AJreefs
Active Member
so I'm thinking which system works better for someone new at dosing. would you use talc water or would you does 2 part and lastly I was considering a combination. what are the pros and cons of each system, thanks.
New b to dosing; kalk or 2part
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AJreefs
Active Member
what size tank and how much evoporation are you seeing? Do you mix your kalk seperately and avoi slurry or just add it all? etc etc
Do you contrl the qty added or how is that set up on the apex
toejam
Active Member
I have a 180 250 total volume. I guess around 3 gallons of evaporation a day. I add less than half a cup to 32 gallon brute ato water. I add more or less when I top off my ato based on my alk number.
KSzegi
Valuable Member
I think the answer will depend mostly upon your individual system....size, evaporation amounts, stocking and demand, etc.....
The benefit of kalkwasser is that along with maintaining calcium/alk levels it is also an aid in removing phosphate and other heavy metals, keeps a high ph, is cheap and relatively simple to use though probably a bit 'trickier' than two part. You are more limited to how much you can add by the amount of evaporation, a bit higher of an overdose risk than 2 part, and not necesarily recommended for tanks that run a high ph. And kalkwasser alone may not be enough for a tank with heavy demand.
With two part - there is no limit to addition amount, if you make your own it is relatively inexpensive also, fairly low risk of an overdose, can be adjusted for increasing levels rather than just maintenance of levels - and can adjust levels individually. On the 'bad' side .... over time you will have to monitor your salinity level.
I use two part dosing for my tanks and have been very happy with it. My tanks run at a fairly high ph and even my large system does not have that much daily evaporation and so I don't feel that kalkwasser alone would be near enough to maintain my levels and I would end up dosing two part in conjunction with it anyway. I'm running on the 'if it ain't broke don't fix it' idea with the two part ......I don't see enough additional benefits in my particular systems to switch or use both.
Don't think you can really go wrong using either .... or a combination of.
The benefit of kalkwasser is that along with maintaining calcium/alk levels it is also an aid in removing phosphate and other heavy metals, keeps a high ph, is cheap and relatively simple to use though probably a bit 'trickier' than two part. You are more limited to how much you can add by the amount of evaporation, a bit higher of an overdose risk than 2 part, and not necesarily recommended for tanks that run a high ph. And kalkwasser alone may not be enough for a tank with heavy demand.
With two part - there is no limit to addition amount, if you make your own it is relatively inexpensive also, fairly low risk of an overdose, can be adjusted for increasing levels rather than just maintenance of levels - and can adjust levels individually. On the 'bad' side .... over time you will have to monitor your salinity level.
I use two part dosing for my tanks and have been very happy with it. My tanks run at a fairly high ph and even my large system does not have that much daily evaporation and so I don't feel that kalkwasser alone would be near enough to maintain my levels and I would end up dosing two part in conjunction with it anyway. I'm running on the 'if it ain't broke don't fix it' idea with the two part ......I don't see enough additional benefits in my particular systems to switch or use both.
Don't think you can really go wrong using either .... or a combination of.
debben69
Community Member
I control the calcium and alk individualy. Each pump is programed to run for 4 minutes every 1/2 hour every other 12 hours. Alk at night, Calcium during the day. Each pump is 1.1 ml per minute. So at 4 minutes that doses 105.6 ml in the 12 hour period.
creefer
Valuable Member
Good thread. For those of you using kalk, are you using a kalk reactor or simply mixing the solution in a sealed container that is used as top off? I just set up a new tank and have been struggling with going to 2-part or going the kalk route. I ran kalk in the ato on my old system and once I did, everything took off and the tank did well. It made me want to get a reactor but continued mixing solution and using it as my top off water. It then occurred to me that 2-part with the controller would be better but I keep coming back to kalk.
Confused....
Confused....
