Kalkwasser AND Two Part?

[Mono]

I use kalk and 2-part. You will be limited by your evaporation rate as to how much kalk you can use. I dose up to 80% of my evaporation rate with saturated kalk. I then use 2-part to make up the rest of the demand. By doing this you eliminate a lot of the salinity issue and get a greater benefit of increased ph.

That's what I'm hoping to achieve. Plus, Kalk is cheap and proven. Back to the future.

 

[hart24601]

Thanks Randy. I've been using the new and improved true two part which you and Welsh came up with. It's been working great, fwiw.

IMO if using the new 2 part there is no reason to run kalk since you’re getting the ph boost there. I moved off that new formula as I was getting too much precipitation in the lines.

 

[Mono]

IMO if using the new 2 part there is no reason to run kalk since you’re getting the ph boost there. I moved off that new formula as I was getting too much precipitation in the lines.

Yeah, it's definitely not necessary. I just thought I might sort of capture the best of both worlds. Less NaCl creep with Kalkwasser and it gives a little more umph to the Calc. I use IO which is pretty stingy on the Calc anyway. And the stuff is cheap and proven. So, why aren't I using it? Just thought I'd give it a try.

 

[hart24601]

Yeah, it's definitely not necessary. I just thought I might sort of capture the best of both worlds. Less NaCl creep with Kalkwasser and it gives a little more umph to the Calc. I use IO which is pretty stingy on the Calc anyway. And the stuff is cheap and proven. So, why aren't I using it? Just thought I'd give it a try.

Do you find the salt increase to be a big issue in your system? I never noticed it in mine.

 

[ARBurke]

I'm no chemist, expert, or anything of the like. So take what I have to say as it just my own personal experience. My system is a 75 gallon display with about 15 gallons in the sump, so I dose everything as 90 gallons respectively. My ATO is plumbed into a kalk reactor (Two Little Fishies kalk stirrer). Yeah, it's super inconsistent in exactly how much it doses from day to day, but I have enough coral mass in my tank that I don't think it matters. Every time my ATO tops off the tank, theoretically it's topping off with saturated kalk. RHF had a good article regarding saturated kalkwasser. Essentially, he states that it's very difficult to overdose kalk, as whatever doesn't get used will just precipitate out into the water column. I've never noticed an issue with my tank other than pH being high temporarily. However, with dosing saturated kalk through a reactor and ATO, I've noticed my pH always remains over 8.2, but never exceeds 8.6. To make up any difference in dKh or Ca, I do dose two-part.

Without specific numbers for anything, I don't necessarily find that my reply to this post is helpful. I will say that my tank is acropora and montipora heavy with a couple zoas, blastos, and a duncan colony. That's all she wrote really. So for me, dosing kalk through a reactor connected to my ATO as well as two part (BRS calcium chloride and sodium bicarbonate) works in my tank. Is it efficient? Probably not. Is it the best solution? We'll see long term. Do I want to do something else? You bet, I'd rather use kalk and a calcium reactor, but I don't have the room at the moment. Am I done asking myself questions? Never, but on this post I am! Take care!

I have the same volume; how much kalk are you dosing ker day?

 

[medicw131]

I have the same volume; how much kalk are you dosing ker day?

Oh I'm not exactly sure. Probably about 1 gallon of saturated kalk every day and a half. I'm a terrible reefer and don't pay attention to how much evaporates. Lol

 

[BiggestE222]

Does anyone run Kalkwasser and two part?

I've been running Randy's true two part for about a year.

I'm currently dosing about 200ml/day of Alk and Calc with about 180g total system volume (125g display, 40g frag, 55 sump, 20g refugium)

Things have been working out fine lately, so why not fix them!

I've just started dosing Kalkwasser since I had an extra dosing head and some lime around. Why not?

I probably lose about 2 gallons/day in evaporation or about 1%.

I'm thinking of slowly ramping up my dosing of kalkwasser to 1 gallon/day.

This would be significantly below my top-off needs so as not to mess up my top-off system too much.

And then slowly stepping back my two part dosing.

Any thoughts on this approach. ?
Not worth the extra complication of running too additive systems?

Best way to capture the advantages of each?

Thanks

I just dumped the osmolator and now use kalwasser as top off. Dose about 2 liters a day as I lose 2 liters a day in my 200 liter tank. Not sure why so much but probably due to reefcrest mode and surface to air movement. My KH stays at 12. I add calcium and magnesium 5 MLS a day

 

[gerajn01]

I did this in my nano for a long time. I dosed Kalk during the night multiple times on a doser. This helped keep Ph up at night. I set it to keep up with my evaporation rate.

Kalk did not keep up with what My tank was using so I dosed 2 part as well during the day.

When I only dosed 2 part my salinity increased over time. When dosing mainly Kalk with some 2 part, It did not.

One major mistake I made was to add vinegar to make the Kalk more potent. This acted as a carbon source in my tank and nutrients plummeted to 0. I did not realize what was happening and some corals RTNed and I got Dino’s.

Wait... So what was the reaction? I'm currently (just started) dosing vodka to help lower my nitrates and phosphates but I want to start using Kalk.... Is this combo a "no-go"?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Wait... So what was the reaction? I'm currently (just started) dosing vodka to help lower my nitrates and phosphates but I want to start using Kalk.... Is this combo a "no-go"?

Not sure what combo you mean, but there is nothing wrong with combining limewater (kalkwasser), any two part, and organic carbon dosing.

 

[gerajn01]

Not sure what combo you mean, but there is nothing wrong with combining limewater (kalkwasser), any two part, and organic carbon dosing.

Sorry, after furthering my education inrelise that the individual added vinegar to the Kalk to make it more potant but inadvertantly caused the nutrients to his zero because the vinegar also acted as a carbon source

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Sorry, after furthering my education inrelise that the individual added vinegar to the Kalk to make it more potant but inadvertantly caused the nutrients to his zero because the vinegar also acted as a carbon source

Yes, too much organic carbon dosing can be an issue, however it is accomplished.

 

[BiggestE222]

Yes, too much organic carbon dosing can be an issue, however it is accomplished.

I heard about adding vodka as a need if your evaporation is not adequate to allow dosing to cover top off. Seems like an ok option but I don’t have that problem. My tank evaporation is about 4% daily.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I heard about adding vodka as a need if your evaporation is not adequate to allow dosing to cover top off. Seems like an ok option but I don’t have that problem. My tank evaporation is about 4% daily.

Not vodka. That accomplishes nothing. It's vinegar that can be added to kalkwasser (limewater) to dissolve a bit more.

 

[mfollen]

Bumping this thread to determine what is the correct type of magnesium supplement for a kalkwasser & 2part dosing setup.

Thank you!

 

[dwest]

Bumping this thread to determine what is the correct type of magnesium supplement for a kalkwasser & 2part dosing setup.

Thank you!

I do kalk and 2 part. Magnesium is mostly supplied by water changes. I very infrequently add Mg via mixture of MgCl2 and MgSO4 solution that I mix from BRS.

 

[MichaelReefer]

I use a kalk stirrer and 2 part... the 2 part wont keep my PH high enough, nor will my Co2 scrubber.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Bumping this thread to determine what is the correct type of magnesium supplement for a kalkwasser & 2part dosing setup.

Thank you!

It isn't critical, but the recipe here is matched for only kalkwasser dosing:

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-07/rhf/index.php

Using both Epsom salts and MAG flake, dissolve 7¼ cups MAG flake and ¾ cup Epsom salts in one gallon of water, and use that to supplement magnesium in amounts determined using this linked online calculator, with the entry "Randy's Recipes 1 and 2 Versions A and B," and ignore for this purpose what those designations mean. This recipe is preferred, but its advantage over recipe #2 is minimal in most cases.

and for only a third part to a two part:

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/rhf/index.php

Recipe #1, Part 3A

Dissolve Epsom salts (3 cups) and magnesium chloride hexahydrate sold by the Dead Sea Works company (5 cups) in enough purified freshwater to make 1 gallon total volume. There will likely be a precipitate that forms even if you fully dissolve both ingredients separately. That precipitate is calcium sulfate (calcium as an impurity in the magnesium chloride and sulfate from the Epsom salts). It is fine and appropriate to dose the precipitate along with the remainder of the fluid by shaking it up before dosing.

This solution is added much less frequently than the other two parts. Each time you finish adding a gallon of both parts of Recipe #1, add 610 mL (2 ½ cups) of this stock solution. You can add it all at once or over time as you choose, depending on the aquarium's size and set up. Add it to a high flow area, preferably a sump. In a very small aquarium, or one without a sump, I suggest adding it slowly.

The first time it's added, I recommend adding just a small portion and making sure there isn't any problem (such as corals closing up due to stress) before adding the remainder. Make sure corals and other organisms don't get blasted with locally high concentrations of the main ingredients or impurities, or else they may become stressed. This solution contains about 47,000 ppm magnesium, 70,000 ppm sulfate and 86,000 ppm chloride.

If you use both a two part and kalkwasser, use either one or a recipe in between them.

 

[mfollen]

Thank you very much Randy, Michael & dwest

Randy thanks for the helpful directions, I will turn to this for long term use. For immediate use, I have the BRS general adjustment pharma mix which is 7 1/4 c. Magnesium Chloride : 1/2 c. Magnesium Sulfate

Seems like that should be the right solution to maintain magnesium with a kalkwasser & 2 part dosing setup?

Thanks again

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Thank you very much Randy, Michael & dwest

Randy thanks for the helpful directions, I will turn to this for long term use. For immediate use, I have the BRS general adjustment pharma mix which is 7 1/4 c. Magnesium Chloride : 1/2 c. Magnesium Sulfate

Seems like that should be the right solution to maintain magnesium with a kalkwasser & 2 part dosing setup?

Thanks again

That's a fine recipe for that purpose, yes.

 

[thatmanMIKEson]

I do kalk and 2 part. Magnesium is mostly supplied by water changes. I very infrequently add Mg via mixture of MgCl2 and MgSO4 solution that I mix from BRS.

Idk I add mag every day...