Kalkwasser and Alkalinity

[Paolissimo]

I use kalk with a reactor on my mixed reef tank. It's a 75gal tank not very heavy on sps, but I would like to slowly change that. I been checking my kalk for the past 2 month, my average Kalk is 7.7, it doesn't go below that and only goes past 8 after a water changes, which is 30gal twice a week with esv salt, but i will change to reef crystal. My question is, do I have to supplement Kalk with something else? I been reading threads of tanks with sps, and Kalkwasser doesn't seem the way to go to keep kalk above 8.
Thank you

 

[Psyko]

Are you meaning "7.7 alk"?

What are your calcium and magnesium levels at?

Kalk is more for helping to maintain levels rather then elevate them. Its best to supplement alk, calcium, mag and ph to your desired levels and then using kalk to maintain those levels. I've ran a kalk reactor for about a year now on a mixed reef and my levels have been consistent. I brought all my levels up slowly to where I wanted them and use the kalk reactor (controlled by my PH prob on the RKE) to maintain those levels. I did notice that over the course of the year, my mag slipped down a bit so I supplemented some.

Alk: 9dkh
calcium:440
ph: 8.3
Mag:1440

Also,your water changes seem to be very large for a 75 gallon. I would shoot for 10% to 20% max as larger water changes as a routine will disrupt your reef's balance not to mention costly and labor intensive. This is my understanding, maybe someone can chime in with more details.

 

[Paolissimo]

yes alk is 7.7 dkh my calcium is 450 and mag 1500

 

[Psyko]

Sounds like you just need to bring your alk up and then use kalk to help keep it stable. The large water changes may diltue your efforts of bringing the alk up as well.

 

[Greenstreet.1]

Don't know if this will help but I run what you can say is a mix reef but mainly sps lots of it lol. My setup is a 75g using ESV salt BRS two part with dosing pumps for Alk & Cal mag manually dose my levels
8
421
1400
Ph8.3 lights on 8.2 lights out
1.026
I do water change every two weeks 10g I don't run kalk was thinking about it but my levels stay steady without it so never did.
Why do you want to change your salt mix ? Do you know that with esv you can mix the levels to what you want them to be ?

 

[Paolissimo]

The only reason i want to switch salt, is because 1)i hate the mixing of all the ingredients 2)i been talking to a few people that have sps tanks and they use reef crystal. John Coppolino uses it and he it obviously works for him. Is this what you use from BRS?

BRS 2 Part Calcium & Alkalinity Total Package with Dosers - Bulk Reef Supply
Thanks

 

[Greenstreet.1]

The only reason i want to switch salt, is because 1)i hate the mixing of all the ingredients 2)i been talking to a few people that have sps tanks and they use reef crystal. John Coppolino uses it and he it obviously works for him. Is this what you use from BRS?


BRS 2 Part Calcium & Alkalinity Total Package with Dosers - Bulk Reef Supply
Thanks

Yes that's the same I use my apex to control the pumps. Yea when I first started with the salt it was a pain but after I found my mix it was 123 after that good luck on the new salt.

 

[Paolissimo]

ohh I been using ESV for years, its great salt, i go by weight so I know how much i need,and like i said after a water chage Alk is above 8, exactly where i want it to be, but after a week it goes down. Also reef crystal is a cheaper, which means more money for frags :bigsmile:

 

[mtk]

Hey paolissimo.
Let me guess, You were at the last BAS meeting.

 

[Paolissimo]

yeah i was!!!, and i said to my self, why spent $100 on salt when this guy uses reef crystal and he's got an actual reef in his basement! Did you stay for the auction? How much did the sun coral go for?

 

[Greenstreet.1]

That's why I'm happy to have on of the best LFS not to far from me I get it for 64$ 200g

 

[Paolissimo]

Nahh here I have seen it between 99 and 80

 

[Greenstreet.1]

The most u pay if they don't have is 70 from one of the vendor on my local forum.

 

[Greenstreet.1]

Sorry I should be I not u. iPhone

 

[Paolissimo]

ISGON26? lol

 

[Greenstreet.1]

ISGON26? lol

Yea big T use to get my brightwell salt and all my other brightwell products from him when I was using all brightwell great guy.

 

[Paolissimo]

Yeah tito is good guy..He is in the city i am in bk, nobody sells esv locally, manhattan aquarium wants $99. Reef crystal i can find it locally. I am guess you are on manhattanreefs?

 

[Greenstreet.1]

Yes I'm on there also same screen name I use to live in bk he use to deliver to me you should ask if I he will drop it to you.

 

[mtk]

No Idea what it sold for. I left after he finished speaking. I had driven 3 hrs to here him speak to only have him not give a in depth discussion because there was only a few of us that knew what SPS stands for. Not sure why the paid to fly him down. Needless to say I was a little annoyed.