Kalkwasser and SPS dominated Tanks 150-200g
- Thread starter fishy408
- Start date
Nobody I know that has a large SPS dominated tank (myself included) is able to cover consumption with kalkwasser alone. We are all using kalk to replace as much of the ATO water as possible, but it's not more than 1-2gallons in most cases which isn't enough kalk to offset the alk needs alone.
Nearly everyone is doing kalk + 2part or kalk + carx.
My tank is 2 years old and I am adding about 5L of kalk daily, which is what is evaporating daily. Can't add any more than that. Link to my journal is in my signature.
Nearly everyone is doing kalk + 2part or kalk + carx.
My tank is 2 years old and I am adding about 5L of kalk daily, which is what is evaporating daily. Can't add any more than that. Link to my journal is in my signature.
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I don't dose kalk on my current tank but you can calculate with "Kalk contribution calculator" - https://www.hamzasreef.com/Contents/Calculators/KalkContribution.php
Max amount of kalk you can dose is equivalent to your tank's evaporation rate.
Let do an example with the calculator above: tank volume = 150g, let assume the evaporation rate = 3g / day = 3g of kalk
With the calculator above, you will get addition of 2.47 dKH / day with kalk only ==> your tank's total alkalinity consumption. SPS corals may consume majority of that.
So you can dose kalk only basing on the tank's alkalinity consumption with the upper limit of 2.47 dKH/day
Max amount of kalk you can dose is equivalent to your tank's evaporation rate.
Let do an example with the calculator above: tank volume = 150g, let assume the evaporation rate = 3g / day = 3g of kalk
With the calculator above, you will get addition of 2.47 dKH / day with kalk only ==> your tank's total alkalinity consumption. SPS corals may consume majority of that.
So you can dose kalk only basing on the tank's alkalinity consumption with the upper limit of 2.47 dKH/day
It can be done for a while. Eventually Kalk can only take you so far. I tried it back in the day. It’s pretty far. Eventually Kalk will not be able to keep up and you’ll have to either abandon it for calcium reactor, two part or something similar.
Especially if you grow the easy stuff
Especially if you grow the easy stuff
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fishy408
Supporting Member
Thanks! Evaporation rate is key for kalkwasser. In my 40-gallon LPS tank, evaporation rate doesn't seem to be an issue, and I was hoping to use the same method of dosing that I was familiar with if I upgraded the tank and added Acropora. I'll check your tank journals and see the sps density 
.
.210 gallon SPS dominated. I'm currently dripping 1.52 gallons of kalk a day and running my calcium reactor at 45ml/min to keep up with the demand. You could increase the evaporation by blowing a fan across the water. I don't though because I don't want to be mixing up a new 55g barrel of kalk more than once a month.
Kalk slurry is another option but there's a different setup required and lots of risk
Kalk slurry is another option but there's a different setup required and lots of risk
RandyC
Supporting Member
Adding a fan will also cost you more heating costs because of evaporative cooling.
What?! That sounds like a horrible idea. Any chance you remember where or when he talked about this? I'd be very interested in listening to the whole conversation to understand that logic. It would only be a small amount that could be added to minimize precipitation. Which who would realistically want to do that multiple times per day?
I am currently using Sodium Hydroxide for my alk. A recent experiment that is going great. It's incredibly effective at providing high amounts of alk with far less liquid to dose. You would need to dose Ca separately though.
So in essence, you are doing a 2 part by adding CaCl to your dosing regimen. Add in some Tropic Marin A & K and Balling C and now you've got the Balling hybrid version and you're all set.
So in essence, you are doing a 2 part by adding CaCl to your dosing regimen. Add in some Tropic Marin A & K and Balling C and now you've got the Balling hybrid version and you're all set.
Alexander1312
Supporting Member
Since I am not allowed to comment on Kalkwasser, I am just pointing out a grammar concern. Kalkwasser is Kalk + Wasser, or in English, calcium hydroxide + water. So there is no such thing as dry Kalkwasser, which would be an oxymoron I believe.
And agree with Andy, as if precipitation was not bad enough in liquid / mixed form…
I wanted to laugh at your post just for this statement. I think you are mostly joking... right?
Your opinion is not wrong. Just different than how others feel because they are comfortable with it. Nothing wrong with that either.
tribbitt
Supporting Member
tribbitt
Supporting Member
Ok I went back to watch the video (link @ 2:07 where he talks about this )
He says that for every 50g of tank volume you can add 1/4tsp of calcium hydroxide to your tank once an hour without pH going too high. His claim being, the mixed limewater doesn't have to be a clear solution it can be cloudy and silty. Later he says "if [...] you've got an Apex controller and you build some kind of a robotic device you could theoretically just spoon in that powder"
When he talks about adding it by hand he does say to add it to some water, but if a lot of the powder isn't dissolving idk what that really does
Coral reefer
Past President
No joke. The international kalk Board has banned him from further comment
Nothing, has its pros and cons just like everything else.Maybe I missed something, but what's wrong with Kalk ?
Alexander1312
Supporting Member