Calcium or Kalkwasser?

[royce]

In a catalog I have, it says that both are good for providing calcium for calcareous algaes, snails, corals, etc. What is the difference between the two and is one better than the other? Which brand do you recommend? I am starting a FOWLR and want the LR to thrive so I plan on keeping the calcium up at ~400. Thanks

 

[kris walker]

Kalkwasser gives a tank calcium and carbonate. The carbonate increases alkalinity, which is crucial for maintaining a stable pH. Calcium is important as you say for corals, snails, etc. skeleton-building.
Supplying the tank with only calcium does not add to the alkalinity.
People say if calcium is not at 400ppm, use a liquid calcium additive to bring it up to 400, then use kalkwasser by "dripping" it in to maintain it at 400. But for me, I always use kalkwasser for moving the calcium level up and down, as long as I do it by dripping slowly to avoid shocking the tank inhabitants.
cheers,
sam

 

[kris walker]

OOps, I forgot to mention that some kalkwasser will raise pH (the Ca(OH)2 stuff). This is the biggest reason why it should be dripped in or added to the tank slowly.
sam

 

[royce]

Thanks for the clarification, Sam. I think I'll go for the Kent brand, since people seem to have a lot of confidence in their products.

 

[teetee]

If one only has softies, and does weekly water changes, is it correct in assuming that kalkwasser is not required? (Alk buffer added to keep alk within desired range). I assume kalkwasser is needed for sps and the like or for when water changes are not frequent. Am I wrong here?

 

[kris walker]

Hi Teetee,
To answer your questions, I think it depends. If your tank starts growing coralline algae, then it will take up considerable amounts of Ca, and then only weekly water changes may cause a weekly flucutation in Ca, which your softies may not like too much.
On the other hand, I dose Kent Coral-Vita every week as directed on the label. This includes iodine, something important for softies. So my iodine levels are going up and down on a weekly basis. My mushrooms seem to be doing fine, but I've only had them for a month and they are perhaps the most tolerant of the softies. For what its worth...
sam

 

[q]

Kalk has to be dripped in. (Just Making sure it was said)
And if the demand is high for calcium you will need to use a booster. Another benifit is that it helps remove phosphates.

 

[@knight]

if you wnat to save a buck or fifteen, yoou can buy "Ball Pickling Lime" it is calcium Carbonate and the same thing as kalk. it takes longer to dissolve, but will do the job equally as well.
additionally, when you drip, you want to use the middle solution, not the debris on bottom or the film that will form on top.

 

[kris walker]

Hi Plato,
You are suggesting that someone cannot pour a quantity of kalkwasser in their tank without shocking it? I'm sure you know it is possible if you do it slowly or in small dosages.
Also, what is the benefit of a booster over kalkwasser? Both provide Ca, right? Are you saying use the booster because if you add too much kalkwasser the pH will go up too high?
thanks,
sam

 

[q]

Sam: What I am saying is that it would be too bad if someone didn't know that you have to add it slowly and dumped in a bunch and killed something. Better not to assume.
Second if the tank has a high calcium demand and low evaporation you won't be able to make up the demand by just using it for top off water because the concentration of calcium in the kalk isn't strong enough. Along with the possiable ph swing you mentioned.
I also didn't notice you had mentioned it earlier as I reread the post.
[ November 27, 2001: Message edited by: Plato ]

 

[up north hermit]

To clarify a point about the "booster" comment. If your calcium tests low, then you need to raise it with a product like Turbo Calcium. Dripping Kalk will only maintain levels, not raise them. I believe this is what Plato was making reference to.
HTH
Hermit

 

[q]

Yep

 

[kris walker]

Thanks guys for clarifying. I didn't think about the low evaporation rate/high Ca uptake rate problem.
And for the kalkwasser raising Ca thing, I could have been mistaking in my earlier post. Sorry Royce. Let me explain. I first started using kalkwasser and Kent's Coral-Vite at the same time. I remember using Kent's product twice in one week because I thought using activated carbon one day in between doses may have removed a lot of the minerals from the first dose a few days earlier. Anyway, the next week I bought a Ca test kit, tested the water, and found it was at 550ppm. So I assumed it was so high because I was dripping too-concentrated kalkwasswer for my coralless tank. So I stopped dripping for some time, and it came down to 400ppm where it has been now for a few weeks. Anyway, my point is that the Ca could have been pushed up so high because of the 2 doses of Coral-Vite I added to the tank that week. So I don't really have evidence to support what I said above "...I always use kalkwasser for moving the calcium level up..."
c ya!
sam

 

[royce]

Boy I'm glad a started this post - I didn't know that I had to "drip" in the Kalk - thanks Plato. Guess I'll have to buy an aqua dose or some such thing. So you put some evaporation replacement water in the aqua dose along with some kalk and then let it just drip in? from the other posts, it sounds like just adding some to a gallon of replacement water and pouring that in all at once is a bad idea. Thanks all for the info

 

[up north hermit]

Yep, that's about all there is to it... except for a couple of important things to rememeber:
I have the Aqua Doser (2.5 gal) made by Kent, a very inexpensive handy device. (I'm sure there are many ways to improvise, but I am NOT a DIY'er. ) It is a no-brainer, even for me!
Just this morning I mixed my Kalk into the containers my R/O water comes in that I buy. Then I pour the entire solutions into the doser. I'll let this settle all day, and begin the drip after lights out tonite.
You do not drip what settles on the bottom of the container, or the film that settles ontop. But with the AquaDoser it is simple. The drip shuts off about 2" from the bottom of the container so this does not drip into your tank, and its time to make a new batch after discarding the stuff left on the bottom 2". Whalah!
I find I still have to give the tank a dose or two of Turbo Calcium during the week to boost Calcium, and I dose Kents ProBuffer dkh every morning for alkalinity control. This system is working very well for my tank. I use no other additivies at all.
HTH
Hermit