Kalkwasser

[jose hernandez]

What’s the best way to use kalkwasser debating between getting a reactor or using a pump

 

[blasterman]

There is no best way. So many variables involving how much tank water is evaporating, alk consumption, etc.

I prefer to manually top off as much as I can and then correct the difference in alk needs nightly with manual dosing.

Automatic dosing pumps work great as well, but I've found them mostly labor saving devices.

 

[arking_mark]

I prefer a Kalkwasser reactor for two main reasons:

1. No wear and tear on pumps
2. Precise and controllable dosing

 

[jose hernandez]

I have low ph as well so figure knock 2 birds one stone as far as parameters really not consuming much do have a bunch of corals but most are little bigger than common frags tank is 200 gallons as far as a reactor how does it work

 

[CourtNjoeZreef]

I use a dosing pump and add 30ml over the course of 7 adds per day to help steady things

 

[Stephen]

I've been using a kalk stirrer from Avast since they were called Grey Seas. Very happy with the results and build quality. The best part is I can order replacement parts directly from them if something needs to be replaced.

 

[arking_mark]

I have low ph as well so figure knock 2 birds one stone as far as parameters really not consuming much do have a bunch of corals but most are little bigger than common frags tank is 200 gallons as far as a reactor how does it work

There are several YouTube videos you can watch.

 

[jose hernandez]

besides ph does kalk raise calcium and alk not looking to raise either just trying to raise my ph and try to keep things stable does that make sense?

 

[RobB'z Reef]

besides ph does kalk raise calcium and alk not looking to raise either just trying to raise my ph and try to keep things stable does that make sense?

Kalk is not made for 'dosing' pH. Do not use it for that alone. It adds alkalinity and calcium in a fixed ratio. When dosed you will get a temporary rise in pH, but it's not really a good reliable solution alone in dealing with lower tank pH imo.

 

[jose hernandez]

ok so what are the benefits of using kalk ive read some reefers use it to raise ph and keep parameters stable im confused

 

[RobB'z Reef]

It's designed for adding calcium and alkalinity. The pH rise is just a bonus for some. But you said you didn't want to raise those two. If you are looking for a pH boost alone I'd look into reducing CO2 in your water first then see where you sit.

 

[RobB'z Reef]

ok so what are the benefits of using kalk ive read some reefers use it to raise ph and keep parameters stable im confused

Are you looking at using it to replace your current dosing additives?

 

[jose hernandez]

looking for ph boost tried it al c02 scrubber media was lasting about a week had the brs regular size scrubber then upgraded to the jumbo version lasted a couple of more days covered all the holes on my skimmer lid ran a line outside the window positioned my mp40s as much to the top still refugium light 24hrs a day but that was causing near 0 nutrients corals started to look bad so had to cut it down to really dont know what to do

 

[RobB'z Reef]

looking for ph boost tried it al c02 scrubber media was lasting about a week had the brs regular size scrubber then upgraded to the jumbo version lasted a couple of more days covered all the holes on my skimmer lid ran a line outside the window positioned my mp40s as much to the top still refugium light 24hrs a day but that was causing near 0 nutrients corals started to look bad so had to cut it down to really dont know what to do

Sounds like you've tried a bit then? I struggle with pH as my tank is in the basement and living in child weather climate, open windows isn't an option. I run an airline from outside to my CO2 scrubber as well and it does make a difference but doesn't get me all the way there. I have chaeto on a counter cycle as well.

Few questions..
What is the current range of your daily pH?
How often do you measure it?
How big is your tank?
What's your daily evaporation rate?
Have you calculated your daily dKH consumption?
What do you currently add for CA and alkalinity?

Kalk is my primary additive for those and needing a pH boost besides it definitely gets me even closer to my goal. I run around 8-8.2 daily right now. It would drop to a low of 7.8 or slightly less unless I was doing all that. I haven't tried a recirc scrubber yet.

 

[jose hernandez]

Ph 7.7 to 7.8 during the day 7.6 at
night
Have the apex ph probe i calibrate it and my salinity every 3 months
Don’t know my evaporation rate nor do I know my alk consumption I do have the trident to measure all 3 parameters

 

[RobB'z Reef]

Ph 7.9 during the day 7.6 at night
Have the apex ph probe i calibrate it and my salinity every 3 months
Don’t know my evaporation rate nor do I know my alk consumption I do have the trident to measure all 3 parameters but numbers are off compared to my Hanna test kits I use esv to dose alk cal mag

Rare for all test kits to agree. Use one and go from a consistency perspective. After dosing based on your trident readings, stop dosing for the next 5-7 days. Measure again around the time timer you last dosed at the end. Subtract the current reading from your initial reading and divide by the number of days to get your daily. Kalk is dependant on your EVAP and that's why it can be hard for some to use it with high all demand and low EVAP. Once you know your demand and your EVAP you can determine if kalk is a viable solution for you.

How's do you currently top off?

 

[GSnake]

I've used it in a 5 gallon bucket mixed weekly with ato light sensor and pump a few inches off bottom, using eggcrate.. worked pretty good. Don't know how long pump would last like that. Worked good though.

I've tried gravity drip before that with 2l bottles on slowest rate.
Recently was putting the powder in my new aquariums ato container but it clogs eventually .
Currently kalk gets mixed a few days in a bucket then I dump the clean saturated water in a 5 gallon tank and dosed every hour using one of four dosers on my dosing pump. This along with 2 part recipe is my newest and cleanest method of using my fav supplement.

 

[arking_mark]

ok so what are the benefits of using kalk ive read some reefers use it to raise ph and keep parameters stable im confused

Kalkwasser is a balanced Ca/Alk additive that also provides a temporary pH boost.

Since CaCO3 (calcium carbonate) is generally what coral is made from, Ca and Alk (carbonate) are consumed more or less equally in a tank. Hence why balanced additives are preferred by reefers.

If you slowly drip Kalkwasser (Ca(OH)2) into your tank you will get the benefit of replacing Ca/Alk and nice little constant bump to your pH.

 

[arking_mark]

looking for ph boost tried it al c02 scrubber media was lasting about a week had the brs regular size scrubber then upgraded to the jumbo version lasted a couple of more days covered all the holes on my skimmer lid ran a line outside the window positioned my mp40s as much to the top still refugium light 24hrs a day but that was causing near 0 nutrients corals started to look bad so had to cut it down to really dont know what to do

This worked for me...

Tuning a Skimmer / CO2 Scrubber for pH Control

On my reefing journey, I found Kalkwasse + Skimmer + CO2 Scrubber to be very effective for bringing my pH from 7.8 - 7.9 to 8.26 - 8.36. I guess most people would just leave it at that. However, I wanted to be more efficient with the CO2 scrubbing material so I wanted to implement a...

www.reef2reef.com

My Co2 scrubber is lasting about 2+ months.

 

[rhostam]

I used my Icecap Kalkwasser reactor for ca/Alk and the pH boost. I can maintain a pretty steady pH (8.2 - 8.3) and Alk/ca using it.

The flip side is that it uses 1/4” tubing and clogs at unpredictable intervals either the reactor outlet or at the dosing end of the tube. I’ve had either a mess in the mechanical room or a huge dump of KW into the tank when I least expect it. This all in spite of me checking daily and cleaning weekly. It required more work than I think it saved certainly compared to literally any other device/mechanism in the system.

I am thinking about making it pressurized and dosing that way, or using a spare DOS head to draw KW out of it from the top.

The alternative would be to try an Avast Marine Works reactor. They use larger fittings and might help avert disasters.