IO salt vers. reef specific salts

[75galOCD]

Hello
Been reading about regular IO being preferred when using kalk for a couple reasons, one of those is the vitamins and other minerals are not added. "correct me if I got that wrong" So are the additives unnecessary or are they dosed?
I'm leaning toward 2 part when I add corals only because I'm unaware of efficient kalk methods. I did use the gravity ATO method with good results a decade ago but I don't like that process. Is there a preferred reactor that works with the auto ATOs? I'm not married to dosing the 2 part, kalk works well IME.
But if I use 2 part is there any benefit to using IO or stick with a reef specific salts?
Thank you

 

[Cory]

Ime I haven't heard of any specific salt being better to use with kalk.

I have read that magnesium isnt added much with limewater, and that may require you to dose it. Thus it may be better to use some salt mix with higher magnesium in it. This way when you do water changes it bumps up the mag a little.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

IMO, normal IO is a great salt to use with limewater (kalkwasser) because it has lower calcium, and limewater tends to very slowly raise calcium relative to alkalinity.

I don't care for vitamins in salt mixes, but that's because I store the new salt water where they could degrade, not because of the limewater.

IO is actually pretty good on magnesium, I boosted it in the mix, typically, but then my magnesium would run high.

 

[75galOCD]

Oh OK
Thanks
I think I will continue looking into the kalk process and see if it could work for me over dosing the 2 part.
When I used the kalk before with a float valve in my sump as a top off, the amount added was of course gradual. How does using the auto type ATO work out since it sends a burst of make up at a time or is the float valve the way to go for kalk?
Thank you

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Oh OK
Thanks
I think I will continue looking into the kalk process and see if it could work for me over dosing the 2 part.
When I used the kalk before with a float valve in my sump as a top off, the amount added was of course gradual. How does using the auto type ATO work out since it sends a burst of make up at a time or is the float valve the way to go for kalk?
Thank you

I delivered it for 20 years using a slow pump on a float switch. The slowness of the pump ensured it never went in fast.