Dosing Kalkwasser and test kit question

What are your guys' opinions on needing to dose Kalkwasser? I've been researching it trying to figure out weather I should start dosing it or not. I know the golden rule though, don't dose for anything you cant test for so I wanted to get a recommendation for calc, alk, and mag test kits. I purchased the API basic test kit (pH, ammonia, trites, and trates) when I first started about a year ago. But I hear mixed reviews on API so thought I better ask.

Overall, I have been pretty good about water changes. I do a 10 gal every week with a 20 thrown in here and there for my 92 gallon tank. There was maybe a period or 2 where I slacked on the water changes. My tank is not heavily stocked in terms of corals. Based on what i have seen for stocking in terms of other people's tanks, I would say its a low stock consisting mostly of LPS and some softies (no sps yet but would like try some down the line).

In my tank my LPS seem to live, but to say they thrive may be a bit much. There has been growth on alot of the corals but I think (perhaps unrealistically) that there could be more. I havn't been able to definitively conclude if this is a diet problem(not feeding enough phyto or mysis), a lighting problem, or a chemical(calc, alk, mag) problem.

TL1000RSquid said:

Well API is ok for basics, for your mag, cal, alk I would look into salifert or red sea. What kind of lighting were you running? How often are you feeding?

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Lighting I'm using a marineland reef capable 36 inch fixture, 2 ecoxotic stunner strips, and 2 more LED strips with 35 1 watt LED's between the both of them.

For feeding I've only been doing phyto once a week and only half the recommended dose because I've heard that it can easily pollute the water. Other than that, I feed mysis to my brain and my bubble corals once a week at night.

Alright in that case I guess I wont make a move until I test so I know exactly what's going on.

Also, while I was looking stuff up I came across Kalkwasser and something else called 2 part. If my understanding is correct, Kalkwasser is the already combined solution that will add Ca and Alk into my tank and 2 part adds these things seperately? Is that correct? It looks like the Kalkwasser package on BRS comes with 2 seperate CaCl and NaHCO3 powders to elevate the Calc and Alk levels to the right levels before dosing with Kalkwasser. I also found the 2 part starter package on BRS as well.

http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/brs-2-part-calcium-alkalinity-starter-package-pre-portioned.html



http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/brs-2-part-calcium-alkalinity-starter-package-pre-portioned.html


Which one of these gets your pick? Or is there some place even better?

TL1000RSquid said:

I've used a 2 part solution before just not from BRS.. I'm sure the BRS one is good to go though I've always had success with their products. If you're willing to buy the right setup for kalk its good stuff if you in fact need it, but it can be a pain if you have some DIY rig setup, might want to look at the stuff that you dose every every couple days in one shot instead. I had a gravity fed, airline tubing drip kalk setup before i got right and bought a dosing pump a proper setup makes things run alot smoother and no unsightly stuff above the tank.

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Yeah I was watching some of the BRS videos on the topic and they mentioned that most people start dosing calc and alk by doing the grav drip kalkwasser. It seems like a relatively cheap method of getting your calc and alk levels pretty near the right levels. I dont think I have the funds to spend on seperate dosing pumps and such for a 2 part system so I'm leaning towards the kalkwasser drip atm.