New Kalkwasser setup for dummies?

Balz3352

Active Member
View Badges
Joined
May 5, 2014
Messages
498
Reaction score
253
Rating - 0%
0   0   0
Hey guys. Just got my avast k1 kalk stirrer set up and also set up my dos for it. I guess I don't know where to start on. Dosing amd. When or how much. Im not relying kff off ato because evap changes too much for me. Ive beem trending alk. Amd calcium but how do I know what to dose how oftem?


Thanks

Sorry if this is in the wrong section.
 
Tank has been cycled and perams stable for a few months now. Stable enough to add corals.

Ph 7.95-8.0 pre coral (hence the kalk)
Post 8.0

Alk pre-corals 146ppm hanna checker
Alk post few frags low 130s ppm

Calc pre 460 hanna
Post 445

Started by adding 150ml daily via stirrer and apex dos.

Ding dos because my evap changes drastically due to living in CO....



I put a cup of kalk in my stirrer added ro and let it settle for 6 hours before dosing. I hope that's right.

I would appreciate a rundown on maintenance of kalk. I have read I need to Change out the kalk every 2 weeks is this true?

What else can I answer.
 
Oh forgot to mention. 215 gallon probably another 60 in the sump.
 
You need to test your water and add whatever kalk you need to keep alk and Ca steady. In the beginning that will require you to test frequently and change the amount often. As things settle down you will be adding alk and Ca at the same rate your tank is using them. Then the amounts will gradually change and you add corals, corals grow, etc. Test less often and when they start to go down increase the amount of kalk.

There is no if your tank is this big add this much. A large tank with little coral will need much less kalk than a small tank full of SPS. And, as corals grow over time, hopefully, and bigger corals need more stuff the amount you need will change over time.

Also, at some point, if you have a lot of hungry corals, you may not be able to give the tank enough stuff with kalk and you will have to move to 2 part or a calcium reactor. A bittersweet day since it shows that you can maintain and grow a tank, but it is going to cost more now.
 
Bumping this.... I keep dosing more and more no matter what I do my alk is consistently in the 7.7 range. I have very little demand because I don't have very many corals. Trying to get the perams rock solid before messing that up.

I have 2 sps frags, an acan, a rbta, and 5 or six zoa frags in my 215. (about 300 gallons total). I'm dosing 2.5l of kalkwasser via a stirrer a day. Any ideas or is this about right?


Ultimately going to put a calc reactor on this tank once kalk can't keep up.
 

IF YOU HAD TO TAKE A REEFING EXAM, WOULD YOU PASS?

  • Yes!

    Votes: 32 45.7%
  • Not yet, but I have one that I want to buy in mind!

    Votes: 9 12.9%
  • No.

    Votes: 26 37.1%
  • Other (please explain).

    Votes: 3 4.3%
Back
Top