Opinions needed!! Kalk vs Calcium?

[jacksammoms-tank]

We are in need of a more automated system. In keeping with that idea, we decided to buy the Avast ATO. They offer a discount if we buy a Kalk Stirrer. But is that what I want? Or do I want a calcium reactor? We do not have anything like this set up.

 

We have a 65 with a 40 sump. We have fish, softies, sps, and lps. Our parameters are good, but we do have spikes on days that things are not manually maintained with the tank. (Some days 3 kids are enough!) If I buy the Kalk stirrer with pump, then it can go in the basement and be sent through the floor to the tank. Like that! But is that the next big purchase? Or do I want to buy a Calcium reactor? I have read and read and got more and more confused.

 

I see that the big names in WAMAS have one of it all. We have no means to go there, so if we bought one, which one? WAMAS peeps help me decide please. Down the road I want to buy a controller, maybe mothers day. The ATO can be bought with that in mind too. My tank is not huge, and I do not want to upgrade unless we build a fish room- not happening.

 

Please help me decide!! TIA Toni

[CaptainRon]

I've always run kalk. I used to just dump a teaspoon per gallon into the makeup water. Now just dump about 3/4 cup into the kalk stirrer and clean and recharge every other week. To me, it's the easiest way to go. You can use two-part, if needed to make up any calcium/alk that the kalk can't keep up with. It's also far less complicated than a calcium reactor I think. But I've never used a calcium reactor so don't really know what's involved there.

 

With a controller, you can limit when the kalk goes into the tank if pH spike are a concern. I just let mine run 24/7, limited by the avast topoff, and haven't had an issue with pH - other people seem to though.

 

For me, kalk is the easiest/cheapest way to go. Good luck!

[Der ABT]

you should not need a calcium reactor, thats a bit overkill for your tank, if it was a hEAVY sps tank and high ca requirements i would go there.

 

two good options

dosing pumps with 2 part....you would probalby do fine with 1.1ml peristalic pumps, then you could make a mix once a week or so and be fine.

 

Definately get the ATO....great purchase that makes life easier.....if you want to pump up i would also go with a peristalic but you will need the one that does 50ml per minute

if you add a kalk reactor to this i think it would do just fine for what you have for a long while. eventually you could outgrow what it can handle but i doubt it.

 

 

so id lean towards the ato/kalk reactor with a peristalic pump if i were you

[yauger]

start with a kalk reactor and when your system requires more add a calcium reactor. baby steps...

[STEVE]

you should not need a calcium reactor, thats a bit overkill for your tank, if it was a hEAVY sps tank and high ca requirements i would go there.

 

two good options

dosing pumps with 2 part....you would probalby do fine with 1.1ml peristalic pumps, then you could make a mix once a week or so and be fine.

 

Definately get the ATO....great purchase that makes life easier.....if you want to pump up i would also go with a peristalic but you will need the one that does 50ml per minute

if you add a kalk reactor to this i think it would do just fine for what you have for a long while. eventually you could outgrow what it can handle but i doubt it.

 

 

so id lean towards the ato/kalk reactor with a peristalic pump if i were you

 

X2

[ctenophore]

Hi Toni

 

I'll comment as a WAMAS member here

 

First, the kalk stirrer is designed to empty "downhill" into a sump. So you can't put it in the basement and pump water upstairs through it.

 

However, you could locate your ATO downstairs and pump the water up to the stirrer, if it sits beside your sump.

 

A kalk stirrer is probably a better choice over the calcium reactor at this point, unless your corals are already fairly large. As your sps grow up, they will overtake the kalk stirrer's ability to keep up with alkalinity. That's when you'll want to look at a calcium reactor or two-part dosing system. I use a calcium reactor on my big tank and two-part dosers on my small sps tank, and kalk stirrers on both.

 

A kalk stirrer is a good choice for any type of reef tank, as it helps pH stay high along with adding balanced calcium and alkalinity. They work very well as a complement to calcium reactors (which have a pH lowering effect). two-part dosing systems also work fine with a stirrer.

 

Hope this helps!

 

Justin

[jacksammoms-tank]

Thank you everyone for your opinions!! It seems like "baby steps" are certainly called for! I have seen lots of posts asking for help getting the Kalk stirrer dialed in correctly. Is there a primer somewhere? I need cliff notes as I have very little brain space left!! LOL!

 

Thanks in advance!

 

Toni

[Der ABT]

easiest way is to start out figuring out how much evaporation you get each day.....then you can adjust the amount of kalk based on that many gallons

 

http://reefkeeping.c...1/rhf/index.php

 

general rule of thumb is dont put in enough to nuke the tank, aka if you ato fails and dumps all the kalk into the tank will you nuke the tank?? i usually put 3-5 teaspoon*im about (1.5-2g evap a day) in my stirrer at a time. i also add some vinegar when i mix it as it dissolves it a little better and puts more into solution.....for me this lasts about 5 days.....had an ato syphon it all in....did not panic and nothing was lost

great thread to read before this happens and when it happens

http://wamas.org/for...-kalk-overdose/

 

best to start out slow until you get the system down, aka start out with less kalk and work your way up like everything in this hobby...i love the stuff

Edited March 19, 2013 by Der ABT