Is Kaulkwasser truly the BOMB?

[widdledink]

I am begining to convert my FOWLR tank into a Reef tank (don't worry, all my fish are reef safe :)) and I was talking to my LFS's last night...well one told me to use Kents liquid Calciam, and the other told me that I need to use Kaulkwasser. I am a bit lost here...I am not planning on jumping into corals that require alot of work. All I am wanting to do is add some simple corals like polops, mushrooms, and some simple softies. So, do I need to jump into the Kaulkwasser as well as watching my alk. very closely, or can I just add some of the Liquid Calcium.

And while we are on this subject...is there another product out on the market that will work just as well?

as all ways...tanks in advance.

Grady

[BrianH]

IMHO the two easiest ways of adding calcium to your tank is either with kalkawasser or Bionic. The benefits of both are maintaining clacium levels and stabalizing pH.

For some people Bionic is easier because it is a simple two part solution. part 1 is alkalinity & part 2 is the calcium. You simply add some of each daily and that is it. The drawback is that this can get pretty expensive depending on the size of your tank. I don't mind using this in tanks 25 gal & smaller.

For kalk, you simply mix a maximum of 2 teaspoons of the kalk powder to each gallon of RO water you use for evaporation. You then add this mixture(from the middle of the solution. you don't add the top or very bottom) in very small amounts usually overnite when the lights are out. You add it this way for 2 reasons. 1) The pH of this kalk solution is usually between 11 & 13. If you add it too quickly, you can raise the pH of your tank too quickly. Most people use the kent dosing jug or they use a dosing pump. 2)You add the kalk at night because this is when the pH of most tanks drops. Adding the kalk at night helps keep the pH in the tank stable over a 24 hr period. The advantage of kalk is the cost. You can get Mrs. Wages pickling lime(same thing as kalkawasser powder) for about $3.00 per lb. This should last at least 1 month unless you are dosing more than 1 gallon per day and you calcium demands are high.

Since you are planning on having corals that do not demand high calcium levels you may not need to add calcium. But you do need to keep your alk & pH stable. If you ever plan on adding any lps or sps corals, or any clams, you will need to keep your calcium levels at a minimum of 450 IMHO. If you do add calcium you will also see your coraline algae grow at a much faster rate. As with anything else you add to your tank, make sure you test your water for calcium, pH and Alk to make adjustments to your dosing schedule to keep these parameters in line.

JMHO

Brian

[widdledink]

If you ever plan on adding any lps or sps corals, or any clams, you will need to keep your calcium levels at a minimum of 450 IMHO.

Sorry for this simple question but what does "lps or sps corals" mean?

BTW, Thanks for the info. I guess my next investment will be a Calcum and Alk test kits so I don't blow the snot out of anything.

Does any one else have any thoughts?

[Guy W]

after getting Kalk dust in my eyes I won't be using the product again. I switched to a 2 part calcium system. It's easier to use and safer. The Kalk dust just floats out of the container when you open it up, or it did in my case, and I was in serious pain for a few days and after a trip to my eye doctor.

Plus putting the Kalk in via a drip wasn't easy for me. I had to set the drip on top oft he tank and it wasn't pretty. The 2 part system is just to simple to mess up and has been working fine.

for what it's worth.

[BrianH]

LPS stands for Long Polyp Stony corals(frogspawn, brain etc)
SPS stands for Small Polyp Stony corals (acropora, montipora etc)
Before getting into corals I would suggest you buy "Aquarium Corals" by Eric Borneman. It is a great book that gives you the tank demands of almost every coral you can buy on the market.

Guy mentions one other thing about kalk. The powder can be harmful so you should try not to inhale it. I jsut hold my breath but some people use those white masks you can get a home depot.

Another advantage to owning a dosing pump however is that once you get it dialed in to the correct addition of top offs every night, you just set it and leave it. I use a 3 gallon trash bucket which lasts me about 4 days. I fill it with the kalk mix and don't have to worry about top offs for that time period. It is even better when going on vacation. Then I use a 5 gallon bucket which lasts at least 7 days(depends on time of year). This is one less thing to worry a freind about when tending to your tank while your away. You can find these pumps on ebay for between $50 to $100.

Brian

[NanoMan]

im using an enternal feeding pump to add the kalkwasser. its great. i can adjust how much per hour and total dose.it even has an alarm to let me know when it is finished. the best part is the way it feeds i can put it under the tank and it runs up the hose and in to the tank. i have been using it for about two weeks and have about 5 large patches of lavender.

my girlfriend is a repiratory therapist.
thats how i got the pump.;)

[frosty]

im using an enternal feeding pump to add the kalkwasser

Where did you get the pump?

[mogurnda]

I had been using B-Ionic for a few years, then decided to switch over to kalk several months ago. I mix it up like Brian said, then put it in a reservoir (Kent AquaDose) to drip slowly into the tank. With this system I can leave the tank alone for a week (12 days is the record so far), and the Ca, alkalinity and specific gravity stay pretty constant.

The advantages:
1. kalk is a lot cheaper. Not a problem for the 20, but might be a bigger deal in a large tank.
2. the tank can be left alone for a week at a time.

The disadvantages:
1. With the load of corals and crunchy invertebrates I have, kalk doesn't keep the Ca and alk as high as I would like. I still have to add a little B-Ionic to keep them where i want them. A lot less, though.
2. Getting the drip rate right. That took a few weeks of trial and error. Each time I refill the reservoir, I have to get it right again. Not a problem if you get a dosing pump.

No matter what, you will hae to measure your calcium and alkalinity to know what to dose. Mushrooms and softies may not be as demanding, but softies still need Ca for thei sclerites.

[BrianH]

Morgurnda,

Dissolving the kalk powder in a vinegar solution will allow for a higher rate of kalk dissolved into the solution. Because of this you can add more than the maximum of 2 teaspoons per gallon. I'm not sure of the amount of vinegar but check the chemistry forum at RC and do a search for kalk. I'm pretty sure R. Farley lists the amounts there.

Brian

[mogurnda]

I'll check that out. I have seen the posts, but never actually read them. Thanks.

[wayne]

You might need to add calcium, but with the corals mentioned at the start you might get away with just water changes. You need to measure it to know. If demands are low, you might well be able to use a 2 part or bi-ionic solution, but these aren't practical if you have 200 gallons of acropora - your costs will be unreal. Kalkwasser was the original , and still works. You could also use a calcium reactor, and for a 200 gallon high demand tank, it will only take a few months before your 2 prat usage would have paid for one.
How do you use the vinegar solution? I can understand solution is much higher, but when do you add it. Why don't you just increase the pH of the kalkwasser to about 12, where Ca solution becomes much higher again?

[BrianH]

Wayne,

There is only so much kalk powder that can be dissolved into water. If your tank's calcium demands are higher than you can add dosing kalk you can dissolve tha kalk powder in vinegar to increase the amount of kalk dissolved into the solution. Please see the enclosed article for more info.
kalk&vinegar solution (http://www.animalnetwork.com/fish2/aqfm/1999/oct/bio/default.asp)

Brian

[mogurnda]

The other thing that vinegar does is provide organic carbon to keep alkalinity up. I have started the experiment. We'll see how it goes.

[wayne]

That's an interesting article. I am fully aware that there's only so much calc that can be added to a volume of water, but I'm also aware that that amount is at it's lowest at about pH 9 or 10. At higher pH's you can super saturate much higher amounts, but you then get problems with pH going up if you chuck in a solution at pH 12 or whatever.