Moving to Kalk from 2 part

[penguinexdeus]

Currently dosing 2 part, but I want to move to Kalk for ph benefits and what i hope to be a little more simplicity. Will be using a DOS to feed into a kalk stirrer (avast k1 w/ 1 cup of kalk). Looking to see if anyone has any suggestions on how to make the move? I've got both set up right now but i haven't enabled any Kalk dosing yet. I can't leave both set up forever (not enough room)

I want to avoid any Alk swings if possible. So what's the best way to determine how much kalk i should be dosing or what's the method to ween myself off of 2 part? Not sure if i should cut back on 2 part and try to maintain the drop with Kalk before cutting back further...

Anyone have a good method for transitioning?

 

[ColoredRock]

How much 2 part and which brand?

What is your system volume and average evaporation? that will be a big factor.

 

[penguinexdeus]

How much 2 part and which brand?

What is your system volume and average evaporation? that will be a big factor.

I'm at about 28ml a day of each part of ESV B-ionic. System volume is around 85gal total. Evaporation rate lately is about a gallon to gallon and a half a day. (filling 5 gallon ATO about every 3 days before it runs dry).

 

[ColoredRock]

Reef Chemistry Calculator

reef.diesyst.com

Is great calculator you can your values in for products you use or want to use.

 

[JLavy]

Did you figure out your dosing? I'm doing the same thing and I'm nervous to switch over to Kalk from ESV 2 part. I don't want to cause a swing. I'm going to use one of the continuous dosers to keep a steady kalk flow.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Did you figure out your dosing? I'm doing the same thing and I'm nervous to switch over to Kalk from ESV 2 part. I don't want to cause a swing. I'm going to use one of the continuous dosers to keep a steady kalk flow.

The calculator above will allow you to match the dose so there should not be a substantial difficulty.

 

[penguinexdeus]

Did you figure out your dosing? I'm doing the same thing and I'm nervous to switch over to Kalk from ESV 2 part. I don't want to cause a swing. I'm going to use one of the continuous dosers to keep a steady kalk flow.

Yes and no, lol. I used the calculator to get about what I thought it should be but it wasnt enough. I ended up just running alk tests every few hours and adjusting up and supplementing with 2 part to maintain where I wanted. Got almost to my evaporation limit on kalk and sump level was slowly increaing...

I don't know if it was cause of increase in ph or less precise dosing of kalk through the stirrer but ultimately I'm dosing more kalk than expected and still dosing about the same amount of 2 part...

Was worried about maybe precipitation or not having saturated soultion but really haven't encountered any precip and pH of the kalk solution coming out is a pH of 12...

Best advice is use calculator to try and figure out how much kalk you want to start with and back off on 2 part that amount test every so often and from results if things are steady back off on more 2 part swapping for more kalk. If increasing back off on two part. If decreasing bump up kalk rate. Took a few days but didn't have any huge swings maybe 0.5 dkH at most. Trident alk testing made it easy to run a manual test every few hours.

 

[JLavy]

@penguinexdeus checking in to see how the transition went? I'm curious if it was smooth or you ran into any more bumps?

 

[penguinexdeus]

@penguinexdeus checking in to see how the transition went? I'm curious if it was smooth or you ran into any more bumps?

No other bumps really. Coral have been doing really well with more noticeable growth since starting. I'm dosing about a gallon of Kalk a day and the pH increase (average +0.3) i think increased my usage rate so i'm still dosing 2 part at about 30ml.

I had been dosing more kalk but was starting to go over my evap limit so i backed it down. Today i did notice the sand bed was a bit solid in spots while siphoning so not sure if I'm precipitating some out or if that could be a biproduct of dosing waterglass (got a dino issue in the last few weeks).

Overall i'm in a pretty good place i think. I was hoping it would entirely replace my 2 part but i think since my system is SPS dominant that was just going to be wishful thinking anyway...

 

[Husker_Reefer]

No other bumps really. Coral have been doing really well with more noticeable growth since starting. I'm dosing about a gallon of Kalk a day and the pH increase (average +0.3) i think increased my usage rate so i'm still dosing 2 part at about 30ml.

I had been dosing more kalk but was starting to go over my evap limit so i backed it down. Today i did notice the sand bed was a bit solid in spots while siphoning so not sure if I'm precipitating some out or if that could be a biproduct of dosing waterglass (got a dino issue in the last few weeks).

Overall i'm in a pretty good place i think. I was hoping it would entirely replace my 2 part but i think since my system is SPS dominant that was just going to be wishful thinking anyway...

going to make this same switch from ESV 2-part, with roughly the same volume you have at 80~ gallons. How has this been working out for you?
I need a pH bump. I'm struggling getting over 8 pH during daylight hours.

Are you primarily using kalk now? if so how much

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

going to make this same switch from ESV 2-part, with roughly the same volume you have at 80~ gallons. How has this been working out for you?
I need a pH bump. I'm struggling getting over 8 pH during daylight hours.

Are you primarily using kalk now? if so how much

You can use a DIY two part instead, if that appeals more. The combination of sodium hydroxide, calcium chloride, and TM Balling Part C makes a very good two/three part, like ESV, but with the pH boost of kalkwasser.

 

[Potatohead]

I started using kalk recently as well, my system is about 70 gallons. I was dosing about 40 ml of two part for years and dosing kalk has cut that about in half. I'm currently only dosing about 1500 ml of saturated kalk per day though because that is about what I evap in the summertime (maybe 2000 ml) and I don't really want to keep changing the dose around based on the season.

 

[penguinexdeus]

going to make this same switch from ESV 2-part, with roughly the same volume you have at 80~ gallons. How has this been working out for you?
I need a pH bump. I'm struggling getting over 8 pH during daylight hours.

Are you primarily using kalk now? if so how much

i'm at about 3000ml of Kalk and 25-30ml of 2 part depending on if my ph is on the lower or higher end (depending on how much cooking we're doing and how recently i changed CO2 scrubber media. I'm happy with the Kalk and two part. Feel like i'm still trying to get it dialed in because some days everything is pretty stable and other days it seems like its not enough or too much.

 

[Husker_Reefer]

i'm at about 3000ml of Kalk and 25-30ml of 2 part depending on if my ph is on the lower or higher end (depending on how much cooking we're doing and how recently i changed CO2 scrubber media. I'm happy with the Kalk and two part. Feel like i'm still trying to get it dialed in because some days everything is pretty stable and other days it seems like its not enough or too much.

Ah yeah that's the tricky part, keeping everything stable. It's an everyday regiment checking levels for me. Need to get a Trident to track swings etc.

As i understand you are using kalk in your auto top off? Fully saturated? thanks for the reply.

 

[Husker_Reefer]

You can use a DIY two part instead, if that appeals more. The combination of sodium hydroxide, calcium chloride, and TM Balling Part C makes a very good two/three part, like ESV, but with the pH boost of kalkwasser.

not familiar with the Part C. But would like to learn more. Thanks for the insight.

 

[YOYOYOReefer]

the kalk alone wont replace your 2 part, add a calcium reactor then you can ditch the 2 part.

 

[penguinexdeus]

Ah yeah that's the tricky part, keeping everything stable. It's an everyday regiment checking levels for me. Need to get a Trident to track swings etc.

As i understand you are using kalk in your auto top off? Fully saturated? thanks for the reply.

I'm using a kalk stirrer with a dos to pump RO from ATO reservoir to stirrer. So yeah what's making it into sump is fully saturated

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

the kalk alone wont replace your 2 part, add a calcium reactor then you can ditch the 2 part.

Not sure who you are addressing this to, but why do you think that?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I'm using a kalk stirrer with a dos to pump RO from ATO reservoir to stirrer. So yeah what's making it into sump is fully saturated

Because you measured it to verify?

A sad truth about many kalk stirrers that manufacturers gloss over is that they may not saturate the water.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

not familiar with the Part C. But would like to learn more. Thanks for the insight.

You can read about it here:

Balling Zwischenseite | Produktinformationen

www.tropic-marin-smartinfo.com

and here:

Trace Element Package For BRS Two Part (Balling Hybrid) - Tropic Marin

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