Want to raise Ca and add kalk

heyfredyourhat · 07/20/2008, 04:08 PM

I use IO salt and tested the Ca at 320. I bought turbo Ca and the calculator says to add 30 tsp. of the stuff. So threw 30 tsp. in a bucket of RO and in the next few days I am going to manually add it few tsp every so often. Is this okay?? Can I also just add the turbo calcium to the salt when I mix new SW??

And correct me if I am wrong, kalk is used to maintain Ca and Alk? So how would I implement a dosing regiment? Can I just add it to my top off reservoir? And how much?

jansenwrasse · 07/20/2008, 06:28 PM

Adding the turbo Ca to a bucket of Ro is fine you can add more than a couple of tsp at a time if you choose to do it that way.

You can mix the turbo Ca with new mixed saltwater but wait until the water is clear and the salt is fully dissolved then test.

Kalk:
What Your Grandmother Never Told You About Lime
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-01/rhf/index.htm

Hope this helps

heyfredyourhat · 07/20/2008, 07:06 PM

I will read that.

But what if i were to add a measured amount of turbo Ca to the actual salt (if i were to keep using IO) so i could just make SW with proper Ca levels.

9501gle · 07/21/2008, 12:24 AM

Is IO the only salt mix you have access to.

Randy Holmes-Farley · 07/21/2008, 06:07 AM

It is fine to add turbo calcium to IO up to a normal reef level . I do that using Dowflake. I also boost magnesium that way using MAG flake.

heyfredyourhat · 07/21/2008, 08:17 AM

I was going to start using seachem salt, but IO is cheaper. Not sure if i boost teh Ca in IO that it will stil be cheaper though!!

Randy Holmes-Farley · 07/21/2008, 08:28 AM

Not sure if i boost teh Ca in IO that it will stil be cheaper though!!

It will if you use Dowflake, since that can be cheaper than salt mix. it will decrease the cost to reach the same salinity

heyfredyourhat · 07/21/2008, 08:38 AM

I dont think it is easy for me up here to get dow flake, so i opt for turbo Ca instead. And i forget what i paid for it.

Randy Holmes-Farley · 07/21/2008, 08:49 AM

Some people have found it at the Canadian store Country Depot, if you have any of those around.

9501gle · 07/21/2008, 11:15 AM

I used Randys 2 part recipe with great success but also had problems getting the dow flake. By the time you pay shipping it really cuts into the savings. Also from what I've been reading about the high boron content now I believe I'll wait and see how it affects other reef tanks before I use it again. I have since switched to a different mix that already has enough cal. and mag. Since switching I must say my corals do look better, and its easier, no mixing of chemicals. I cannot say the improvement is due to changing mixes only, I have also made several other changes recently. I also did a lot of water changes when I switched mix. Also I have taken cal rx and kalk rx offline to lower alk. I believe this has been the greatest contributer to increase in coral health.

Randy Holmes-Farley · 07/21/2008, 12:10 PM

By the time you pay shipping it really cuts into the savings. Also from what I've been reading about the high boron content now I believe I'll wait and see how it affects other reef tanks before I use it again.

Bromide, not boron, and the mail order sites sell it without the excess bromide.

For boosting a salt mix, I show here that even for the new stuff with bromide, the bromide boost is trivially small and definitely not a concern:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...readid=1275153

9501gle · 07/21/2008, 12:37 PM

Thanks for clearing that up for me Randy. As always great info.

heyfredyourhat · 07/21/2008, 01:20 PM

Okay my second question was about dripping kalk. I read the DIY kalk dripper article, but how "safe" is this method? It would seem very hard to set a drip rate with that setup.... I read some ppl also drip one drop per second and others drip one drop per 10 seconds...?? What can i do to figure out what my needs are??

Randy Holmes-Farley · 07/21/2008, 01:38 PM

The exact drip rates and such are not critical, and overdoses rarely lead to tank crashes. It is not a method to be feared, IMO. All you really need to do is spread out the addition so that the pH does not get too high.

9501gle · 07/21/2008, 01:40 PM

Well there are several ways to add kalk. Some people I know, who have very nice tanks by the way, just mix it up and dump it in. Although I dont reccomend this method it seems to work fine for them. When I firt started I would mix up a 2 gal jug and drip it in overnight. Didnt see any real noticeable results. Then I set up a kalk rx and gravity fed it from my RODI water storage container. I then put a float switch in my sump and used this for all top off. Worked great but lately I've found that this system along with a ca rx caused my alk to get to high. 12.2dkh. So now I am only dripping the kalk at night. Will have to wait and see how this works. The best way to add kalk to a tank is to spend the money and get a good dosing pump. Also to be noted, IMO kalk is used only to retain ca. levels, not raise them.

07/20/2008, 04:08 PM	#1
heyfredyourhat Premium Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: BC Canada Posts: 963	Want to raise Ca and add kalk I use IO salt and tested the Ca at 320. I bought turbo Ca and the calculator says to add 30 tsp. of the stuff. So threw 30 tsp. in a bucket of RO and in the next few days I am going to manually add it few tsp every so often. Is this okay?? Can I also just add the turbo calcium to the salt when I mix new SW?? And correct me if I am wrong, kalk is used to maintain Ca and Alk? So how would I implement a dosing regiment? Can I just add it to my top off reservoir? And how much?

07/20/2008, 06:28 PM	#2
jansenwrasse Registered Member Join Date: May 2005 Location: Irondequoit, New York Posts: 1,042	Adding the turbo Ca to a bucket of Ro is fine you can add more than a couple of tsp at a time if you choose to do it that way. You can mix the turbo Ca with new mixed saltwater but wait until the water is clear and the salt is fully dissolved then test. Kalk: What Your Grandmother Never Told You About Lime http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-01/rhf/index.htm Hope this helps __________________ "Try not to become a man of success but rather to become a man of value." Albert Einstein Current Tank Info: I am allergic to seafood ... yup its that bad epi pen and all so I cant have a tank.

07/21/2008, 12:24 AM	#4
9501gle Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: In the fish room Posts: 396	Is IO the only salt mix you have access to. __________________ Garret Current Tank Info: 240 gal reef tank, 3 xMH400EB Icecap ballasts,12000K Reeflux bulbs in Lumenarc III reflectors, Aquatic Systems Design Kalk Reactor & Skimmer. 5500 gph Hammer Head Pump, Neptune Jr Controller, !00 gal Rubbermaid tank 2/3 full for sump.

07/21/2008, 06:07 AM	#5
Randy Holmes-Farley Reef Chemist Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Arlington, Massachusetts Posts: 86,233	It is fine to add turbo calcium to IO up to a normal reef level . I do that using Dowflake. I also boost magnesium that way using MAG flake. __________________ Randy Holmes-Farley Current Tank Info: 120 mixed reef

07/21/2008, 08:28 AM	#7
Randy Holmes-Farley Reef Chemist Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Arlington, Massachusetts Posts: 86,233	Not sure if i boost teh Ca in IO that it will stil be cheaper though!! It will if you use Dowflake, since that can be cheaper than salt mix. it will decrease the cost to reach the same salinity __________________ Randy Holmes-Farley Current Tank Info: 120 mixed reef

07/20/2008, 07:06 PM	#3
heyfredyourhat Premium Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: BC Canada Posts: 963	I will read that. But what if i were to add a measured amount of turbo Ca to the actual salt (if i were to keep using IO) so i could just make SW with proper Ca levels.

07/21/2008, 08:17 AM	#6
heyfredyourhat Premium Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: BC Canada Posts: 963	I was going to start using seachem salt, but IO is cheaper. Not sure if i boost teh Ca in IO that it will stil be cheaper though!!

07/21/2008, 08:38 AM	#8
heyfredyourhat Premium Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: BC Canada Posts: 963	I dont think it is easy for me up here to get dow flake, so i opt for turbo Ca instead. And i forget what i paid for it.

07/21/2008, 08:49 AM	#9
Randy Holmes-Farley Reef Chemist Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Arlington, Massachusetts Posts: 86,233	Some people have found it at the Canadian store Country Depot, if you have any of those around. __________________ Randy Holmes-Farley Current Tank Info: 120 mixed reef

07/21/2008, 11:15 AM	#10
9501gle Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: In the fish room Posts: 396	I used Randys 2 part recipe with great success but also had problems getting the dow flake. By the time you pay shipping it really cuts into the savings. Also from what I've been reading about the high boron content now I believe I'll wait and see how it affects other reef tanks before I use it again. I have since switched to a different mix that already has enough cal. and mag. Since switching I must say my corals do look better, and its easier, no mixing of chemicals. I cannot say the improvement is due to changing mixes only, I have also made several other changes recently. I also did a lot of water changes when I switched mix. Also I have taken cal rx and kalk rx offline to lower alk. I believe this has been the greatest contributer to increase in coral health. __________________ Garret Current Tank Info: 240 gal reef tank, 3 xMH400EB Icecap ballasts,12000K Reeflux bulbs in Lumenarc III reflectors, Aquatic Systems Design Kalk Reactor & Skimmer. 5500 gph Hammer Head Pump, Neptune Jr Controller, !00 gal Rubbermaid tank 2/3 full for sump.

07/21/2008, 12:10 PM	#11
Randy Holmes-Farley Reef Chemist Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Arlington, Massachusetts Posts: 86,233	By the time you pay shipping it really cuts into the savings. Also from what I've been reading about the high boron content now I believe I'll wait and see how it affects other reef tanks before I use it again. Bromide, not boron, and the mail order sites sell it without the excess bromide. For boosting a salt mix, I show here that even for the new stuff with bromide, the bromide boost is trivially small and definitely not a concern: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh...readid=1275153 __________________ Randy Holmes-Farley Current Tank Info: 120 mixed reef

07/21/2008, 12:37 PM	#12
9501gle Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: In the fish room Posts: 396	Thanks for clearing that up for me Randy. As always great info. __________________ Garret Current Tank Info: 240 gal reef tank, 3 xMH400EB Icecap ballasts,12000K Reeflux bulbs in Lumenarc III reflectors, Aquatic Systems Design Kalk Reactor & Skimmer. 5500 gph Hammer Head Pump, Neptune Jr Controller, !00 gal Rubbermaid tank 2/3 full for sump.

07/21/2008, 01:20 PM	#13
heyfredyourhat Premium Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: BC Canada Posts: 963	Okay my second question was about dripping kalk. I read the DIY kalk dripper article, but how "safe" is this method? It would seem very hard to set a drip rate with that setup.... I read some ppl also drip one drop per second and others drip one drop per 10 seconds...?? What can i do to figure out what my needs are??

07/21/2008, 01:38 PM	#14
Randy Holmes-Farley Reef Chemist Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Arlington, Massachusetts Posts: 86,233	The exact drip rates and such are not critical, and overdoses rarely lead to tank crashes. It is not a method to be feared, IMO. All you really need to do is spread out the addition so that the pH does not get too high. __________________ Randy Holmes-Farley Current Tank Info: 120 mixed reef

07/21/2008, 01:40 PM	#15
9501gle Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2006 Location: In the fish room Posts: 396	Well there are several ways to add kalk. Some people I know, who have very nice tanks by the way, just mix it up and dump it in. Although I dont reccomend this method it seems to work fine for them. When I firt started I would mix up a 2 gal jug and drip it in overnight. Didnt see any real noticeable results. Then I set up a kalk rx and gravity fed it from my RODI water storage container. I then put a float switch in my sump and used this for all top off. Worked great but lately I've found that this system along with a ca rx caused my alk to get to high. 12.2dkh. So now I am only dripping the kalk at night. Will have to wait and see how this works. The best way to add kalk to a tank is to spend the money and get a good dosing pump. Also to be noted, IMO kalk is used only to retain ca. levels, not raise them. __________________ Garret Current Tank Info: 240 gal reef tank, 3 xMH400EB Icecap ballasts,12000K Reeflux bulbs in Lumenarc III reflectors, Aquatic Systems Design Kalk Reactor & Skimmer. 5500 gph Hammer Head Pump, Neptune Jr Controller, !00 gal Rubbermaid tank 2/3 full for sump.