Whats the Best Cal & Alk Supplement?

[InADream]

I need to go out and purchase a new set of calium and alkalinity supplements... I have heard tons of people saying so many things... What is the best brand of supplements to go and get...

Dream

[cd77]

For just calcium and alkalinity, I'd imagine that kalk would be the least expensive option. B-Ionic and C-Balance are the other two big ones I hear people rave about.

[InADream]

Are there any benefits to using kalk than dosing the two alone...

Dream

[cd77]

Well, C-Balance / B-Ionic contain other balanced trace elements so that is worth taking into consideration. They can't be mixed together, so to automate it you'd need two separate reservoirs and a drip or dosing pump. Limewater is very cheap if you're just looking for calcium / alkalinity and can be used as topoff water or with a kalk stirrer. As it is advertised, the two part solutions can also be used to supplement kalkwasser.

Check out: http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-01/rhf/index.php

[Zucker26]

I personally have been having great luck with daily dosing of C-Balance 2-part as well as using kalkwasser in my ATO. I used some liquid calcium to boost the calcium levels initially, but the 2-part has maintained great levels ever since.

I know one guy who uses only Kent Turbo Calcium and Kent Superbuffer dKh, alternating each one every day making sure not to add them both on the same day. That guy has an amazing tank and seems to have coral growth that is out of this world!

[LePep]

I just bought a kit from www.twopartsolution.com a couple of days ago and so far its working great. It's the same thing as B-Ionic and all the regular cal and alk solutions but just "generic" and you do the mixing yourself. Oh, I almost forgot, its ridiculously cheap. They are RC sponsors too.

Check out the web site

[sherm71tank]

I use this:

http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/rhf/index.php

It works great and it's super cheap! I dose it with a liter meter 3 from spectrapure and it works flawlessly.

[burris]

2-part solution raises the specific gravity of your tank water. If you dilute this with fresh water then over time the ionic balance of your tank becomes skewed towards Na+ and Cl-. The only way to stop or reverse this process this is regular water changes. Alternatively, C-Balance and B-Ionic (and maybe others) contain a host of other ions found in seawater to keep your tank looking more like NSW as you dilute it to maintain specific gravity. I don't know how well it works.

OTOH, limewater and Knop reactors don't skew the chemistry of your tank water. Instead they add calcium and alkalinity directly. So monitoring SG and changing water regularly isn't as critical.

Knop reactors have high up front costs but are able to satisfy very large calcification demands with very low ongoing maintenance and cost.

[InADream]

Hey sherm71tank, when you dose the 2 part system do you see any rise in SG or what burris was talking about... I will probably start the 2 part system tomorrow and see how that works... I mean I do a water change every other week and top off when ever needed, think I will be ok...

Dream

[sherm71tank]

I have not noticed any SG rise.

[InADream]

Great, I read the thread by randy and it says that there is not a significant rise in sg but some say it does... Have you been using the part 3 for the magnesium... Now do you have the option to use 3A or 3B or do you have to use both parts...

Dream

[luke33]

If you dosed for 1yr and didn't do any water changes with randy's 2 part your sg would go up 30% on average....not a big deal with regular water changes.

[sherm71tank]

I use recipe # 1 part 3a for the magnesium.

[sherm71tank]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10972031#post10972031 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by luke33
If you dosed for 1yr and didn't do any water changes with randy's 2 part your sg would go up 30% on average....not a big deal with regular water changes.

If I didn't do a water change for a year I wouldn't have a tank to worry about.

[InADream]

Thanks you have been a lot of help, but just one more question where did you get the dead sea works magnesium... I thought about doing 3B because it was easier, but i heard has more repercussions than part A.

Dream

[sherm71tank]

http://www.buckeyefieldsupply.com/showproducts.asp?Sub=124&showspecials=124

[dendro982]

Seachem Reef supplements, dry form, although I would switch to DIY supplement, If I had access to MgCl2.
The positive side, comparing to ESV 2-part solutions, that you know on how much alkalinity increases with each dose, and no such data on ESV bottles.

I'm using both - on different tanks.

[mg426]

randy s Homemade two part works great for me.

[BangkokMatt]

I use c-balance. All good.

[loosecannon]

Mrs. Wages pickling lime. 2.50$ @ wall-mart.

[luke33]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10972063#post10972063 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sherm71tank
If I didn't do a water change for a year I wouldn't have a tank to worry about.

No kidding! :D Just wanted to throw that out there to show it isn't going to raise your sg fast.

[GatorWPB]

Since you live in Florida, you may be able to get Natureef, Alkalinity Plus and Hardness Plus. I started using this instead of B-Ionic and I really like it. Its from a company based in South Florida.

http://www.natureef.com/

Click on the link for Alkalinity PLus and Hardness Plus. Full of the other trace elements as well.

[InADream]

Thanks everyone, but I just started using the DIY 2 part system and I am already loving it... It only cost me 12 dollars for the chemicals and in 2 hours I had 2 gallons of supplements... I will be finished today balancing out the two levels and hopefully will see a ton more growth since the levels SHOULD stay balanced better... Thanks for all the help...

Dream