Changing Kalk for All For Reef

[Chlorinated]

Hi all,

I currently use Kalk in my ATO. My dose is 1/8 tsp per gallon of top of water. I have a softy dominated tank, so consumption is low.

I dont mind Kalk, but I've been hurt before by accidentally dosing the "crud" left at the bottom of the resivor. I have since resolved that by mixing in a separate container and siphoning off the top water after I let it settle and adding that to my resivoir.....a lot of work. So, I am debating switching to All For Reef.

I see a couple positives to switching:
1. No crud
2. Liquid form, so minimal mixing
3. Added trace elements

The one downside I see is no pH increase, which is actually something I really like with Kalk.

My question is, what would be an "equivilant" dose of AFR? How much would I need to add per gallon of top off water for the same effect as Kalk?

Thoughts and opinions all welcome!

Thanks everyone!

 

[xxkenny90xx]

Hm I'm interested to see what everyone says about dosage. Fwiw in a softie dominated tank water changes with a good salt should be all you need to maintain Cal and alk

 

[Chlorinated]

Hm I'm interested to see what everyone says about dosage. Fwiw in a softie dominated tank water changes with a good salt should be all you need to maintain Cal and alk

The tank is softe dominated, but i have a mix of LPS and a sew SPS as well. If I dont dose anything my ALK drops quite a bit between water changes.

I do bi-weekly 20% water changes with Red Sea Coral Pro salr. The higher starting point of the mix helps stabilize everything, but i find adding the small amount if Kalk to the ATO really keeps things solid.

 

[xxkenny90xx]

The tank is softe dominated, but i have a mix of LPS and a sew SPS as well. If I dont dose anything my ALK drops quite a bit between water changes.

I do bi-weekly 20% water changes with Red Sea Coral Pro salr. The higher starting point of the mix helps stabilize everything, but i find adding the small amount if Kalk to the ATO really keeps things solid.

Ah gotcha!

 

[Chlorinated]

Ah gotcha!

Pic for reference

 

[flampton]

Not sure on dosage but can offer this tidbit. Buy the kit of dry powders for two reasons. One it will save you hundreds of dollars and two some people find their magnesium gets overly elevated. If you make your own you can control how much of each component goes in. You can even decide to use another trace element brand oif you have already had good results with it

 

[flampton]

Oh and im not sure it can be put in an ATO because the calcium formate may grow stuff, so I'd check that out as well

 

[BlennyTime]

We use the Avast kalk stirrer and an auto dosing pump, and it works perfectly. Like that the dose into the sump comes from the top of the chamber, so no issue with crud. Might want to look into it.

 

[User1]

I would start with their instructions. Below for reference.

I use the DIY recipe and find it a lot of fun to make and as already noted earlier will save you a lot of money. They are also coming out with a TM AFR power form later this month give or take a couple weeks. So you can buy the liquid, DIY components (BRS did a video on it), or their powder. Tropic Marin is really doing the hobbyist great by showing how we can make our own and saving money.

The calculator should get you started in the dose to maintain your levels.

ALL-FOR-REEF - Tropic Marin®

ALL-FOR-REEF is an easy- to-use, highly concentrated solution for the supply of ALL essential minerals and trace elements in reef aquariums.

www.tropic-marin-smartinfo.com

 

[Chlorinated]

Not sure on dosage but can offer this tidbit. Buy the kit of dry powders for two reasons. One it will save you hundreds of dollars and two some people find their magnesium gets overly elevated. If you make your own you can control how much of each component goes in. You can even decide to use another trace element brand oif you have already had good results with it

I hadn't thought of the formate growing anything. I can definitely look into that.

We use the Avast kalk stirrer and an auto dosing pump, and it works perfectly. Like that the dose into the sump comes from the top of the chamber, so no issue with crud. Might want to look into it.

I use so little I think a stirrer would be overkill if I am honest. I like the idea though. Just trying to keep up the stability while keeping the hands on to a minimum.

I prefer to watch, not tinker lol

 

[HuduVudu]

Hi all,

I currently use Kalk in my ATO. My dose is 1/8 tsp per gallon of top of water. I have a softy dominated tank, so consumption is low.

I dont mind Kalk, but I've been hurt before by accidentally dosing the "crud" left at the bottom of the resivor. I have since resolved that by mixing in a separate container and siphoning off the top water after I let it settle and adding that to my resivoir.....a lot of work. So, I am debating switching to All For Reef.

I see a couple positives to switching:
1. No crud
2. Liquid form, so minimal mixing
3. Added trace elements

The one downside I see is no pH increase, which is actually something I really like with Kalk.

My question is, what would be an "equivilant" dose of AFR? How much would I need to add per gallon of top off water for the same effect as Kalk?

Thoughts and opinions all welcome!

Thanks everyone!

I agree with @BlennyTime, get a Kalk stirrer. Used in conjunction with a doser it is crazy easy and not at all messy. I use a Reef Octo. I think getting a reputable brand is all that is necessary.

 

[Chlorinated]

I would start with their instructions. Below for reference.

I use the DIY recipe and find it a lot of fun to make and as already noted earlier will save you a lot of money. They are also coming out with a TM AFR power form later this month give or take a couple weeks. So you can buy the liquid, DIY components (BRS did a video on it), or their powder. Tropic Marin is really doing the hobbyist great by showing how we can make our own and saving money.

The calculator should get you started in the dose to maintain your levels.

ALL-FOR-REEF - Tropic Marin®

ALL-FOR-REEF is an easy- to-use, highly concentrated solution for the supply of ALL essential minerals and trace elements in reef aquariums.

www.tropic-marin-smartinfo.com

thanks for the info. The cost savings I am not super worried about as I feel my dose will be quite small to match the 1/8 teaspoon/gallon. I imagine the 1L bottle may last a while. However without calculating out the difference it is very hard to say.

@Randy Holmes-Farley any guidance as to converting my small dose of Kalk to AFR, and if there are any issues adding AFR to my ATO as far as bacterial growth or degradation? Thanks!

 

[SDLlama]

Once metabolized, I believe full strength AFR has a bicarbonate concentration of approximately 0.6761 dKH per ml per gallon of tank water. Put another way, 67.61ml of AFR is required to raise a water volume of 100 gallons by 1dKH. This is based on the calculator on the Tropic Marin website and also backed up by my personal experience.

If it's possible to dilute AFR into your ATO reservoir, the issue you're going to run into is variable top off volumes per day depending on seasonal relative humidity swings resulting in inconsistent dosing amounts. However, you're already in this situation with Kalk and it looks to be working for you.

Perhaps @Lou Ekus can comment on whether AFR can be diluted in top off water and how the metabolism of calcium formate might occur in that situation.