I've been the BRS Kalk for almost a year now. Once I got all the levels set on my reef I added kalk in my 30 gallon ATO tank and it really stabilizes my parameters. I cant even remember the last time I dosed Ca lol. The only thing I do replace is Alk. I love this stuff and highly recommend it!
I recently added a tunze osmolator with a 5 gal ato reservoir to my tank. From brs obviously. I'm currently starting off small with one and now 2 tsp per 5 gal of ato. my tank is a red sea 130 that tops off about 7/10 times a day. I've been reducing my daily dosage of reef code a+b as I ramp up the amount of kalk and lemme tell you. My water has never been more stable and my corals couldnt be happier. this is such a simple (and more importantly cheaper) accurate solution to shocking my tank with 2 part cap fulls once a day!
Thank you for this! You just answered all of my questions about getting this up and going and you didint even know it! lolI wasnt sure if I should drip it versus spending 200 bucks on a tunze but you are saying it tops off about 7 to 10 times a day so that defiently a slow and safe rate. I dont think I will do the drip that someone else suggested they did a reptile zoo med quart bottle at night. I think that would be to fast! Being a new reefer and already having one crash and wiping out all of my lps I dont want to risk anything, so until I get to be a pro then maybe on a future tank. The other question was how the heck do I get my alk up since it has fallen to 6 so that kalk will maintain it. You said you were using 2 part. I am going to order the reefcode and just add the alk part since my calcium is fine. I hope I can do that by hand maybe several small doses a day as to not shock my corals. They arent very happy corals right now. My nitrates rose and alk dropped after I added to many! Plus lighting problem and waiting for my radions and the seneye for par. The other question was how much to add so I will start slow and keep and eye on things until I see what happening. Thanks so much and happy reefing!
@@karennation3580 a year later and im still 5 table spoons of kalk per 5 gal of rodi top off water. Id still recommend starting slow maybe 2 or 3 spoons. After a few months I did notice some other elements were kinda low. If I'm really good with water change schedule they come back up. But sometimes I do add a little 2 part but thats 1 once or twice a month not daily doses. Tank and corals happy as ever. Something no one told me was that the unused (suspended) kalk in the reservoir will build up so once a month I take the reservoir out and rinse it to get all the old kalk out.
Great updated video. I've just watched the old versions of this series on dosing calcium and alkalinity yesterday and it's been a great watch. I would add that an ATO using a peristaltic pump (I own the AquaMedic) would eliminate the need to replace your pump, having the advantage that it is a slow addition by the nature of the pump, so can be used with a timer over longer periods of time without the risk of overdosing or raising the pH too fast.
Great video. Very informative. I dosed kalk for many years, but I have had much greater success with 2-part, and I doubt I will ever go back. My biggest issues with kalk were that evaporation happens at different rates throughout the year as the humidity changes. Lots more evaporation in winter than in summer, so I was constantly having to adjust how much kalk I would add to my ato bucket. The other issue I had was that the kalk would precipitate slowly over time on the end of the tube in my sump, and eventually it would clog if I didn't stay on top of it. But that was more of my own laziness not monitoring it than the process itself. I did like the pH benefit though.
Thanks for another great video, I am very interested in starting a way to dose my tank since I had a coral crash and lost everything, just want to cover all my basics this time before I start over.
Thank you for the video I can't seem to raise my PH past 7.9 I'm using a ATO and buffer will this product lower my KH? My KH lives around 10.5 a lower KH higher PH might help my corals open up.
great tutorial. I have a question: what do I do with the settle of kalkwasser after that the ATO consumes all the water on the reservoir, can I just add more RODI watter? or should I get rid of it?
That would be great how is the coral coloration with those lights and growth I know there's a lot of other things that come in the part to determine how well corals color up to and how fast they grow but I was just curious to see if you've noticed any better coloration or growth with those lights over the ones you've used in the past like pacifically the Ecotect I run the Ecotech radion on my mixed reef but I've been thinking about trying out the kessills this is why I asked now I know these are both amazing light fixtures but I'd like to hear from another hobby that has tried them both
The kalk slurry is made up of potential contaminants (and is VERY high in pH). Aside from the obvious increase in your tank's pH, you may not notice negative effects right away. That said, dosing the slurry over time will almost certainly have a negative impact on the health of your fish and corals.
How often do you need to clean out the ato reserve if you use kalk wasser? Can you just add more KW water or do you need to dump it all out and start fresh every time?
I've always mixed the Kalk with vinegar and shot it into a powerhead with a syringe. I was taught old school. Now I wonder if the alk is neutralized with the vinegar?Everything stayed stable, so it seemed to work out.
hey i have a 500 litre system including sump, and i am losing around 35 litre of water from evaporation, and i am using a 20 litre of drum for Kalk dosing ( i am using ro water, so i put 10 teaspoons every 20 litre of ro), then dose it with dosing pump, around 4 litres every 7 days, so around 600ml of dosing everyday, do i dosing amount ok? or too little? please help.
This works great for raising PH. What if the cal and alk doesn't use very much in the tank? Would I just buy some SPS coral in order to get the tank to use more, so i can keep using kalk ? or maybe do C02 scrubber instead.
What is the starter package for? So is Kalk not the only thing needed. I understand having to add mag but what are the other two items in the starter package and when to use? Thanks
Kalk is designed to maintain your levels, not raise them. It's a good idea to have some calcium chloride and sodium bicarbonate on hand just in case you need to make an adjustment to your calcium or alkalinity from time to time. That's why we include those two products, along with the magnesium, in our starter kit. If you don't feel that you need them, you can also purchase kalkwasser separately on our website.
So I will be dripping the Kalk. Im evaporating about 1/2 gallon per day so I will have a 1/2 gallon drip container. I understand I need to mix a whole gallon but I will pour half into drip cantainer after mixing. Basically I will most likely have to do this daily correct? From what im hearing, it doesnt raise it all that much so I probably will more less continuously drip this correct? Especially starting out with a 1 teaspoon 1 gallon ratio. Sorry for the question I just need to get this right! I do understand that I will need to test daily at first to see how much I need daily so....
hi, you mention that we should not mix the solution after it has been mixed, but certain reactor like TLF has stirer that works with ato which will stir the solution once ato is on.. can help my doubt here😀
Removed it from my new build and put it back after a few months ,there 's a noticeable difference in coral health when this product is added to my reef tanks.
I have a gravity fed ato(eshopps 5 gallon) how would I make sure the stuff at the bottom doesn't make it in to the display? Do I just mix in the Eshopps container or in a bucket and pour in the Eshopps container?
Kalkwasser will raise your calcium and alkalinity levels, so the best way to tell if you're adding too much is to test for those two parameters. If they're trending upward, then you're probably adding too much. If they're stable, you're adding the right amount.
I know you said not to stir after the initial stir, but what if I had a small power head in my ATO reservior? Would I need to remove the power head or leave it running? Thanks
I'm a novice into the hobby. I just made the first water change in my marine aquarium. I added kalkwasser previously dissolved in fresh water and in the ratio suggested by the instructions. I left sit the mix for 1 hour. Then I poured the kalkwasser mix at once in my saltwater mix. Now the water looks foggy. What kind I do now for make it clear again? Thank you.
Thank you for replying. The PH of the saltwater that I prepared with RODI filtered tap water is 7. After I poured the Kalkwasser mix at once into the fresh saltwater mix (not into my aquarium) it happened that the PH oddly lowered to 5.5 - 6.0 I panicked and I had to prepare immediately new fresh saltwater again. My purpose of using Kalkwasser was for increasing the PH but it happened just the opposite. I wonder if pouring the Kalkwasser mix at once made that...
do i need to add any magnesium to my ATO when adding kalkwasser and if i do do i add it with the kalkwasser iN the ATO or do i do it seperately i the refugium?
I want to switch over to kalkwasser.I currently use cal,alk,mag dosing by dose pump and my tank is over 10 years old and I have some nice acros,but I am afraid the switching process will cause swings in my parameters and cause my acros to die. the main reason I want to do this switch is in the last three weeks something has lowered my ph to 7.3 to 7.6 at its highest,I have a apex that monitors my ph, I just installed your co2 scrubber and it has only made a small change in the ph.the only thing I can think of is I used vibrant about a month and a half ago on my tank to kill some algae,well it also killed my chaeto so I think its either bacteria or not having my chaeto in my refugium that is causing this,I have added a baseball size piece of chaeto back in my refugium it is slowly growing but no change to ph at this time and its been about two weeks since adding it.the good news is that all my corals seem to be okay for now but I need to get this turned around before the low ph does start to effect the tank.
You could also consider using both kalkwasser and two part together. For example, you could start with 1tsp of kalk per gallon in your ATO, then reduce your two part. It will take a little trial and error based on your coral consumption, but if you start slow, any swings should be small. Obviously in the first couple of weeks, frequent testing will be needed to really get it dialed in.
Question, got a Tunze Osmolator during the recent BRS sale. I want to add the Kalkwasser as described in the video to my ATO Reservoir. Once it is emptied, can I just refill with RO water and add the Kalkwasser? Or do I need to clean out the sediment from the reservoir each time?
Just to make sure I’m buying the right parts, the clear tube in 16” long in the DIY kalk drip kit & the OXO 2.5q container is 12.5” tall? I didn’t see any hang time on the tube in the video... did you guys cut it? If so do I need to cut mine & what would I use to do it?
Hi im very new to reefing. i have soft corals and so far just do water changes. im wanting to venture onto lps corals and am dyslexic so rely on you tube to help me. this sounds very easy and a good way o dose for calc and kh. is this as effective as dosing? im finding it hard to get my head around the dosing bit lol
In this video.you've stated do not remix . Is that only in ATO containers ? Kalk stirrers are set to stir like 4 times per day & pumped into the tank when all is settled . Are Kalk Stirrers really that beneficial ? Should BRS Investigate or do ya already know ?
BulkReefSupplyCom Ryan said do not restir because of C O 2 in this videos , yet kalk stirrers restir quite often . Is it the difference in volume ? Thank you for your response .
BulkReefSupplyCom Thank you very much ! On one of Ryan's ULM tanks , he's using a stirrer with a Doser . In this case the Top Off water would not be contaminated from stirred twice Top Off water with Kalk added . Very Interesting . Using a Doser seems best at least till you need more calcium . probably even beyond that to dose the max you can , Then addition supplements . Thanks again ! You Minnesota guys are Great .
Hi Ryan, kind of new to the hobby and i've watched a fair few of your videos (v.helpful) I've got a 300L mixed aquarium and want to start dosing Kalkwasser but thought i'd get your view on amounts if possible, its 300L and loses 25L a week, how much would you mix in to a 25L batch of top off water, cheers...
I have a new tank and I'm using 2 part, do I get my levels to where they need to be and then use kalk to maintain them? Or stay with 2 part and dose as needed with what drops? Thanks great videos!!
I have a standard 29g with only 5 LPS colonies in it. I was unable to maintain Alkalinity or Calcium with weekly 10%-15% water changes. This I’d assume this would vary greatly depending on the type of salt used; for me Instant Ocean? I’m not sure why my tank seems to use up so much Alk and Ca but I seem to have gotten it under control using BRS’s suggestions, Sodium Bicarbonate, Calcium and a Kalkwasser dripper. The only thing I’m trying to bring up now is my Magnesium. Is there any relation to low magnesium and uptake of Alk/Ca? Can there be other reasons why Alk/Ca is used up so quickly? Only invertebrates are snails and hermits.
Awesome Video!! Thanks! I think I will start dosing kalkwasser soon on my 50 gallon reef tank. Quick question though, can the speed on the Tunze Osmolator nano 3152 be adjusted as well as the one shown on this video??
After weeks of research i finally ordered my first reef tank from your website today. The nuvo 20. Since i dont have the budget for an RODI system i was planning on using store bought distilled water to avoid adding any chemicals at all to the system. I only plan on keeping soft corals and it is to my understanding that it will not be necessary to dose calcium or magnesium. I believe distilled water has a ph of 7.0 and i was wondering if there was a product that i could just add to the water when i do water changes that would boost the ph to more desired levels. I dont plan on using an auto top off unless it becomes necessary.
Kalkwasser will raise pH, Calcium, and Alkalinity. It sounds like kalk might not be a great choice for you as it'll likely raise your alk and calcium too high. When you eventually add more corals and have higher alk and calcium consumption, then you could consider kalkwasser.
Does the kalkwasser once mixed expire persay? I have a 9 gallon ATO and it was recommended to only mix up 4-5 gallons at a time because the kalk loses potency after a few days. Any thoughts? My tank evaporates at approximately 1/2 -- 3/4/gallon per day.
Thanks for the awesome videos, very helpful! I am new to the hobby and my 60g tank has been running for about 10 months now. I have about 7 LPS corals, all a fairly decent size and have only been maintaining Ca and ALK through water changes (about 25% every three weeks or so). I use the osmolator ATO and have kalk at home, would you suggest implementing this into my system? Everything seems to be growing well and looks healthy.
I love your videos, but have one question. You say that you should never mix the solution again after the initial mixing. The reason I ask is I'm running the Tunze ATO through a TLF kalk reactor, which essentially 'remixes' the solution each time the ATO kicks on. What is so bad about mixing the solution over again? Thanks in advance.
I measured the parameters of my water from my 2 month old tank, I'm waiting a little before I introduce sps corals but I want my levels to be right when I get the coral, if my magnesium, my calcium and my alkalinity are all a little low would it be a good idea to raize magnesium to the right level before adding a little kalwasser to make sure it doesn't precipitate? I'm still going to wait a month before I introduce corals so I have a lot of time to raize magnesium first and then the other two elements.
Hi I've recently bought kalkwasser. I've never used it b4 so wanted to ask is it ok to stir once then pour into my top off container or does it need to stay in what's it's mixed in? And also do I need a lid on the top off container to stop the ro evaporating leaving the kalk too strong? Thank you
could u recommend a container in the uk? my hubby thinks its impossible to have a sealed container with atu as the pump wont work? i actually syphoned the mix into a jerry can and it never went clear? it has a settlement film on the surface?
my tank evaporates at least 1 gal a day, I mixed soda ash(from BRS), how much I can put of this solution in my 5g. ATO reservoir(can I put it in my ATO?). I have Red Sea Reefer 350. ty
Jeff R. I think that's what I have. I bought it as kit with the pump and plastic containers at BRS, it's mark as calcium, magnesium and soda ash. I never had dosing pump this my first. From 29 Biocube to Red Sea Reefer 350. Thank you Jeff.
if i have a 5 gallon freshwater reservoir for my ATO, is the max amount of kalk i can add still 10 tsp/5gallons despite the size of my display tank? the reason i ask is because I've read elsewhere that its 1 tsp/5 gallon of the display. I just don't want to overdose when i start this.
ATO with Kalk has a lot of draw backs. (been there, done that). If you own an aquarium controller, control it in its own dosing reservoir. IME, using Kalk in a ATO is now an Old School methodology. If you own an aquarium controller use it to your benefit. If not, Ryan has the alternative answers here, but please be careful! You don't want to nuke you tank by a ATO stuck ON.
So i probably shouldnt use this. My ph is high from tap. its always around 8.2-8.5! i use ph decrease some times in my freshwater tanks.. Not much...Seams my fresh water fish do better in ph at 7.9-8.3! so much i have fish that have exceeded there max growth by a lot i have a loach that is 9in long that was only suppose to be 5-6! even my oscar... 3 Months ago he was size of a quarter.. Now is at least 5-6 in! my glow fish are bigger than anything i have ever seen or heard!!! we have only had this tank up for 5 months!! only thing i can think of to cause suck growth!!! unreal.. I just move to 55gal few months ago... already looking to move to 100 maybe a 150! should see the angel fish!!
When i first started this hobby, i never had any fish tanks in my life...Didnt kno what i was doing at all!! said the ph for freshwater should be lower...I strongly disagree! same as a saltwater tank!! and i do check! you dont understand what kind of fish growth im seeing!! in under 1 yeah my algae eater went from 4" to almost 9-10"!!!!! unless someone who has been in this hobby longer can tell me whats up! even my local fish store...Were i bought them from didnt believe me till i took a few down... But what im not understanding...This isnt happing in my brackish tank...Puffer fish is grown slow..Could be the diet to... But i have no clue.. Im loving it
But there diet until here recant was just flakes!! nothing special..Now they get different thing... There a little to big just to use fish flakes! they get ghost shrimp, creel, brine shrimp, bloodworms, nightcrawlers, feeder fish... And a lot of cleaning gravel!
Kalkwasser is extremely hard on pumps, so expect a reduced lifespan. We usually get somewhere around 24 months out of a Tunze ATO pump when being used with kalk. Regardless of the ATO system you're running, be prepared and have a spare pump on hand if you're running it with kalk.
I've been the BRS Kalk for almost a year now. Once I got all the levels set on my reef I added kalk in my 30 gallon ATO tank and it really stabilizes my parameters. I cant even remember the last time I dosed Ca lol. The only thing I do replace is Alk. I love this stuff and highly recommend it!
I recently added a tunze osmolator with a 5 gal ato reservoir to my tank. From brs obviously. I'm currently starting off small with one and now 2 tsp per 5 gal of ato. my tank is a red sea 130 that tops off about 7/10 times a day. I've been reducing my daily dosage of reef code a+b as I ramp up the amount of kalk and lemme tell you. My water has never been more stable and my corals couldnt be happier. this is such a simple (and more importantly cheaper) accurate solution to shocking my tank with 2 part cap fulls once a day!
Thank you for this! You just answered all of my questions about getting this up and going and you didint even know it! lolI wasnt sure if I should drip it versus spending 200 bucks on a tunze but you are saying it tops off about 7 to 10 times a day so that defiently a slow and safe rate. I dont think I will do the drip that someone else suggested they did a reptile zoo med quart bottle at night. I think that would be to fast! Being a new reefer and already having one crash and wiping out all of my lps I dont want to risk anything, so until I get to be a pro then maybe on a future tank. The other question was how the heck do I get my alk up since it has fallen to 6 so that kalk will maintain it. You said you were using 2 part. I am going to order the reefcode and just add the alk part since my calcium is fine. I hope I can do that by hand maybe several small doses a day as to not shock my corals. They arent very happy corals right now. My nitrates rose and alk dropped after I added to many! Plus lighting problem and waiting for my radions and the seneye for par. The other question was how much to add so I will start slow and keep and eye on things until I see what happening. Thanks so much and happy reefing!
@@karennation3580 a year later and im still 5 table spoons of kalk per 5 gal of rodi top off water. Id still recommend starting slow maybe 2 or 3 spoons. After a few months I did notice some other elements were kinda low. If I'm really good with water change schedule they come back up. But sometimes I do add a little 2 part but thats 1 once or twice a month not daily doses. Tank and corals happy as ever. Something no one told me was that the unused (suspended) kalk in the reservoir will build up so once a month I take the reservoir out and rinse it to get all the old kalk out.
How big is the tank at 2:08? It has the yellow tang and two naked clownfish. Awesome tank and vid.
Great updated video. I've just watched the old versions of this series on dosing calcium and alkalinity yesterday and it's been a great watch. I would add that an ATO using a peristaltic pump (I own the AquaMedic) would eliminate the need to replace your pump, having the advantage that it is a slow addition by the nature of the pump, so can be used with a timer over longer periods of time without the risk of overdosing or raising the pH too fast.
They no longer recommend using the ato because it’s hard to dial in your exact needs. Check out their newer video on Kalkwasser.
sir..what i have 5 tablespoon added salt in 120 gallon for water...then how much tablespoon calcium Hydroxide should i add ? Please reply !!!!
Can you still use Kalkwasser in your ATO if you have a lightly stocked LPS but your evaporation is 40+ liters a week?
Great video. Very informative. I dosed kalk for many years, but I have had much greater success with 2-part, and I doubt I will ever go back. My biggest issues with kalk were that evaporation happens at different rates throughout the year as the humidity changes. Lots more evaporation in winter than in summer, so I was constantly having to adjust how much kalk I would add to my ato bucket. The other issue I had was that the kalk would precipitate slowly over time on the end of the tube in my sump, and eventually it would clog if I didn't stay on top of it. But that was more of my own laziness not monitoring it than the process itself. I did like the pH benefit though.
BRS!!!!! I Love all Y’all videos!!!!! Thank you guys so much!!!!
Thanks for another great video, I am very interested in starting a way to dose my tank since I had a coral crash and lost everything, just want to cover all my basics this time before I start over.
Thank you for the video I can't seem to raise my PH past 7.9 I'm using a ATO and buffer will this product lower my KH? My KH lives around 10.5 a lower KH higher PH might help my corals open up.
great tutorial. I have a question: what do I do with the settle of kalkwasser after that the ATO consumes all the water on the reservoir, can I just add more RODI watter? or should I get rid of it?
I was told by several people to toss it
Great video would really like to see an update on your tank the one you put in your office are you still running the kessils on that tank
That would be great how is the coral coloration with those lights and growth I know there's a lot of other things that come in the part to determine how well corals color up to and how fast they grow but I was just curious to see if you've noticed any better coloration or growth with those lights over the ones you've used in the past like pacifically the Ecotect I run the Ecotech radion on my mixed reef but I've been thinking about trying out the kessills this is why I asked now I know these are both amazing light fixtures but I'd like to hear from another hobby that has tried them both
What will happen if you dose the undissolved particles and precipitate to the tank?
The kalk slurry is made up of potential contaminants (and is VERY high in pH). Aside from the obvious increase in your tank's pH, you may not notice negative effects right away. That said, dosing the slurry over time will almost certainly have a negative impact on the health of your fish and corals.
Your videos are seriously underrated. Very informative, yet easy to understand and still entertaining. Keep up the great work guys!
How often do you need to clean out the ato reserve if you use kalk wasser? Can you just add more KW water or do you need to dump it all out and start fresh every time?
I have a 5 gallon bucket ato reservoir that I would like to use with kalk. could I place a small powerhead in the bucket to keep it mixed?
I've always mixed the Kalk with vinegar and shot it into a powerhead with a syringe. I was taught old school. Now I wonder if the alk is neutralized with the vinegar?Everything stayed stable, so it seemed to work out.
hey i have a 500 litre system including sump, and i am losing around 35 litre of water from evaporation, and i am using a 20 litre of drum for Kalk dosing ( i am using ro water, so i put 10 teaspoons every 20 litre of ro), then dose it with dosing pump, around 4 litres every 7 days, so around 600ml of dosing everyday, do i dosing amount ok? or too little? please help.
HI Ryan, any advice on dosing kalk using a dosing pump.
This works great for raising PH. What if the cal and alk doesn't use very much in the tank? Would I just buy some SPS coral in order to get the tank to use more, so i can keep using kalk ? or maybe do C02 scrubber instead.
What is the starter package for? So is Kalk not the only thing needed. I understand having to add mag but what are the other two items in the starter package and when to use? Thanks
Kalk is designed to maintain your levels, not raise them. It's a good idea to have some calcium chloride and sodium bicarbonate on hand just in case you need to make an adjustment to your calcium or alkalinity from time to time. That's why we include those two products, along with the magnesium, in our starter kit. If you don't feel that you need them, you can also purchase kalkwasser separately on our website.
So I will be dripping the Kalk. Im evaporating about 1/2 gallon per day so I will have a 1/2 gallon drip container. I understand I need to mix a whole gallon but I will pour half into drip cantainer after mixing. Basically I will most likely have to do this daily correct? From what im hearing, it doesnt raise it all that much so I probably will more less continuously drip this correct? Especially starting out with a 1 teaspoon 1 gallon ratio. Sorry for the question I just need to get this right! I do understand that I will need to test daily at first to see how much I need daily so....
Can I dose kalkwasser and calcium chloride in the same aquarium ? Or one or the other and which one is better to use?
hi, you mention that we should not mix the solution after it has been mixed, but certain reactor like TLF has stirer that works with ato which will stir the solution once ato is on.. can help my doubt here😀
Removed it from my new build and put it back after a few months ,there 's a noticeable difference in coral health when this product is added to my reef tanks.
I have a gravity fed ato(eshopps 5 gallon) how would I make sure the stuff at the bottom doesn't make it in to the display? Do I just mix in the Eshopps container or in a bucket and pour in the Eshopps container?
Never tried this but I'm defiantly going too.
If my calcium is a little high Nd don’t dose Nd all is stable would kalk increase it more or keep it stable where it’s at
kalkwasser will add both calcium and alkalinity to the tank. If your calcium is high, we wouldn't suggest using kalkwasser
How do you know if your dosing too much kalwasser in your ato
Kalkwasser will raise your calcium and alkalinity levels, so the best way to tell if you're adding too much is to test for those two parameters. If they're trending upward, then you're probably adding too much. If they're stable, you're adding the right amount.
I know you said not to stir after the initial stir, but what if I had a small power head in my ATO reservior? Would I need to remove the power head or leave it running? Thanks
BulkReefSupplyCom how long would I let it mix with a power head?
I'm a novice into the hobby. I just made the first water change in my marine aquarium. I added kalkwasser previously dissolved in fresh water and in the ratio suggested by the instructions. I left sit the mix for 1 hour. Then I poured the kalkwasser mix at once in my saltwater mix. Now the water looks foggy. What kind I do now for make it clear again? Thank you.
Thank you for replying. The PH of the saltwater that I prepared with RODI filtered tap water is 7. After I poured the Kalkwasser mix at once into the fresh saltwater mix (not into my aquarium) it happened that the PH oddly lowered to 5.5 - 6.0 I panicked and I had to prepare immediately new fresh saltwater again. My purpose of using Kalkwasser was for increasing the PH but it happened just the opposite. I wonder if pouring the Kalkwasser mix at once made that...
do i need to add any magnesium to my ATO when adding kalkwasser and if i do do i add it with the kalkwasser iN the ATO or do i do it seperately i the refugium?
I want to switch over to kalkwasser.I currently use cal,alk,mag dosing by dose pump and my tank is over 10 years old and I have some nice acros,but I am afraid the switching process will cause swings in my parameters and cause my acros to die. the main reason I want to do this switch is in the last three weeks something has lowered my ph to 7.3 to 7.6 at its highest,I have a apex that monitors my ph, I just installed your co2 scrubber and it has only made a small change in the ph.the only thing I can think of is I used vibrant about a month and a half ago on my tank to kill some algae,well it also killed my chaeto so I think its either bacteria or not having my chaeto in my refugium that is causing this,I have added a baseball size piece of chaeto back in my refugium it is slowly growing but no change to ph at this time and its been about two weeks since adding it.the good news is that all my corals seem to be okay for now but I need to get this turned around before the low ph does start to effect the tank.
You could also consider using both kalkwasser and two part together. For example, you could start with 1tsp of kalk per gallon in your ATO, then reduce your two part. It will take a little trial and error based on your coral consumption, but if you start slow, any swings should be small. Obviously in the first couple of weeks, frequent testing will be needed to really get it dialed in.
Question, got a Tunze Osmolator during the recent BRS sale. I want to add the Kalkwasser as described in the video to my ATO Reservoir. Once it is emptied, can I just refill with RO water and add the Kalkwasser? Or do I need to clean out the sediment from the reservoir each time?
Just to make sure I’m buying the right parts, the clear tube in 16” long in the DIY kalk drip kit & the OXO 2.5q container is 12.5” tall? I didn’t see any hang time on the tube in the video... did you guys cut it? If so do I need to cut mine & what would I use to do it?
Thanks a lot for replying :) I think it’s probably easier for me to just find a taller container lol
Great video have started to dose
will the kalkwasser raise my ph and not my alk
Hi im very new to reefing. i have soft corals and so far just do water changes. im wanting to venture onto lps corals and am dyslexic so rely on you tube to help me. this sounds very easy and a good way o dose for calc and kh. is this as effective as dosing? im finding it hard to get my head around the dosing bit lol
In this video.you've stated do not remix . Is that only in ATO containers ? Kalk stirrers are set to stir like 4 times per day & pumped into the tank when all is settled . Are Kalk Stirrers really that beneficial ? Should BRS Investigate or do ya already know ?
BulkReefSupplyCom Ryan said do not restir because of C O 2 in this videos , yet kalk stirrers restir quite often . Is it the difference in volume ? Thank you for your response .
BulkReefSupplyCom Thank you very much ! On one of Ryan's ULM tanks , he's using a stirrer with a Doser . In this case the Top Off water would not be contaminated from stirred twice Top Off water with Kalk added . Very Interesting . Using a Doser seems best at least till you need more calcium . probably even beyond that to dose the max you can , Then addition supplements . Thanks again ! You Minnesota guys are Great .
BulkReefSupplyCom OK . Very Cool . Thank you very much ! & the PH probe should pretty much tell you when to clean & add fresh kalk 👍
Hi Ryan, kind of new to the hobby and i've watched a fair few of your videos (v.helpful) I've got a 300L mixed aquarium and want to start dosing Kalkwasser but thought i'd get your view on amounts if possible, its 300L and loses 25L a week, how much would you mix in to a 25L batch of top off water, cheers...
Great help buddy, thanks a lot
I have a new tank and I'm using 2 part, do I get my levels to where they need to be and then use kalk to maintain them? Or stay with 2 part and dose as needed with what drops? Thanks great videos!!
can I put a kelkwasser drip system next to a return pump in my sump
Is calcium and alkalinity dosing necessary if I do 25% water changes every 2 weeks?
Does it depend on the number of corals in my tank?
Thank you!
Why would people use 2 part if kalk is available?
I have a standard 29g with only 5 LPS colonies in it. I was unable to maintain Alkalinity or Calcium with weekly 10%-15% water changes. This I’d assume this would vary greatly depending on the type of salt used; for me Instant Ocean? I’m not sure why my tank seems to use up so much Alk and Ca but I seem to have gotten it under control using BRS’s suggestions, Sodium Bicarbonate, Calcium and a Kalkwasser dripper. The only thing I’m trying to bring up now is my Magnesium.
Is there any relation to low magnesium and uptake of Alk/Ca?
Can there be other reasons why Alk/Ca is used up so quickly? Only invertebrates are snails and hermits.
Awesome Video!! Thanks! I think I will start dosing kalkwasser soon on my 50 gallon reef tank. Quick question though, can the speed on the Tunze Osmolator nano 3152 be adjusted as well as the one shown on this video??
+BulkReefSupplyCom 😭😭😭 oh dang it! Lol I'll just have to buy the 3155 then! Ty for replying! 👍🏻
Any idea when kalkwazer will be available at BRS as well as the drip kit?
Currently, we have the 4lb bag of kalk in stock and ready to ship. I don't have a firm ETA on the smaller 2 lb bag or dripper kit at this moment.
After weeks of research i finally ordered my first reef tank from your website today. The nuvo 20. Since i dont have the budget for an RODI system i was planning on using store bought distilled water to avoid adding any chemicals at all to the system. I only plan on keeping soft corals and it is to my understanding that it will not be necessary to dose calcium or magnesium. I believe distilled water has a ph of 7.0 and i was wondering if there was a product that i could just add to the water when i do water changes that would boost the ph to more desired levels. I dont plan on using an auto top off unless it becomes necessary.
Liam Ackermann the salt mix you use should bring up the pH.
This is mostly for sps, right?
Thanks!
Is kalk good for just lowering ph? I have a few beginner coral so the water changes keep up with the calcium that’s needed. But I need to raise ph.
Kalkwasser will raise pH, Calcium, and Alkalinity. It sounds like kalk might not be a great choice for you as it'll likely raise your alk and calcium too high. When you eventually add more corals and have higher alk and calcium consumption, then you could consider kalkwasser.
Would it be possible to use this solution on a nano reef!
Do you ship outside of Canada and America?
How do you know how much to add in a day? I only have a 29 gallon tank and I'm petrified I'll mess up and dose to much.
+BulkReefSupplyCom Ok Kool. It's still to new for coral but I'll be getting a couple lps but no sps.
Does the kalkwasser once mixed expire persay? I have a 9 gallon ATO and it was recommended to only mix up 4-5 gallons at a time because the kalk loses potency after a few days. Any thoughts? My tank evaporates at approximately 1/2 -- 3/4/gallon per day.
BulkReefSupplyCom Thank you so much for the response! You guys/girls at BRS are amazing at running your business. The customer service is top notch!!!
I heard that you can put vinegar in the tank for coral growth
BulkReefSupplyCom
Can you explain in layman's terms how to add vinegar, please?
carbon dosing. you would need to research the amount . Vodka,Vinegar,BioPellets, and Red Sea have some patented stuff.
Thanks for the awesome videos, very helpful! I am new to the hobby and my 60g tank has been running for about 10 months now. I have about 7 LPS corals, all a fairly decent size and have only been maintaining Ca and ALK through water changes (about 25% every three weeks or so). I use the osmolator ATO and have kalk at home, would you suggest implementing this into my system? Everything seems to be growing well and looks healthy.
I love your videos, but have one question. You say that you should never mix the solution again after the initial mixing. The reason I ask is I'm running the Tunze ATO through a TLF kalk reactor, which essentially 'remixes' the solution each time the ATO kicks on. What is so bad about mixing the solution over again? Thanks in advance.
Thanks, that makes sense.
Hi Ryan,
Do I need to dose trace and minor elements if am dosing Kalk. If so what additive will you recommend?
Question. So once ato empties out do we need to wash it out
It is a good idea to empty out the slurry, and give it a quick rinse!
can you dose kalk in a fowler tank to keep ph up
Can you guys explain how you would use kalk along with dosing 2 part??
I’m looking to implement kalk for the ph benefits. I dose 2 part every hour on the hour from 1am - 8am. A video would be great!!! Thanks
I measured the parameters of my water from my 2 month old tank, I'm waiting a little before I introduce sps corals but I want my levels to be right when I get the coral, if my magnesium, my calcium and my alkalinity are all a little low would it be a good idea to raize magnesium to the right level before adding a little kalwasser to make sure it doesn't precipitate? I'm still going to wait a month before I introduce corals so I have a lot of time to raize magnesium first and then the other two elements.
My pH is also a little low so the kalkwasser would help me with that too.
when i try to add half a teaspoon of kalkwasser to my tank the calcium stays the same and the ph goes to 9. why is this?
can i use calcium sulfate to increase the calcium?
Do i have to mix new kalk with every new rodi water? Or i can use the powder that settles at the botton with new water? Thanks
BulkReefSupplyCom Thanks
Hi I've recently bought kalkwasser. I've never used it b4 so wanted to ask is it ok to stir once then pour into my top off container or does it need to stay in what's it's mixed in? And also do I need a lid on the top off container to stop the ro evaporating leaving the kalk too strong? Thank you
could u recommend a container in the uk? my hubby thinks its impossible to have a sealed container with atu as the pump wont work? i actually syphoned the mix into a jerry can and it never went clear? it has a settlement film on the surface?
If I dose the kalkwasser..do I need the soda
Ash also
Ok thanks for answering ..I have your two part but thinking of switching to kalkwasser in top off storage
my tank evaporates at least 1 gal a day, I mixed soda ash(from BRS), how much I can put of this solution in my 5g. ATO reservoir(can I put it in my ATO?). I have Red Sea Reefer 350. ty
Jeff R. Thank you so much, got dosing pump now.
Jeff R. I think that's what I have. I bought it as kit with the pump and plastic containers at BRS, it's mark as calcium, magnesium and soda ash. I never had dosing pump this my first. From 29 Biocube to Red Sea Reefer 350. Thank you Jeff.
I saw 2 part from marine depot too. Is that the one you are talking about? Ty
Jeff R. Thank you.
Would it be okay to add Kalkwasser solely for PH in a soft coral only tank?
BulkReefSupplyCom thanks!
How long can Kalkwasser sit when its mix?
My talk isn't dissolving. I let it sit for several hours and then overnight. what do i do?
+BulkReefSupplyCom nope. I'm using 1 teaspoon a gallon with my medium stocked tank
+BulkReefSupplyCom yep. It's still cloudy
+BulkReefSupplyCom thanks for the help!
I’m confused. Does KALKWASSER maintain alkalinity or calcium? Or both haha?
Can I gravity drip 24/7?
Vinegar will allow you to increase the kalk concentration.
if i have a 5 gallon freshwater reservoir for my ATO, is the max amount of kalk i can add still 10 tsp/5gallons despite the size of my display tank? the reason i ask is because I've read elsewhere that its 1 tsp/5 gallon of the display. I just don't want to overdose when i start this.
0:06 thought I was watching Scarface for a second there lol 😂
HooksandBeats underrated comment lol.
ATO with Kalk has a lot of draw backs. (been there, done that). If you own an aquarium controller, control it in its own dosing reservoir. IME, using Kalk in a ATO is now an Old School methodology. If you own an aquarium controller use it to your benefit. If not, Ryan has the alternative answers here, but please be careful! You don't want to nuke you tank by a ATO stuck ON.
+BulkReefSupplyCom can you make a video on how to do this
@@BRStv i use my apex to power the tunze osmolator and have the ph probe set to shut off that outlet if the ph gets too high. Its super easy to do.
I didn't sign up for all this. lol
Usernam E
That's exactly what I've been doing for years. It works. And I kind of enjoy doing it manually. It's part of my routine.
@@Berbs73 how doyou do it manually? a little thoughout the day or a dripper? I also top off manually , no problem. Just takes less than half a minute!
Karen Nation I use two part I-Bionic. I figure out how much to add each day and test once a week.
very interesting !
Way to much info for 1 video
Feel free to pause, rewind, or re-watch if you feel overwhelmed. Some reefing topics feel overwhelming at first, but we're here if you have questions!
So i probably shouldnt use this. My ph is high from tap. its always around 8.2-8.5! i use ph decrease some times in my freshwater tanks.. Not much...Seams my fresh water fish do better in ph at 7.9-8.3! so much i have fish that have exceeded there max growth by a lot i have a loach that is 9in long that was only suppose to be 5-6! even my oscar... 3 Months ago he was size of a quarter.. Now is at least 5-6 in! my glow fish are bigger than anything i have ever seen or heard!!! we have only had this tank up for 5 months!! only thing i can think of to cause suck growth!!! unreal.. I just move to 55gal few months ago... already looking to move to 100 maybe a 150! should see the angel fish!!
When i first started this hobby, i never had any fish tanks in my life...Didnt kno what i was doing at all!! said the ph for freshwater should be lower...I strongly disagree! same as a saltwater tank!! and i do check! you dont understand what kind of fish growth im seeing!! in under 1 yeah my algae eater went from 4" to almost 9-10"!!!!! unless someone who has been in this hobby longer can tell me whats up! even my local fish store...Were i bought them from didnt believe me till i took a few down... But what im not understanding...This isnt happing in my brackish tank...Puffer fish is grown slow..Could be the diet to... But i have no clue.. Im loving it
But there diet until here recant was just flakes!! nothing special..Now they get different thing... There a little to big just to use fish flakes! they get ghost shrimp, creel, brine shrimp, bloodworms, nightcrawlers, feeder fish... And a lot of cleaning gravel!
Marty Browning I believe
Welcome to 1997
The heck is Bi-Carbonte?? lol hahaha
How long does the tunze pump last in kalkwasser ?
Kalkwasser is extremely hard on pumps, so expect a reduced lifespan. We usually get somewhere around 24 months out of a Tunze ATO pump when being used with kalk. Regardless of the ATO system you're running, be prepared and have a spare pump on hand if you're running it with kalk.