D.I.Y. two part solution or Kalkwasser???

[FSTOCKMAL]

Has anybody out there tried the "home brew" two part solution recipe. I hear that Randy Holmes-Farley tested the
solution and found it to be reef safe. This D.I.Y. two part solution is very economical to make and seams to good to be true. Is it better than dosing Kalkwasser? Just when I think I 've got the kalkwasser thing down, I read about this D.I.Y
two part solution. Now I am totally confused on which one to use, the Kalkwasser system or the D.I.Y.
"two part solution"
HELP!!...anybody!#*??

[Billybeau1]

FS, some use both, some use just diy, and some use just kalk.

It really depends on the tank.

They both do two different things.

If limewater alone is keeping your levels where you want them then stay the course.

There are many benefits of limewater dosing.

[FSTOCKMAL]

Bill,
Thanks for the info, sounds like dosing kalk has more benefits than the two part solution mix.
FS

[PSam]

I find the best balance in my tank using both - top off with kalk and small doses of 2 part 24/7.

[JeffersonReef]

Use both. The kalk is great for sustaining levels and helps with phosphate. The 2-part is gonna help keep your calc and alk balanced long-term. Use the kalk in your topoff water, and dose the 2-part. Check out http://twopartsolution.com/. THey have good pricing on the stock solution, and it will last you months in most cases. Get urself that plus some ms wages for ur topoff, and you are off to the races. If I was gonna just use ONE (either kalk or 2-part) I would use 2-part.... but your are best using both. Pretty cheap too....

[bertoni]

If your tank can get all the calcium and alkalinity from limewater dosed as autotopoff, that's often the easist approach to supplementation. It doesn't drive up the salinity, which is nice, and it can help maintain pH. You'll likely need to add magnesium from time to time, though.

The two-parts can be used when lime can't meet the demand, or when the pH already tends to be high. I have to use both on a couple of my tanks.

[FSTOCKMAL]

Thanks guys for all the advice.
I think I'm going to stick with dosing kalk for now and see what happens.
My numbers right now using the kalk are 400 Ca and 3.6 meq/l with a pH of 8.3-8.5
I think these numbers are about right.

[pjf]

I believe that the “two-part solution” was designed to keep the major seawater ions (chloride, sodium, sulfate, magnesium, calcium, and potassium) balanced. From Dow Flake, we get calcium, chloride and potassium. From baking soda, we obtain sodium. The “third” part, Epsom salts, provides magnesium and sulfate.

Randy Holmes-Farley believes that ion imbalances can result when the chemicals are dosed separately (http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/april2004/chem.htm, http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/rhf/index.php).

I’m learning to muddle through this myself. It sounds like there are 6 ions involved, not just “two parts.” This doesn’t even include the test kits I have to buy and rely on. I hope my aquarium survives this.

Let me know how things turn out.

[bertoni]

The two-parts are fairly good at maintaining the ionic balance, but they do lead to rising salinity, since they add ions, as noted. Limewater adds only calcium, carbonate, and some water.

[FSTOCKMAL]

I would like to continue to dose kalk (because it's good for the tank) and use the two part solution to balance everything out.
Anybody ever try this?

[bertoni]

I do that all the time. :)

[pjf]

Why isn't this done in the opposite order?
(1) Dose two-part to supplement in a balanced fashion, and then
(2) Dose kalkwasser if you need to specifically raise calcium or pH

To combat bryopsis, I plan to raise pH and magnesium levels. What protocol should I follow?

[FSTOCKMAL]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10660904#post10660904 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by bertoni
I do that all the time. :)

What is your daily dosage ratio between the kalkwasser and the two part solution?

[ShapeGSX]

Kalkwasser will naturally raise your tanks PH.

My tank gets kalkwasser as all of its topoff water. My RO/DI filter is plumbed directly into my kalkwasser reactor. A float switch causes a solenoid to open, which forces kalkwasser into the tank. Automatic is a whole lot easier than dosing anything into the tank.

I haven't started using a 2 part solution yet, but I may in the near future if my calcium gets depleted by my new corals too quickly.

[bertoni]

The ratio of kalk to 2-part varies from tank to tank, in my case. One uses a lot of 2-part. :)

In general, kalk can't be used to raise calcium, since it also adds alkalinity and has a large effect on pH. Also, the evaporation rate tends to put a strong limit on how much kalk can be dosed.

[FSTOCKMAL]

Sounds like a plan to me.
I have very little evaporation and limited to the amount of kalk I can add per day.
It looks like I'm going to have to use the two part solution also to keep my numbers high.
Thanks for the advice.

[five.five-six]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10661873#post10661873 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by bertoni
The ratio of kalk to 2-part varies from tank to tank, in my case. One uses a lot of 2-part. :)

In general, kalk can't be used to raise calcium, since it also adds alkalinity and has a large effect on pH. Also, the evaporation rate tends to put a strong limit on how much kalk can be dosed.

due to lack of evaperation, I can not even maintain alk and Ca with limewater. I just ordered 5# each of 2 part to supplement my limewater.. i am going to set it to a dosing pump.. we will see where it gets me