Tropic Marin All-for-Reef plus Kalkwasser?

[AVVITT]

I have used both for about a year for the same reasons. Took a while to dial in but since then have had no issues.

So you have used all for reef AND kalkwasser with good results and no detrimental effects?

 

[Oldreefer44]

So you have used all for reef AND kalkwasser with good results and no detrimental effects?

Yes. Have to be a little patient because of the way AFR works but after that it is pretty easy. Have had several ICP tests and everything has been in line.

 

[AVVITT]

Yes. Have to be a little patient because of the way AFR works but after that it is pretty easy. Have had several ICP tests and everything has been in line.

So you've had no imbalances and it's improved pH?

 

[Oldreefer44]

So you've had no imbalances and it's improved pH?

Correct

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

So you've had no imbalances and it's improved pH?

Kalkwasser doesn’t cause imbalances, except very long term boosting of calcium if you maintain alk. It just doesn’t offset consumption of ions such as magnesium.

 

[AVVITT]

Correct

Lol. I don't understand this hobby sometimes.
Something that probably shouldn't work in the way we'd like, actually does!
I guess I should stick to the simple stuff that's easy to understand. So much conflicting info out there, something is just waiting to trip you up, just when you think you've worked something out. I thought working women out was difficult

 

[AVVITT]

Kalkwasser doesn’t cause imbalances, except very long term boosting of calcium if you maintain alk. It just doesn’t offset consumption of ions such as magnesium.

Forgive me for sounding stupid, but the only silly questions are the unasked ones right? So...... Say you're dosing all for reef and let's say for argument's sake, with a constant maintained dosage your alk sits at 8dkh, magnesium at 1400 and calcium at 400 and all is stable. Then you start to dose kalkwasser in addition to the afr at a rate which sits right with your evaporation etc.
I would assume your alk and calcium would begin to rise (as well as pH) so let's say after a given time your alk then rises to 9 dkh and calcium rises to 450 but your magnesium would stay the same (or possibly drop due to imbalance?)
Then in theory, kept at the same rate your cal and alk will continue to keep rising to undesirable levels? Or am I missing something?

 

[Oldreefer44]

One thing that youre not taking into account is that as corals grow there will be an increase in demand for all that you mention. There are so many variables such as tank size, bio-load, evaporation rate etc. Took me about a month but I am able to keep Alk between 8.2 and 8.4. PH at 8.2 to 8.3 and Cal at 420 to 435. Don't really worry about Mg. I replace all evaporation with Kalk. Am aware however that there will be adjustments necessary based on an increase in bio-load as well as seasonal variations in evaporation rates. No real difference than would happen if dosing 2 part or just AFR.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Forgive me for sounding stupid, but the only silly questions are the unasked ones right? So...... Say you're dosing all for reef and let's say for argument's sake, with a constant maintained dosage your alk sits at 8dkh, magnesium at 1400 and calcium at 400 and all is stable. Then you start to dose kalkwasser in addition to the afr at a rate which sits right with your evaporation etc.
I would assume your alk and calcium would begin to rise (as well as pH) so let's say after a given time your alk then rises to 9 dkh and calcium rises to 450 but your magnesium would stay the same (or possibly drop due to imbalance?)
Then in theory, kept at the same rate your cal and alk will continue to keep rising to undesirable levels? Or am I missing something?

You would not dose enough of either additive for alk and calcium to rise. you would dose just enough for alk to be stable.

For comparison purposes, I dosed kalkwasser alone for 20 years, with just a couple of other things like iron and silicate.my tank may have benefitted from other additives, but aside from water changes I never did them. I boosted the magnesium in my new IO because it was a bit low.

 

[FreeEnergyReefer]

Well I just mixed kalk n afr I really doubt I see any negative effects. Guess we'll see what happens

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Well I just mixed kalk n afr I really doubt I see any negative effects. Guess we'll see what happens

It will certainly be fine.

 

[WhatCouldGoWrong71]

@Randy Holmes-Farley I just read this thread. Do you have a write up on how to use kalk within your 2 part mix? Does it matter if you are ballin' ? (Not like Zo..., lol)

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

@Randy Holmes-Farley I just read this thread. Do you have a write up on how to use kalk within your 2 part mix? Does it matter if you are ballin' ? (Not like Zo..., lol)

By within it, do you just mean dosing to the same tank? None of the 2/3 parts can actually be combined together in the same container.

Aside from that, there’s nothing special about using both and many people do,

If using balling part C, base it’s amount on the 2 part use, independent of how much kalkwasser you use.

 

[Reef Puncher]

oh crap i mixed em together last night. to date ive been using kalk, but my trace was off so i swapped to all for reef, but then my ph wasnt as high so last night i was like imma mix em. hopefully thats not a problem. when i get home later tonight i can toss the mix if i have too...... that sucks i cant mix though. i dont even know what precipitates means.

Yes, it’s a problem. Among the things that will precipitate are magnesium hydroxide.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

oh crap i mixed em together last night. to date ive been using kalk, but my trace was off so i swapped to all for reef, but then my ph wasnt as high so last night i was like imma mix em. hopefully thats not a problem. when i get home later tonight i can toss the mix if i have too...... that sucks i cant mix though. i dont even know what precipitates means.

Addressed in the other thread.