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Kalk or Calcium?


fab79
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Hi all!

I m just curious to find out which is actually needed as additive to ur tank? I understand that calcium is needed for coraline algae to grow and ur invertebrates to thrive but it can also be absorbed only when ph levels are at a certain level. So what should i use? Kalk? or Calcium?

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both increases calcium levels actually... Ca, increases calcium without doing anything to the pH, so in a way, the pH would drop... kalk on the other hand, can be dripped daily abt a litre or so depending on your calcium intake.. this is because the levels of calcium in kalk is less and u do not need to had a pH buffer like what u do for Ca because kalk takes care of pH as well... :peace:

The world is such a wicked place,war btween the human race. People work to earn their bread,while across the sea they're counting dead

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It really depends on what corals you want to keep.

If you just want to grow coralline and keep only LPS and softies, dosing kalk will be sufficient.

However, if you keep alot of clams and SPS and hard corals, a calcium reactor is the only way to keep up with the calcium demands of the tank.

Using additives are much more expensive in the long run. Its better to invest in a calcium reactor or kalkwasser reactor.

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kalk = calcium hydroxide

by dripping it, it raises ur Ca but not as much as when u use "calcium" which is actually in the form of calcium chloride...

hence, kalk maintains calcium levels n 'calcium' raises calcium levels....

kalk is generally sufficient if u do not have alot of SPS/clams...

if ur tank is onli a softy reef tank, then regular water changes shld suffice ;)

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One major problem in calcium levels is that many people don't test for it and dose blindly. This results in all kinds of problems.

Get your current levels and then decide what kind of amounts you need then you will be able to choose a product specific to your needs.

and don't forget a Alkalinity/DKH test kit to test you carbonates too(Salifert would be a better test kit range).

If you do 2 calcium tests 24hrs apart(measured at the same time e.g tue 10pm and wed 10pm) you will get your tank's daily consumption.

Its quite easy to balance levels once you have that.

Before that. I don't recommend dosing any products because nobody has any idea what amounts you need.

In calcium- you choose a product for the grade of material used...not by brand.

Use calcium chloride as a booster if you have low levels - never as a long term solution. Kalkwasser is much more balanced for daily use.

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*snow storm*

only snow storm? .. no side effects? .

Why do we use "My 2 cents worth" when 1 cents are not legal tender in Singapore anymore? Shouldn't it be 5 cents worth?

"Its easier to blame the 'mantis' or crabs in the tank for missing & dead livestocks.."

http://arcanehacker.blogspot.com/

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Depending on the product you use. They have different OD results.

but OD is OD and things still may die as a result.

Its like a snowball effect - it may push other parameters out of whack causing stress,causing death due to the stress, or causing you to use other products to balance the other parameters & you OD on that product too....and you spend more time and more money doing all this than looking at your tank. That's not a hobby. :)

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