Time to switch to 2 part just in time for vacation?

[PugsAndFish]

I have a 45 gallon tank that's been up for 3 months or so now. It was an upgrade from a 10 gallon nano tank. It's a mixed reef with many zoas, the usual LPS like acans and euphyllia, and a bit of SPS now too.

Tanks doing well and I've been using kalkwasser. However it seems like kalkwasser isn't able to keep alk stable. I bought the BRS package and added Ca, Alk, and Mag to bring them up to the levels I want. Then I mixed 2 tsp of kalk in a 1 gallon jug and just dose 400ml of kalk a day using a doser. Should I just dose more or is it time to switch to 2 part?

The concern is I'll be going away for vacation for 17 days. During that time I'll have to rely on my brother to replace the 1 gallon kalk jug I will have premixed at the end of the week. Plus the alk might just drop too much while I'm gone. I feel like 2 part may be easier just for the sake of easy maintenance while I'm gone. What do you think?

 

[Breadman03]

IMO, it all depends on whether you have time to make the switch, track changes, tune in your dosing, and ensure your dosing gear is reliable and properly set up. How long until you leave?

 

[PugsAndFish]

IMO, it all depends on whether you have time to make the switch, track changes, tune in your dosing, and ensure your dosing gear is reliable and properly set up. How long until you leave?

mid april

 

[Breadman03]

mid april

That should give you time to get it stabilized. As a failsafe, I'd only leave enough 2 part in the reservoirs to meet your demand for the trip. The will cap an overdose to a few days worth of consumption instead of........?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

If you have enough evaporation for the limewater to meet the demand, its a fine way to go. I used it alone for 20 years.

The two part is also fine, and will have a higher ability to meet demand that is evaporation limited when using limewater.

 

[PugsAndFish]

@Randy Holmes-Farley I use a BRS doser with a 1 gallon container rather than my ATO just cause I dont want to keep cleaning my ATO reservoir and pump. I put 2 tsp of kalkwaser in the 1 gallon jug and dose 450ml of kalk throughout the day every 30 minutes. My alk still drops like .3-.4 each day. Am I at a point where I need to supplement with 2 part or do you think I need to just up the total amount of kalk dosed and if so, how much? My tank is a Red Sea 170 tank so 45 gallons of water total.

 

[jtl]

I evaporate up to a gallon per day on a 100 gallon system and lime water at 1 tsp per gallon so far is working fine. I have almost all lps with some sps and am adding more. I probably have 70 corals at the moment most are small colonies.

 

[PugsAndFish]

I evaporate up to a gallon per day on a 100 gallon system and lime water at 1 tsp per gallon so far is working fine. I have almost all lps with some sps and am adding more. I probably have 70 corals at the moment most are small colonies.

I bought some 2 part. I think my issue is that I'm not adding enough kalk solution. I put in a gallon of saturated kalk each week. Probably way too low. I don't think it's feasible to refill my kalk container every other day or something so I think I'll ust do 2 part and continue to supplement kalk wit ha dripper