quazi January 25, 2011 Share January 25, 2011 If you want a cheap Kalk dripper, here it is: $2 with filtered water plus Kalk: And it works GREAT. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zygote2k January 25, 2011 Share January 25, 2011 the easiest and cheapest way is to use Home Depot brand 3 part solution and add it daily. For a tank your size, anything else would be overkill. Test your params weekly and record how much you dose daily and you'll be able to figure out total demand for calcium and alk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest thefishman65 January 25, 2011 Share January 25, 2011 "Home Depot brand 3 part solution" This is new to me. Could you please provide more information? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami January 25, 2011 Share January 25, 2011 "Home Depot brand 3 part solution" This is new to me. Could you please provide more information? Thanks I'm going to gamble here. Calcium Chloride (ice melt), Sodium Bicarbonate (baking soda), and Magnesium Chloride (another type of ice melt). The original questions were: What's the easiest way to maintain calcium and alkalinity? And, what's the cheapest way to maintain them? The easiest way to maintain both is probably to premix kalk powder into the ATO reservoir. You only add more kalk when refreshing the reservoir once a week or whenever. The cheapest way might be a toss-up between using canning lime or two-part supplements taken from commonly available sources. Both involve some manual effort. In the first case, it's adding the kalk. In the second, it's daily dosing. The discussion turned toward automation further into the thread. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Incredible Corals January 25, 2011 Author Share January 25, 2011 I'm going to gamble here. Calcium Chloride (ice melt), Sodium Bicarbonate (baking soda), and Magnesium Chloride (another type of ice melt). The original questions were: What's the easiest way to maintain calcium and alkalinity? And, what's the cheapest way to maintain them? The easiest way to maintain both is probably to premix kalk powder into the ATO reservoir. You only add more kalk when refreshing the reservoir once a week or whenever. The cheapest way might be a toss-up between using canning lime or two-part supplements taken from commonly available sources. Both involve some manual effort. In the first case, it's adding the kalk. In the second, it's daily dosing. The discussion turned toward automation further into the thread. Knowing the two (easy and cheap) usually don't go together. I went with the easy route and purchased a Kalk reactor so I only need to add the Kalk once a week with my normal water change routine. Thanks for all your help everyone! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest thefishman65 January 25, 2011 Share January 25, 2011 Magnesium Chloride - that is the third part (Mag Flakes) Got you. Just never heard it called 3 part. For those just tuning in or still lost. That is used to keep the Magnesium up. IIRC Magnesium help the water hold more of the calcium in saturation. I don't recall the exact recipe I use but I mix the Mag Flakes with Epsom salt (I believe this is a Randy formula). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami January 25, 2011 Share January 25, 2011 Magnesium Chloride - that is the third part (Mag Flakes) Got you. Just never heard it called 3 part. For those just tuning in or still lost. That is used to keep the Magnesium up. IIRC Magnesium help the water hold more of the calcium in saturation. I don't recall the exact recipe I use but I mix the Mag Flakes with Epsom salt (I believe this is a Randy formula). There are at least 3 approaches to the magnesium problem. For those that do frequent water changes, its sufficient to use a magnesium supplement of strictly magnesium chloride. There are other formulations that mix different ratios of magnesium chloride and magnesium sulfate. The intent in this is to prevent a long term imbalance between chloride and sulfate ions. Magnesium does indeed interfere with the formation of calcium carbonate and allows supersaturation of calcium and alkalinity that we observe in the oceans and in our tanks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stovenut January 26, 2011 Share January 26, 2011 I have the TLF kalc reactor and I love how easy it is to use. I'm using the mag recipe you mentioned (about 10 parts mag flake to 1 part epsom salt) to maintain mag on the cheap, and I dose 2 part when the kalc reactor is not enough. This is for a 340g system. Cheap and easy. The reactor was 40 bucks. Kalc from BRS is cheap and the DIY mag recipe is $20 for 55lbs and should last a loooong time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Country January 26, 2011 Share January 26, 2011 I've been looking for Mag Flake, looking for the Dead Sea works brand that Randy Holmes Farley recommends, around the Catonsville Area in Maryland and haven't been able to find any. I know I can go to Harvey's salt company to buy a 50# bag but that's a trip since I don't usually go north of Baltimore much and I don't really need 50# since it's only 5 cups or something like that per gallon of solution. Anybody know where some might be bought closer to me or have some you're willing to sell? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest thefishman65 January 26, 2011 Share January 26, 2011 Do you have a Southern States near you? That is where I got my bag. I am willing to share, but I am not sure I am any closer. Are you going to the next event? Do we know were it is yet? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Big Country January 27, 2011 Share January 27, 2011 Do you have a Southern States near you? That is where I got my bag. I am willing to share, but I am not sure I am any closer. Are you going to the next event? Do we know were it is yet? Stovenut told me through PM that he got the pellets at Southern States up here, I'm going to check the Anne Arundel co-op over by House of Tropicals which is a southern states, if they don't have it I'll have to go to Ellicott City where stovenut bought his. Of course with this snow they may be sold out Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest thefishman65 January 27, 2011 Share January 27, 2011 I think and if you can find them you will be better of with the flakes. They should dissolve faster. Just my $0.02 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sen5241b February 2, 2011 Share February 2, 2011 I do 50% water changes once a month and max the new water with Kent Turbo calcium. My calcium stays high. Some feel 50% changes are too much. They are not. I've done many of them and my tank has never been the worse for it. I know others that have done 50% changes on 200G and their tanks were fine. Most of the beneficial bacteria is in the sand and rock so a big water change really does not take too much of it out. With 50% changes however it is more important to match temp, Ph and salnity preicsely. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluce February 2, 2011 Share February 2, 2011 the easiest and cheapest way is to use Home Depot brand 3 part solution and add it daily. For a tank your size, anything else would be overkill. Test your params weekly and record how much you dose daily and you'll be able to figure out total demand for calcium and alk. So I only use B-ionic 2 part. And occasionly add a ph / alk buffer when I do water changes. I never add magnesium directly - I know there is supposed to be some in the B-ionic and in the salt mix I use (Instant Ocean Reef Crystals). Can you explain the "3" part - what are the exact names of the products and where do you get them? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Origami February 2, 2011 Share February 2, 2011 Calcium Chloride: The calcium supplement. Available at bulk reef supply. It's also a used as a road deicer. DowFlake was used a lot in the past but changes in their process have led to people using other stuff, including stuff made by Tetra coming out of a plant in China. Prestone Driveway Heat (anhydrous calcium chloride) is also used sometimes. Sometimes can find this stuff at Home Depot, Lowe's, or Southern States. Sodium bicarbonate: An alkalinity supplement option. (The other is sodium carbonate, produced by baking sodium bicarbonate.) Available in food grade as Arm & Hammer baking soda. Get it at your local grocery. Magnesium Chloride: The magnesium supplement. Available at bulk reef supply. It's also a road deicer. MagFlake or Mag Pellets manufactured by Dead Sea Works. Can be purchased at Harvey Salt (Baltimore) in 50# bags. Sometimes a mix of magnesium chloride and magnesium sulfate (Epsom salts, purchased from the drug store) is used. A good article on this can be found here: http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/rhf/index.php Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluce February 2, 2011 Share February 2, 2011 Thanks for the good info Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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