Talk me in/out if Kalkwasser

[Scooter90254]

Like the title says I’m thinking about trying Kalk in my ATO. Tunze Osmolator.

This will be my first time using Kalk. My other option is a couple dosing pumps and two part which I’ve done before.

If I go with Kalk should I run a pump in my holding tank to mix it?

How long on average will Kalk keep a tank balanced? Mixed reef? Or will I end up dosing fairly quickly anyway.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I used limewater (kalkwasser) via ATO for 20 years as the only method on my system. In an SPS heavy system, it likely won't be enough. Mine was a mixed reef.

The con to limewater in an ATO is uneven dosing day to day based on evaporation, which may lead to alkalinity changes. limewater via dosing pump covering most, but not all of the daily evaporation, removes that variability.

Very long term, limewater allows calcium to rise relative to alk. If you use a lower calcium higher alk mix (like normal IO), this concern mostly goes away.

You do not want to mix limewater after the initial dissolution. It degrades it by driving in CO2.

This has more:

What Your Grandmother Never Told You About Lime by Randy Holmes-Farley - Reefkeeping.com
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-01/rhf/index.htm

 

[Scooter90254]

Thank you sir. That answers all of my questions.

 

[SneakyTortuga]

the first couple of months i used alk to keep my alk/cal stable and it did a perfect job. no i continue to use it for the added benefit of raising my ph ( which is constantly low)

 

[JerseyReefer]

Be careful. I had an alkalinity spike and it burned my SPS. I assume once you get it dialed in you are good to go, but I abandoned ship before that happened. Plus I found the precipitation in the ATO bucket annoying.