-o]

10% weekly minimum, but have done more frequent recently and about a month back, the get nitrates down. 3 month old tank. Did one 20% but I try to keep it to a 5 gallon bucket, it just keeps things so much simpler.

Personally I would get settled into a regular water change schedule (I like small, more frequent) Also I dont do water changes to get rid of nutrients (nitrate/phosphate) Once you are on a regular schedule you can start dosing to keep your alk in line. I like kalk.
Cheers! Mark