I have run a kalk reactor on and off for 15 years. I've done 2 part, Triton, and a calcium reactor. The best systems I have had the kalk reactor was on it. Right now I have it along with the calcium reactor. I do not run off at I dose it. Really I only dose it to help with phosphate, and to help with ph since the calcium reactor lowers ph a bit. I also notice coraline algae grows really well when i run kalk. Can't wait to see this new tank.
I think you saw my setup on IG yesterday. A Kalk stirrer would make things so much more convenient than my current setup. I've always wanted to try a stirrer but my method works for now without spending the additional money. I think you'll be happy with that stirrer. Looks like it is built really well.
Your tank is beyond stunning and surely your method is working out really well. I’m really just after the high PH. With this and a cal reactor and I am set
Going to take the advice Phil and get a Kalk stirrer when the time comes for me to add a CaRx. For now it’s 2part until my tank fills in more then I’ll make the big purchase. 😁
Run this exact stirrer on my new tank. Working well so far keeping the PH steady, but not a lot of corals so far. Tank is in the basement, so even with a line for outside air, the PH wasn't up where I wanted it. This helps a lot. There's a great hack you can do with the avast stirrers to help with the effluent in the output problem. All avast's parts are standardized, so you can replace the barbed fitting with a pipe coupling off of their spare parts section and then PVC plumb the rest. Mine sits next to my sump so I have it go to a street 90 and down into the tank. Also keep the output submerged a little to keep the effluent from solidifying.
I think dosing kalc thru a kalk stirrer is an excellent way to start when water changes are not able to keep up with demand. I will be using that same stirrer on my current build.
I have a DIY kalk stirrer connected to apex for auto top off. keeps alk at 9.3 -9.6 dkh and calcium at 450 -480 with PH above 8.0. My Monti-caps took off once this was in place. My skimmer is taking outside air and late winter PH was 8.3, but during summer right now it's lower around 8.0 - even with kalk stirrer.
I moved away from this and started using reef elixer. It's like a one in all liquid dosed on the kh level. Its brings up kh, calcium and mg. And adds a load of other elements. If my phosphate and nitrate becomes too high i add reef fuel. Just stopped reef fuelbbecause my nitrate and phosphate were touching 0. I know people will say one bottle will never get you all the trace elements, but until now it didn't give me issues. But i am following along this story of yours. Great video once again.
I've got one. Really like it. The only downside that I have found is you have to clean the effluent tubing fairly frequently since it builds up cal deposits in it quickly
I ran kalk for years. I'm stopping in my next build for the cons you mentioned. They aren't deal breakers at all, but they do get annoying over time. Try searching "recirculating co2 scrubbers". I am going try this instead. Still pretty cutting edge...might not be worth it, but will be fun trying and could pay off big.
I use kalk but decided that it's more beneficial for accuracy of dosing to use mid range dosing pump to dump kalk in my tank rather than stirrer. Also my doser is hooked up to pH controller to protect the tank against" kalk disaster " . I would consider stirrer to be an additional extra on top of what I already have.
Ok I have the bigger avast, broke two motors. My advise mix the kalk with RO in some kind of Jug then let it settle a bit and poor it the avast. Both my motors (running 2min every 30m) broke dealing with the kalk sludge on the bottom, they say can run 24 hours a day but they can't IMHO...
I used a pH controller for the pump to push water into stirrer so it would drip limewater into sump. I set mine at 8.25 and after 3 months the consumption was too little as the pH always in the range of 8.3 (dawn) to 8.4 (dusk). Then my alk and ca were depleted because of pH constraint i couldn't get more limewater. And i run doser now: big 3 plus kalk :-P no stirrer anymore. pH is 8.3-8.43, alk 8-8.5, ca 400-420, mg 1320-1380.
I don’t know if you’ve done a video on this already but how do you perform water changes on your reef tank with the zoa garden. Do you gravel vac around them, or move them and get the sand under them? Just curious
Im a new reefer my tank is 6 months old. I bought the brs Kalkwasser but havent even opened the bag. I dont see how calcium and Alk are EVER consumed exactly the same so am I an odd ball here or are most people's tanks consume both equally? You are saying that they both need to be consumed equal in order to use this right? If not then I would still have to use a 2 part correct? If thats the case then why use both? I know, I have like 10 questions lol sorry.
Every tank is different. Generally speaking they are not consumed equally. And you also have people that will swear about dosing 2 part in equal parts. I would say use Kalk and as long as optimum ranges of cal (380-460) and alk (7.0-10.0) are in check don’t worry about the exact number. If you have a SPS dominant tank of lots of corals there will come a point where Kalk will not keep up alone and will need to be supplemented. I would suggest running Kalk and keep the levels within the range and DO NOT focus on the number exactly of either.
@@eatsleepreef9565 ah ok that sounds much better! Thanks for clearing that up. I actually have mostly Lps but just a few small forgiving sps pieces like monti, birdsnest etc.
@@austinbassin4420 and alk help balance ph. So corals do consume in an accepted ratio, but if alk is also buffering ph then the tank demand amounts change (every tank is different). On top, of course, is different strengths of solution depending on different brands so amounts dosed can change there too. Kalk though does the ph thing so there is less demand on alk to buffer ph, therefore it is more likely the Aquarist will see depletion ratio alk to calcium more balanced.
I forgot to add that in the reefing community on fb ive talked to a couple of people who use kalkwasser and their coral growth is astonishing and their pH level is stabilized around 8.3.
For me I just like to keep it simple stupid. More gears just means more things to go wrong and corals grow just fine in a very simplistic system so I think investing in all sorts of equipments just gets you diminishing returns.
Thank you for all the great videos most of all great education is a lot of things that I don’t know about but I learn off of the channel
I appreciate the kind words and very happy your able to take away something from this one
I have run a kalk reactor on and off for 15 years. I've done 2 part, Triton, and a calcium reactor. The best systems I have had the kalk reactor was on it. Right now I have it along with the calcium reactor. I do not run off at I dose it. Really I only dose it to help with phosphate, and to help with ph since the calcium reactor lowers ph a bit. I also notice coraline algae grows really well when i run kalk. Can't wait to see this new tank.
I think you saw my setup on IG yesterday. A Kalk stirrer would make things so much more convenient than my current setup. I've always wanted to try a stirrer but my method works for now without spending the additional money. I think you'll be happy with that stirrer. Looks like it is built really well.
Your tank is beyond stunning and surely your method is working out really well. I’m really just after the high PH. With this and a cal reactor and I am set
Going to take the advice Phil and get a Kalk stirrer when the time comes for me to add a CaRx. For now it’s 2part until my tank fills in more then I’ll make the big purchase. 😁
Run this exact stirrer on my new tank. Working well so far keeping the PH steady, but not a lot of corals so far. Tank is in the basement, so even with a line for outside air, the PH wasn't up where I wanted it. This helps a lot.
There's a great hack you can do with the avast stirrers to help with the effluent in the output problem. All avast's parts are standardized, so you can replace the barbed fitting with a pipe coupling off of their spare parts section and then PVC plumb the rest. Mine sits next to my sump so I have it go to a street 90 and down into the tank. Also keep the output submerged a little to keep the effluent from solidifying.
Do you happen to have a photo of this anywhere?
Looking forward to seeing your build come together. I know it’s going to be all out. 😁
I think dosing kalc thru a kalk stirrer is an excellent way to start when water changes are not able to keep up with demand. I will be using that same stirrer on my current build.
Very cool let us know how it goes :)!
I have a DIY kalk stirrer connected to apex for auto top off. keeps alk at 9.3 -9.6 dkh and calcium at 450 -480 with PH above 8.0. My Monti-caps took off once this was in place.
My skimmer is taking outside air and late winter PH was 8.3, but during summer right now it's lower around 8.0 - even with kalk stirrer.
Wow, ya I hear everyone with them claims that growth takes off rapidly.
I would love to learn how to do diy of this?!?!
I moved away from this and started using reef elixer. It's like a one in all liquid dosed on the kh level. Its brings up kh, calcium and mg. And adds a load of other elements. If my phosphate and nitrate becomes too high i add reef fuel. Just stopped reef fuelbbecause my nitrate and phosphate were touching 0. I know people will say one bottle will never get you all the trace elements, but until now it didn't give me issues. But i am following along this story of yours. Great video once again.
Great video can’t wait for next weeks 😍
Thanks man!! Can’t wait to begin new journey
I've got one. Really like it. The only downside that I have found is you have to clean the effluent tubing fairly frequently since it builds up cal deposits in it quickly
I ran kalk for years. I'm stopping in my next build for the cons you mentioned. They aren't deal breakers at all, but they do get annoying over time. Try searching "recirculating co2 scrubbers". I am going try this instead. Still pretty cutting edge...might not be worth it, but will be fun trying and could pay off big.
How would you set it up with the ATO
I use kalk but decided that it's more beneficial for accuracy of dosing to use mid range dosing pump to dump kalk in my tank rather than stirrer. Also my doser is hooked up to pH controller to protect the tank against" kalk disaster " . I would consider stirrer to be an additional extra on top of what I already have.
Ya the main reason I see people run them and why I wAnt to run them is for the elevated PH which tends to counter the calcium reactors low ph
Ok I have the bigger avast, broke two motors. My advise mix the kalk with RO in some kind of Jug then let it settle a bit and poor it the avast. Both my motors (running 2min every 30m) broke dealing with the kalk sludge on the bottom, they say can run 24 hours a day but they can't IMHO...
Would love to learn more about this and see how this is working with you on this build.
Can’t wait to see your new tank brother
Btw i run a co2 scrubber to increase my ph and i monitor this by a seneye. When it reaches 8.4 i tighten a switch by using more normal air.
Are you ever coming back on TH-cam ? Did learn a lot from your videos
I used a pH controller for the pump to push water into stirrer so it would drip limewater into sump. I set mine at 8.25 and after 3 months the consumption was too little as the pH always in the range of 8.3 (dawn) to 8.4 (dusk).
Then my alk and ca were depleted because of pH constraint i couldn't get more limewater. And i run doser now: big 3 plus kalk :-P no stirrer anymore. pH is 8.3-8.43, alk 8-8.5, ca 400-420, mg 1320-1380.
I don’t know if you’ve done a video on this already but how do you perform water changes on your reef tank with the zoa garden. Do you gravel vac around them, or move them and get the sand under them? Just curious
Hello on that tank I almost never did water changes. Also the zoas were never on the sand. They were on an arch overhang.
Im a new reefer my tank is 6 months old. I bought the brs Kalkwasser but havent even opened the bag. I dont see how calcium and Alk are EVER consumed exactly the same so am I an odd ball here or are most people's tanks consume both equally? You are saying that they both need to be consumed equal in order to use this right? If not then I would still have to use a 2 part correct? If thats the case then why use both? I know, I have like 10 questions lol sorry.
Every tank is different. Generally speaking they are not consumed equally. And you also have people that will swear about dosing 2 part in equal parts. I would say use Kalk and as long as optimum ranges of cal (380-460) and alk (7.0-10.0) are in check don’t worry about the exact number. If you have a SPS dominant tank of lots of corals there will come a point where Kalk will not keep up alone and will need to be supplemented. I would suggest running Kalk and keep the levels within the range and DO NOT focus on the number exactly of either.
@@eatsleepreef9565 ah ok that sounds much better! Thanks for clearing that up. I actually have mostly Lps but just a few small forgiving sps pieces like monti, birdsnest etc.
@@austinbassin4420 and alk help balance ph. So corals do consume in an accepted ratio, but if alk is also buffering ph then the tank demand amounts change (every tank is different). On top, of course, is different strengths of solution depending on different brands so amounts dosed can change there too. Kalk though does the ph thing so there is less demand on alk to buffer ph, therefore it is more likely the Aquarist will see depletion ratio alk to calcium more balanced.
What brand will you be using for the kalkwasser stirrer?
I forgot to add that in the reefing community on fb ive talked to a couple of people who use kalkwasser and their coral growth is astonishing and their pH level is stabilized around 8.3.
This is the avast Marine k1
@@eatsleepreef9565 I mean which calcium hydroxide will you be using?
Use the BRS pharma kalk, and cleaning is minimal! Tank and Coraline just grow better with kalk, I have stirrer's on all three of my tanks!
That’s the Kalk I planned to run. Yes I agree, growth is just better
For me I just like to keep it simple stupid. More gears just means more things to go wrong and corals grow just fine in a very simplistic system so I think investing in all sorts of equipments just gets you diminishing returns.
More horrible advice from someone who is more interested in selling you something than giving you honest advice. Beware.