Kalk
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Dosing Kalk is a good way to keep both Ca & Alk in "a" balance, but not always "your" balance. I dose kalk in all (three) of my tanks, and for the most part, it is mostly balanced. Things just may not adjust to what your used to, if for example you like your dkh at say 9.0, but your system doesn't use as much Ca as it does Alk, your Ca levels can get higher than you like, and equally reversed. This is fairly easy to overcome by manually dosing periodically to bring levels back in line, and for me, that means bumping my alk once or twice a month. Kalk requires quite a bit of testing in the beginning to get a feel for the dose and make adjustments. There are also a number of different ways to dose kalk, from premixing your top off water, to reactors, to drip dosing, and a couple others if you were to get creative. Bulk Reef Supply has some good information on some of the different methods. I'll add the links below. I can help you fine tune once you decide on a method you'd like to pursue. Until I figure out how to include multiple links, looks like I'll be adding more posts instead. 
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I have a Two Little Fishies Kalk Stirrer and an 90% full container of Seachem Kalk if you are interested in going this route. I think it is a great way to keep your Alk and Cal in check as well as raise your pH if you need that done. I however had a mishap with dosing Kalkwasser that led to a crazy pH spike and Alk off the charts. Pretty much nuked my tank a week after Denver MACNA. So like anything else, if you understand what you are dosing and take some proper fail-safe measures you should be just fine.
Here's the reactor: http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/two-little-fishies-kalkwasser-stirrer-reactor-300.html
It's designed to use with your ATO, so I think you need to be running one of those.
What about $50 for stirrer and Seachem Kalk (might even be unopened, I'd have to check)
It's designed to use with your ATO, so I think you need to be running one of those.
What about $50 for stirrer and Seachem Kalk (might even be unopened, I'd have to check)
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FishTV;n633790 said:
Dosing Kalk is a good way to keep both Ca & Alk in "a" balance, but not always "your" balance. I dose kalk in all (three) of my tanks, and for the most part, it is mostly balanced. Things just may not adjust to what your used to, if for example you like your dkh at say 9.0, but your system doesn't use as much Ca as it does Alk, your Ca levels can get higher than you like, and equally reversed. This is fairly easy to overcome by manually dosing periodically to bring levels back in line, and for me, that means bumping my alk once or twice a month. Kalk requires quite a bit of testing in the beginning to get a feel for the dose and make adjustments. There are also a number of different ways to dose kalk, from premixing your top off water, to reactors, to drip dosing, and a couple others if you were to get creative. Bulk Reef Supply has some good information on some of the different methods. I'll add the links below. I can help you fine tune once you decide on a method you'd like to pursue. Until I figure out how to include multiple links, looks like I'll be adding more posts instead.
+1 I do the same
Kalk--Kalkwasser, Calcium hydroxide, Limewater, or Mrs Wages Pickling lime are all the same they are mixed in to RODI water (you cannot mix with saltwater) at a ratio of 0-2 teaspoons per gallon of water
1. Two teaspoons per gallon is the max saturation of Calcium hydroxide that you can mix into one gallon of RODI water
a. When mixing Kalk you need to avoid creating air bubbles when mixing it
i. Excess air bubbles will cause calcium to precipitate out of your mix
ii. This precipitation will show up as a white powder on the bottom of your mix container
iii. The more Precipitation you have the less effective your Kalk will be
iv. Kalk will lose its effectiveness if made ahead of time and therefore needs to be made fresh or in a reactor (I have actually seen several thread that will argue against this loss of effectiveness) grain of salt here
2. Kalk is used in place of top off water and therefore limits the amount of alkalinity and calcium you can replace back into your system
3. Kalk is very effective at replacing equal amounts of alkalinity and calcium but its effectiveness is directly related to the load of calcium based species you have in your system. If you were running a straight SPS system it is probably not what you are looking for. If you are running a mix of a few SPS, LPS, and Softies it might be just what you are looking for. Trial and testing is the only way to see if it will work for your system.
4. If you are already testing levels of alkalinity and calcium It is very inexpensive to try it and see if Kalk will work for you. Go to Walmart buy a $4 bag of Mrs. Wages Pickling Lime and see if it maintains your levels of Alk and Calc
5. You need to establish good levels of alkalinity and Calcium in your system before you start using Kalk as it is rare that Kalk will increase these levels in your system
1. Two teaspoons per gallon is the max saturation of Calcium hydroxide that you can mix into one gallon of RODI water
a. When mixing Kalk you need to avoid creating air bubbles when mixing it
i. Excess air bubbles will cause calcium to precipitate out of your mix
ii. This precipitation will show up as a white powder on the bottom of your mix container
iii. The more Precipitation you have the less effective your Kalk will be
iv. Kalk will lose its effectiveness if made ahead of time and therefore needs to be made fresh or in a reactor (I have actually seen several thread that will argue against this loss of effectiveness) grain of salt here
2. Kalk is used in place of top off water and therefore limits the amount of alkalinity and calcium you can replace back into your system
3. Kalk is very effective at replacing equal amounts of alkalinity and calcium but its effectiveness is directly related to the load of calcium based species you have in your system. If you were running a straight SPS system it is probably not what you are looking for. If you are running a mix of a few SPS, LPS, and Softies it might be just what you are looking for. Trial and testing is the only way to see if it will work for your system.
4. If you are already testing levels of alkalinity and calcium It is very inexpensive to try it and see if Kalk will work for you. Go to Walmart buy a $4 bag of Mrs. Wages Pickling Lime and see if it maintains your levels of Alk and Calc
5. You need to establish good levels of alkalinity and Calcium in your system before you start using Kalk as it is rare that Kalk will increase these levels in your system
I wrote this because about a year ago I ask almost the same questions. Instead of using my resources as you have and asking as you did, I went on line and researched it and then did trial and error to get the results that best worked for me. I have a 55gal mixed reef with a few SPS, and LPS and mostly softies. Kalk works very well for me and I have found it very effective in increasing the growth of coralline algae. I hope this helps and that I didn
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1 True, that is about the most you can "fully" saturate
a Its actually air contact, and more specific, CO2, which makes this partially true, but why would you have air bubbles, not a good method to stir with
i Does not make it participate "out". Will make it form a crust, and that actually will protect the solution.
ii Not true, what falls out of suspension is unsaturated powder, and that is what a reactor is specifically designed for, to keep it stirring until a fresh supply of water is present to saturate.
iii Again, the crust that forms at the top is a protective barrier against further oxidation.
iv Not true, unless your talking about extremely excessive quantities of storage.
2 This is partially true, but only to the point when an actual CA reactor is most efficient. This is subjective, but would require a very large uptake, with abnormally low evaporation.
3 Mostly true, as I described before.
4 Sure, Kalkwasser is generally equal in quality
5 True
a Its actually air contact, and more specific, CO2, which makes this partially true, but why would you have air bubbles, not a good method to stir with
i Does not make it participate "out". Will make it form a crust, and that actually will protect the solution.
ii Not true, what falls out of suspension is unsaturated powder, and that is what a reactor is specifically designed for, to keep it stirring until a fresh supply of water is present to saturate.
iii Again, the crust that forms at the top is a protective barrier against further oxidation.
iv Not true, unless your talking about extremely excessive quantities of storage.
2 This is partially true, but only to the point when an actual CA reactor is most efficient. This is subjective, but would require a very large uptake, with abnormally low evaporation.
3 Mostly true, as I described before.
4 Sure, Kalkwasser is generally equal in quality
5 True
