dosing kalk and having a calc reactor?

raymond · Jan 30, 2011

ok i dose kalk by means of my auto top off. I have a friend who doses kalk and has a calc reator, is adding a calc reactor a big waste of time and money or is there something that im not understanding. the kalk holds my calcium pretty stable at 420.

Troylee · Jan 30, 2011

That's a good question.... What's funny is my whole career in this hobby I always dosed 2part and got good results.... Just recently I started topping off with kalk and I saw a improvement, then I upped the dosage in the top and gave up dosing my part a and b and my tank has never done better!!!!! So I would say kalk is good enough by it's self I have a high demand full blown Sps tank and it hangs and not only survives but THRIVES!!!!!!!!! With kalk top off only....

J&O'sdad · Jan 30, 2011

Troy how strong are you making your kalk top off, are you using a reactor?

Murfman · Jan 30, 2011

I just started using a Kalk reactor and my tank is much more stable. Before my pH would drop to 7.8 and I thought it was due to CO2 settling in my basement, where the tank is. I was noticing the pH swings and decided to add the kalk reactor, in conjunction with my Ca reactor. the Ca reactor actually adds more alk to your system than Ca. The kalk reactor is adding more Ca and keeping your pH stable.

To dose, I just dump 1 lb of BRS kalk powder in to the reactor and let it run. When the level of the kalk paste drops to about 1" in the reactor, I add more.

btkrausen · Jan 30, 2011

I've been using a kalk reactor for years, and its worked out perfectly. I have everything on my Apex, where the pump mixes the kalk water once every 4 hours. Then, i have a dosing pump that is time to run like 20 seconds every 9 minutes, which pulls from a 20H of RO, through the reactor, and then into the tank.

The biggest thing for kalk is that a gallon of water can only absorb so much calcium from the powder, so even if you put extra in there, your calcium will be the same, granted you don't increase the dosing. However, the more you put in, the more it'll effect pH and Alk.

VegasRick · Jan 30, 2011

Kalkwasser is perfect for most tanks and can be used alone, IF it can meet the demands of the tank. Its only when it can no longer meet the demands that other means ie. 2 part or ca reactors, are needed. If you are borderline meeting your demands then you can increase evaporation with fans.

gar732 · Jan 30, 2011

With the kalk reactor you still dose through your auto top off but it makes it much easier to do. You don't have to worry about mixing it with your top off water, You just add the kalk to the reactor when it gets low and your done until its time to add more. I personally like the Avast stirrer type vs the the ones that use pumps to mix, you don't have to worry about the pump clogging up with cal deposits with the stirrer type.

Troylee · Jan 30, 2011

J&O'sdad said:
Troy how strong are you making your kalk top off, are you using a reactor?

Nope I just dump a bunch in my resivior which is 10gal and me ATo does the rest.... No need to stir or anything.... I have to fill my resivor every other day so it gets turned almost daily but has been working like a charm!!!!!! Kalk is old school and hands down the best way to add calcium to your tank straight up IMHO....... Cheap, easy, and reliable...1smile1

sportzfish · Jan 30, 2011

I have heard when using a kalk reactor, it may be best to replace the leftover kalk at the bottom of the reactor since it represents the impurities. How often do you guys change out your kalk power for fresh stuff?

Troylee · Jan 30, 2011

When it starts to cake up down there I will hose it out...

skinz78 · Jan 30, 2011

I drip Kalk but I am leaning towards purchasing a reactor. Are there any that you all recommend?

Troylee · Jan 30, 2011

I almost bought a deltec reactor but I really don't see the use a ato with a resivior full of rodi an kalk does the same thing IMHO.....

Luisra · Jan 30, 2011

Troylee said:
I almost bought a deltec reactor but I really don't see the use a ato with a resivior full of rodi an kalk does the same thing IMHO.....

I'm going to start dosing kalk, which one would you recommend?

skinz78 · Jan 30, 2011

I use Mrs Wages Pickling lime, it is cheap and they are all really the same thing.

Troylee · Jan 30, 2011

Luisra said:
I'm going to start dosing kalk, which one would you recommend?

I use brightwells kalk +2 which is mag and strotium... Love the stuff!!!!!

Troylee · Jan 30, 2011

this stuff here.... I got more chemicals than any lfs in town lol....

btkrausen · Jan 30, 2011

skinz78 said:
I drip Kalk but I am leaning towards purchasing a reactor. Are there any that you all recommend?

I have used both the Geo and the Precision Marine reactor. Both are very nice, and the PM costs less, and is equally functional and built strong. It runs a Maxijet 600 I believe, which comes with it. I highly recommend a Kalk Reactor to anyone with a controller, just makes life so much easier and keeps things stable.

btkrausen · Jan 30, 2011

As for Kalk, I've been using BRS Kalk and it works great, but wouldn't mind trying out the Brightwell stuff, as it looks like it also adds the Mag and Strontium, two things of which I'm manually dosing right now.