Week 30: Kalkwasser: All-in-one Calcium, Alkalinity & pH supplement | 52 Weeks of Reefing
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 25 ส.ค. 2024
- It's Week 30 of 52 Weeks of Reefing, where each week we explore a new topic with the help of our #BRS160 tank. This week, we are taking an in depth look at kalkwasser, and the science behind it.
Kalkwasser is probably my personal favorite calcium and alkalinity solution because it’s the lowest cost, in some ways the easiest to implement, one of the only long term solutions for maintaining an elevated PH near 8.3 and perfectly suitable for all but the heaviest demand tanks.
We are going to share the basics and some of the science behind kalkwasser, the benefits and drawbacks , the three primary methods of incorporating kalkwasser into your reef tank and finish with what a potential installation would look like for the BRS160.
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I think Kalk use is WAY undervalued in the hobby. I am willing to bet that more than 90% of Reefers could use Kalk only systems and maintain proper Alk/Cal
This is the best video if you dont know how to build your either easy or complex kalkwasser setup. I had to watch couple of time to wrap it around my head and buy exactly what i need. I ended up with milwaakee pH controler which turns the dosing pump in the automatic top off mixed with the kalkwasser. Thank you brs!!!
Great video... I have been using kalk on my heavily stocked JBJ 45 all in on tank. Keeps my alk at an constant 8-9kh and water changes keep my mag in check preventing precipitation. Works perfect highly recommend it!
Wow, great coverage! I've heard so many different takes on kalkwasser, it's great to see this from a trustworthy source. Thanks!
Thoroughly enjoying this series. You guys have the best social media strategy execution I think I've seen and I've been in marketing for over twenty years. Well done.
I've never considered using Kalkwasser before mostly because I never understood how it worked properly. Your video explained it perfectly and I will be implementing it with my top off water and discontinue using just an alkalinity buffer. Good vid Ryan. Thanks very much.
Been using kalkwasser for a couple years and despite having 2 ATO failures I still think its awesome!
Unfortunately at the time I didn't
love my KALK!!! I personally have calculated my evap and Just run a liter miter thru a BRS reactor up flow direction with about half full of Kalk powder in it to my tank and good to go. You can monitor the amount of powder left easily. The flow is sufficient to keep it saturated but not milky on the exit side and its easy to refill every few months depending on your tank volume n needs. I also use large storage containers on the larger tanks. Lots of options and very useful stuff..
Great video.
When you mix it do you have to wait till it becomes clear like the video? I’m a little confused on that when he said you can add it to your ATO
Kalkwasser is the only way I’ll run a reef tank. It cut my maintenance substantially and also saved some cash on not having to buy dosing pumps
Great video. I started using kalkwasser over 16 years ago and still rely on it for my tank. I recently bought a kalk dosing kit from BRS and love it (although I added an airline control valve to fine tune the drip).
+BulkReefSupplyCom - Yep, that's the one. It's a great kit. I did need to add an airline control valve on the end of the tubing to get fine drip control. The 1/4" Mur-lok ball valve works well as a shut-off but it's so tricky to get the slow drip just right using it. I use an empty 1 gallon wide mouth BRS container for the kalkwasser. The wide opening makes it easy to fill without spilling. Works like a charm. ^_^
Great video! I pulled the trigger and ordered a gallon to try out in my ATO.
Still enjoying the kalk?
I was recently given a 150 gal tank that the bottom seal let go in. I am going to fix the seal and start a reef tank. this will be my first salt water tank ever. these videos have been awesome in my quest to research marine tanks. I am absolutely certain that I am going to have many questions and probably need a lot of guidance in the future once I get all of the equipment and start this tank.
Still utilizing this series of videos!
I just installed my new ATO about a week ago and I bought some Calcium Hydroxide to put into the reservoir. I'm still waiting for the Calcium Hydroxide and am excited to start supplementing with it. I have the Tunze Osmolator Nano ATO.
The brs info on kalkwasser is why I use this system in the first place. The only thing I am missing is how to prevent dosing kalkslurry with the ATO. I know putting the ato in a glas container helps from your other videos. although I tend to stir up the slurry anyway when I place the ato in the reservoir, which then ends up the the glass to some degree. apart from that it is difficult to put a lid on a bucket with all the electrical cords and hose sticking of out the bucket.. (I use the aqua medic auto refill). drilling a few holes through the lid may help a bit though. apart from that I hoped to see a bit more on the use of vinegar.. kind regards from the Netherlands.
Just an idea: Use the big drums for ATO but plumb the line to the external overflow box, so that whatever is being dosed or added has maximum time to circulate before making it back to the display. This will also allow you to use an ATO reservoir that has a higher water level than the sump.
Man do I love watching your videos
Not on topic but man that ATI fixture looks sweet above the harem tank!!
Can you guys make a Bulk freshwater supply? lol. I don't even have a salt water tank but your videos are all really well made.
Please make a vid on how to use all the stuff in the kalk starter package! Thanks
great video! I appreciate all of the information
Been using Kalkwasser for 12+ years using reservoir method dosing pump with controller. 8 years prior used CA reactor. My tanks have always had lots of surface area with evap at least 2% per day. Even with 500+ frags growing out I don't exceed limits of kalkwasser. I buy it by the 5g bucket at BRS and for $50 per year operating costs on 200g+ system.
I tried reactor for about 6 months, you need a conductivity meter to really know how saturated it is, Most reactors people think it's fully saturated but not even 50% if they actually tested it. Difference between 12.4 ph and 12 ph is 50% less saturated so using pH meter is not an accurate way to measure saturation. They just assume its saturated because of the undissolved in the bottom then move onto other methods under the assumption they have exceed the limits of what kalkwasser can do.
I'm to the point here in florida i will be adding a fresh air exchanging system to the home mainly for the summer months since i now have the windows open 24-7 thru the winter here and its been a huge help to growth n color.. the tank really suffers and likely so does my family from the high c02 when the house is shut up tight.. i have a spray foam insulation system that pretty much leaves me with fresh air only coming in when some one walks thru a door for 7-8 months a year.
+BulkReefSupplyCom Absolutely. Thats the first thing after KALK I did and I recommend. I use a venturi style skimmer as well. Tons of air flow. Its clear to me after cycles of leaving the house open for several days and then a period of in-climate weather where its closed up, C02 has a huge effect on my PH and corresponding ALK N CA levels, more so ALK. The health of my reef is drastically better when i get rid of the old air. Mind you I have a small 1800 SF town home 4 family members in the home and a very Tight HOME due to Spray foam insulation system and minimal doors n windows to leak air in n out. So much so an issue that i put my 300 and frag system in my garage to get away from the C02 element of the hobby.
Wow I went from than and Julian to Ryan . He's super loud ! And really excited about this stuff . Rip ears
@@BRStv maybe a little overkill on the wwc colab but videos are always nice to see. With his drive I can see why he's so succesfull. Time for a eu Depot ??;
I love kalk! I have my calcium levels right at 420 ph at 8 everything is great after buying this. Thanks for the information
Only thing I can say though! Some of the folks answering the phone seem to read off what they should answer. Kinda unsure. But! Great people
Ehh might just be shy. Confident speaking is always nice. Just saying. I love brs
thank you BRS for these very informative videos
+BulkReefSupplyCom presently I don't have an ATO I just add water every 2-3 days from a 6 gallon water jug of RO water. I want to start using kalkwasser but I'm a little unsure how to add it since I am manually adding 1-2 gallons of RO at a time. also I heard Ryan say in one of the videos that he doesn't like using buffer for ph. right now that's what I use. I also use GFO in a reactor. can I mix kalkwasser with my RO water and just keep doing it the way I am? should I also stop using the buffer? and should I continue to use GFO? thank you for any help
+BulkReefSupplyCom thank you very much
I swear by Kalkwasser +2! Been dripping Kalk since I got in this hobby and the results have been excellent. Being an old school Reefer, I prefer to drip Kalk from a 1 qt dripper from Zoo Med courtesy of the Reptile section at the LFS. I typically keep a gallon jug of Kalk around and top off my dripper to compensate for evaporation. I typically drip the Kalk at night when the lights are off. Coraline algae has exploded in the tanks I keep dripping Kalk.
thats sounds like the way to go! Save several hundred bucks from a tunze! I generally top off by hand at night anyway so no problem and I heard for some reason best to do at night. Do you stir up the kalk that settle like they say it does or how does that work when you top it off. New to all this stuff but alk has been dropping and basically have very little growth and browning as well or not holding colors. I think this is the answer for sure just scares me to make the move that I might screw something up and have a crash! Really apreciate any pointers! UPDATE I just found it online for 6.99! How long does it it take to empty? Is it not to fast compared to an ato? never had an ato so I dont know how often it drips it, if its throughout he day or once a day or 3 times a day or how that works, do you have any idea? Do you attach your to the sump somehow?.
why wouldn't you use this???? I wish I knew about this when I had my first tank. now I've been using it with top off. it's the way to go.
Awesome video dude...the kalkwasser 101..
Thanks for the knowledge.
vertex omega 130 skimmer, brs mini reactor with Colbalt mj1200, tunze osmolator, tunze nanostream powerhead, and waveline 2500 return pump
looks like I'll be ordering some kalkwasser
This is one of my go to videos now. Love it. When using vinegar with kalkwasser what is a good amount to start with?
i dose my kalk with an auto doser each hr 24 times a day works great and if doser was to mess up my apex will shut it off before an overdose
i am using Kalk+2 by brightwell aquatics
If you use a "DIY Kalk dripper", how often would you be refilling the container? Yes, I know that's dependent on the size of the container, but if we use the OXO container in the video as an example, how often would you be refilling that container?
If you're using a refugium as the primary means of nutrient export will the depletion of CO2 via the kalkwasser limit the effectiveness of the refugium? Seems like it would but I'm not sure to what extent or how serious the growth reduction of the macros would be.
when replacing ATO supply water, when tank is empty, should i wash the residual out?
Why not dose saturated kalk independent of the ATO water? This allows for a much more precise addition and takes away the limit imposed by the rate of evaporation.
Thanks, I've been needing this video! I've been negligent and led my Ca get down to almost 200. Yes, I'm starting to lose some corals. I have started using Aquavitro Calcification to bring my levels back up.
1) Should I continue that and wait to get on target before starting kalkwasser in my ATO, or use kalkwasser now to help get me back in range?
2) What is the safest daily increase amount in Ca?
yep I did this as 20% Weekly is not anymore enough as calcium and alk consumption is really fast in my tank. Now I use auto top off with kalk.
great job, thank from Chile...
As said in week29´s video, corals need carbonate in the water to get rid of the H+ when building calciumcarbonate out of calcium+ and bicarbonate. As you describe, Kalkwasser only provides bicarbonate. So, where does the needed carbonate come from?
Will kalk decrease the life on all my equipment or just the ato pump
What is that dosing pump what slowly drip kalkwasser? Need one ( need about 1 liter daily kalkwasser) so 1ml / min is also too much
Question - I have a 40g breeder tank. I use a canister. How would I apply the Kal? And how much of it?
If the alkalinity uptake is bigger that the calcium is the calcium going up ?
I have a question about the slurry left on the bottom of your kalk container. Should this stuff be cleaned out after all the slurry is depleted? I have an auto top off I was thinking about adding kalk to it, and was thinking about mixing the kalk solution before hand in a separate container. After the slurry had settled out in the separate container then add it to my auto top off container and leave the settled concentration behind. I was thinking this would prevent the concentrate from being put into my reservoir and the need to clean it out after every use. Is this worth doing? or should I not worry about the concentrate from building up in my auto top off reservoir? Thanks for all the videos they have been a real help.
Ok I just got through watching the BRS week 30 Kalkwasser series. They gave the measurements for the kalk but did not say how much vinegar to put in.. Question is how much vinegar do you add to the mixture? Per gallon and or per quart?
Could you please make a video on the dymico system?
Getting ready to start cycling a 125g tank. Should I start dosing kalkwasser with the cycle process or should I wait until cycling is finished?
Excellent video! The one thing you left out (or I missed it) is the disadvantage to Kalkwasser is Mg depletion. I know Mg will be covered in the next video, but I think you should have at least mentioned that Kalkwasser does not does Mg and you will have to test and supplement this separately.I have not decided what I will be doing on my 110 yet, but am contemplating doing both Kalkwasser for the pH benefits and 2-part for the Mg.Question: If I go with the Reef Octopus Kalkwasser Reactor, do you think the BRS 50ml dosing pump would be a good match? The Kalkwasser Reactor will be adjacent to my sump, but the 10-gal RO/DI ATO storage will be on a shelf adjacent to the tank (above the sump) so siphon is a concern.
+Christopher Sanchez Are you saying Kalkwasser depletes Mg? Or just that you need to dose it separately?
Jan Niemi You just need to dose Mg separately. Kalkwasser does not consume or deplete Mg. However, the calcification process incorporates Magnesium and Kalkwasser does not replenish this. To add insult to injury, a depletion in Magnesium reduces how much Calcium and Bicarbonate your water can hold (See the previous episode :). So you have to manually keep Mg up. This is not a negative, just something to keep in mind :)
***** Thanks! Reactor itself will be at the bottom. Its the ATO reservoir that will be elevated.
A friend is giving me a bit of challenge to running kawlk on a tunze ATO. The point he is arguing is the kawlk will kill the pump, how much validity is there with this?
I don't quite understand why it can't be dosed manually a couple of times a day, like 2-part. Why does it have to be only in your top off? Could you please explain, I find that very confusing.
i have lots of corals and they are doing fine i just have a problem keeping my alk up and was wondering if kalk is the answer to maintaining it.. as i watched the video it seem kalk would be easier where i can just put it in my ato
What opinions out there for using a kalk dripper in a to be stocked acropora 14g frag tank? Would the max potency allowed to create the mix be enough to supply with the levels the corals would be consuming usually?
Hello, I am mixing kalkwasser directly inside my ato container. Question: can I allow the white leftover slurry on the bottom to accumulate over time, or does it need to be removed before mixing a new batch? Will leaving it in there have a negative impact on the chemistry of the next batch? Thanks.
When I notice that my Ca and alkalinity are low (Ca=380, Alk=7.1), I add 2 Tbls CaCl to a cup of RO/DI and 4 tsp soda ash to 3/4 cup of RO/DI. My total water volume (tank + sump) is 80 gal. When I add the two part, the levels go to Ca=420 and Alk=9dKH, which is what I want, but after 2 days they are low again. I've stopped adding the CaCl and soda ash because I don't understand what is going on. I tend to believe the Ca and Alk readings, but I don't think I believe the Mg readings. Why do you think my Ca and Alk are precipitating? Shouldn't I be adding two part until my levels are Ca=420 and Alk=9? My pH=8.0.
Please comment on my Mg reading of 1480. How can my Mg be so high?
I've been struggling with this for years so I appreciate any advice you can offer.
@ 11:17 what brand of tank is that? Dimensions? Looks fantastic! Great video also.
You said I can add it to my top off but I also saw you have to wait until it becomes clear after mixing?
You got it. If you're using it in your ATO, sometimes mixing in a separate container like a 5 gallon bucket, then transferring the clear solution into your ATO is the easiest way to go.
I have both an ATO system as well as BRS 2-part and pumps. Is it a viable option to use 2-part dosing to supplement kalkwasser if 2 tsp/gallon doesn't adequately maintain Ca/Alk levels?
If you add Kalkwasser to your ato, do you also need to put the pump 1 inch above the bottom to not pick up the kalk settled at the bottom? Once the water level in the ato drops to about 1 inch from the bottom should we just dump the last bit of water out? Thanks!!
I have the IM Nuvo 20 gallon tank and my only calcium skeleton based corals are two small LPS corals. My corals put no dent in my calcium and alkalinity. I only plan to have 4 LPS corals in my tank because I am afraid that they will sting my other corals. Would suggest that I dose the tank or should I just continue to do 4 gallon biweekly water changes?
Could I make a drip out of a 2 1/2 gallon common rodi jug? It sits right by my tank anyway to top off. Would that kit work with that? How far ahead can I have premixed ready and waiting to switch out? Can I start with kalk even though I need it to rise by 2 points or more or is it just for maintaining? If not do I start with sodium bi carbonate or sodium carbonate? which one is soda ash? I need to know because I want to place an order asap. Wouldnt this be safer as well and cant fail on me plus save me a couple hundred dollars and not have to buy the tunze osimalor which seems to be the only reliable one plus more money for redundancy features, not to handy with a drill and all that kind of stuff anyway being a woman..lol. Like to keep it simple but safe If i do go with a tunze is a 5 gallon leftover salt bucket good since I have one now I am about to toss, starting to have to many! LOL I do have a closet right next to tank i could keep it in!
Does kalk not mix right if water isn't warm enough? I tried but had a large film on top. Water was kind of cold from being made.
There are so many benefits to Kalk that IMO it belongs in all reef setups, even when your needs exceed the evap rate. Combined with a second method if needed, you still get all the benefits of Kalk and it can save you money on the more expensive supplies by shouldering some of the load. It doesn't have to be Kalk *OR* 2-part/Ca-reactor.
I'm using BRS Kalkwasser in my ATO (2 Tbls/4gal). I use Red Sea Pro test kit. It says my Ca=380, KH=7.1, Mg=1500. I keep adding BRS two part, but the levels drop back after two days. I haven't added Mg in 5 months. I tried a new Mg test kit, but got the same reading. All I have are a few softies. Evaporation=1gal/day. What do you think my problem is?
Am I understanding kalk? I am going to want to 2 part dose to get my levels where I want them and then use kalk to maintain that level? I have a young reef that will be sps dominant. Only a few sticks at this point and I'm not dosing yet. I'll ne running kalk through my tunze ato. When should I start?
I can’t keep my drip constituency up, it siphons out of a container and drips but after a few hours the dripping slows way down. Any advise ?
@BulkReefSupply Do you have a discord or some way I could ask questions directly by you or one of your team because I feel like this is the best way to get my questions answered?
Hey Michael,
Feel free to give our customer service team a shout and we're happy to answer any questions you might have.
Phone: 763-432-9691
Email: Support@bulkreefsupply.com
Live Chat: BulkReefSupply Website
So an RODI system will eliminate the need for dosing Kalkwasser??
4:38 - what is that all white fish with the elongated yellow nose?
I have a 30 gal tank, evaporation rate is 6lt/week, my pH is 8.0-8.3 swinging day/night. I want to start use Kalk but i am very scary whit the pH spike. What do you recomend me? Thanks in advance
you may have said this but typically how long do you have to let the mixture settle after mixing
and how long is every so often
Could you you kalk on a redsea reefer with the factory auto top off float value type
how long can the kalkwasser stay in the container without losing its usefulness.
So instesd of a top off unit can I just mix up a five gal bucket kalkwaser and add about what my tank evaporates in a day? How do u figure out how much u evaporate in a day?
You could do that, however adding a larger dose all at once will likely affect pH rather quickly. To keep things as stable as possible reefers either choose to dose Kalkwasser via the ATO (which only doses small amounts of Kalk at a time) or using a Kalk dripper that slowly drips in the tank (again with the goal being small additions over longer periods of time.)
Would you recommend kalkwasser for 180 gallon mixed reef? My concern is that eventually the kalkwasser wouldn't keep up with demand.
This seems like a great product! One question, is this something I should use from setup? Or something I should only implement when corals are added? Thanks guys!
+BulkReefSupplyCom sounds good! Thank you!
my calcium is 520 due to the salt i am using, Kalkwasser will make it worse? alk is 7.5
Is it ok to use all 3 reactors. ( phosban, carbon and biopellets )?
I'm currently using brs 2 part. Is there a benefit for using kalkwasser instead? I do struggle to keep my ph up during the winter.
i have a red sea max 130d would you recommend kalk for my size tank or sould i stick to 2 part?
Hello. You mention in the DIY dripper style setup the tube doesn't go all the way to the bottom so as to not suck up precipitate (approx 7:45 mark in the video). If you add kalkwasser to a top up drum that uses the tunze osmolater, does the pump also need to be suspended above the bottom?
Thanks. I've really enjoyed the series so far.
can I use a dosing unit to add it
brs is the best!
I've noticed my Alkalinity has been slowly dropping on my tank. I use max dose of kalk in my ATO. Is it normal to have to add sodium Bicarbonate to keep Alkalinity up when using Kalk?
BulkReefSupplyCom is there a normal range of fluctuation that I shouldn’t worry about?
BulkReefSupplyCom My alkalinity is slowly dropping. Is it normal to have to add more alkalinity in the form of soda ash to the system when using kalk? Shouldn’t my kalk keep my alk where I want it?
Si what do you recommend? 2 part dosing or Kalkwasser??
I have a ATO setup using the APEX, a pump and float switches. I have i setup to turn on for 10 seconds every hour, (PH and float switches permitting)= a cup or two of Lime Water.. This is causing pH spikes of .05 to .1 is this immediate raise in pH too much?
I should mention that this does not spike out of high range of 8.4. My tank likes to be at 7.9 so use kalk to keep it around 8.1. It is not uncommon for a spike from 7.93 to 8.01 after ATO is activated.
I have a quick question please .. Why is it not recommended to use White Vinegar in Kalkwasser and RODI ( in theory it will mix 100%)
Thank you for your reply .. from what i can tell ( I am not a expert ) you only need a little bit to help saturation of Kalkwasser .. there is no 1:1 ratio that i know of but i really think the BRS team could do a extensive brake down of the anomaly.
The reason why people use it to completely get rid of the Kalk Slurry. This would be a substantial video that would help millions better use and understand BRS Kalkwasser.
Please ask your peers (Ryan) in BRS to consider it ?
Won't this overdose Ca and Alk if you hook it up to an ato?
Hi I have a question so basically I'm using the least saturated amount of Kalk (0.5 teaspoon per gallon)with my auto in a 5 gallon bucket I have a smallish tank around 20gallons and the tank doesn't evaporate tons so the Kalk will last for a long time, my problem is is that it's not enough for my tank so i need to add more I don't want to throw away the current Kalk solution because there is load left so the question is is it possible for me to add more Kalk to the reservoir to make it more saturated than it is arm? Thanks and great videos btw I look forward to them every week :)
+BulkReefSupplyCom ok, thanks very much for the advice, I will try and see if I can increase the potency but if it doesn't work I'll just mix up a new batch
How important is it to dose Mg with Kalk in my ato?
yes!
Here's what I don't understand . Why dost with an ato when that will cause ph to fluctuate ? Why not use a dosing pump with constant drips throughout the day ?
ATO is most commonly used because most reefers already have one. A dosing pump would certainly be a more stable option, especially if you combine that with a kalk stirrer. However, that's additional equipment/cost to take into consideration.
@@BRStv do you think a mini powerhead at the bottom of the container will do just fine ? I am going to start dosing kalk with the kamoer mini doser soon
Does this reduce phospate ?
can u guys please talk about how you set up the bucketless ro/di system please? looks awesome!
hi there!Just wanted to ask it mustbe better to submarine the pipe than drop it trough air so dose not get in contact with co2 in the air?
cheers
can I use kalkwasser if I don’t have an ATO? I just add my fresh water manually every day or every other day. Is kalk safe to use this way or strictly with an ATO
BulkReefSupplyCom cool thank you!
Hi BRStv,
Do you still recommend this for an entry level reefer? I have an ato set up, should I go out and get some?
Thanks.
Thanks mate,
I’ve Been out of the reef game for 10+ years and your videos have been invaluable in getting head around all the new ways of doing things, and with your awesome videos you don’t need to be a scientist to understand.
You just need to ship to Australia so I can score some five always haha. 👍