Ca Reactor w/ or w/o Kalk
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Topic: Ca Reactor w/ or w/o Kalk
Posted By: Travis
Subject: Ca Reactor w/ or w/o Kalk
Date Posted: December 30 2003 at 3:24pm
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My reactor will be in next week and I'm really wanting to get away from dripping kalk. I decided to go with a GEO reactor which is a single stage unit so I'm not sure how it is going to effect my PH. Other than PH is there any benefit to dripping kalk with the reactor? Is anyone running a single stage reactor w/o kalk? Also, do calcium reactors also provide magnesium? or is mag something I still need to keep an eye on? Any thoughts would be appreciated,
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Replies:
Posted By: Marcus
Date Posted: December 30 2003 at 4:56pm
| Reactors do not provide Mg. I would keep your Mg around 3x your Ca level. Kalk raises your Ca too. There is another good article in this magazine about Ca. I'll give an overview of that one too when I get done with the MH lights. |
Posted By: jfinch
Date Posted: December 30 2003 at 7:26pm
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Calcium reactors do indeed supply magnesium. Think about where all your magnesium is going? Coralline and sps/lps growth right? What's in your calcium reactor? Ground up coral. So a calcium reactor will actually provide magnesium in the same proportion as your sps in your tank are consuming it (because everything in the reactor dissolves). But, you'll never see your magnesium climb from the use of a reactor as coral is only like 1% magnesium. But if your magnesium depletion is due mainly to SPS growth, it should maintain it ok. BTW, reactors also supply strontium and if a bad substrate is used can also add phosphate. Travis, I think pH is the only reason to dose kalk in tandam with a calcium reactor. ------------- Jon https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6y_EzjI_ljbIwf2n5uNzTw" rel="nofollow - What I've been doing... |
Posted By: Travis
Date Posted: December 30 2003 at 7:45pm
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Thanks for the input!! I'm going to start out with just the reactor and see what happens. If the PH does in fact drop then I will start using kalk again. I'm getting ARM media which I have heard good reports of but I'll watch for phosphates just in case.
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Posted By: jfinch
Date Posted: December 30 2003 at 7:56pm
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I've never used a calcium reactor, but my guess is that any media sold by a "big" marine company (caribsea in your case, right?) for use in a reactor will be low in phosphates, so you have nothing to worry about. I'd just avoid any fly by night supplier or home grown... ------------- Jon https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6y_EzjI_ljbIwf2n5uNzTw" rel="nofollow - What I've been doing... |
Posted By: Aquarium Creations
Date Posted: December 30 2003 at 7:58pm
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I use just good old crush coral much cheaper and is the same as ARM but cost alot less
------------- Aquarium Maintenance,Consulting,Custom Built Glass Aquariums Rimless/Euro,24Hr Emergency Service 8015485201 Www.UtahAquariumDoctors.com [email protected] |
Posted By: Marcus
Date Posted: December 30 2003 at 8:07pm
| Jon, I never thought about the Mg from a reactor. Thanks! |
Posted By: Travis
Date Posted: December 31 2003 at 9:09am
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Where do you keep the PH of the reactor using cc? I've read that 6.5-6.7 is a good PH but that some media requires a even lower PH to dissolve. |
FIRE SHRIMP wrote:Posted By: Marcus
Date Posted: December 31 2003 at 2:10pm
| Travis, read my thread about Calcium help. It may help you a little. |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: January 01 2004 at 8:58am
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Also read the Sea Star Online, April 2001 article about Ca Reactors by a very knowledgable ex WMAS member, Jim Perry. ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member 
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Posted By: Travis
Date Posted: January 06 2004 at 9:48am
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Thanks guys, the both articles are very informative Well it arrived today |
bad thing is I'm in Colorado so I can't play with it until this weekend...Posted By: Travis
Date Posted: January 08 2004 at 7:01am
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Here it is
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Posted By: Marcus
Date Posted: January 08 2004 at 8:45am
| Travis, how much was that, if you don't mind me asking? |
Posted By: jfinch
Date Posted: January 08 2004 at 8:49am
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That looks like a nice set-up! Keep us up to date on how you like it (you never know, I may need a design to "look at for inspiration" down the road). ------------- Jon https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC6y_EzjI_ljbIwf2n5uNzTw" rel="nofollow - What I've been doing... |
Posted By: Travis
Date Posted: January 08 2004 at 9:02am
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Marcus, every thing you see in the picture cost 705.13 delivered. About the only thing missing is some calibration liquid for the PH controller and a second brass check valve. The brass check valve is optional but to me it's just extra protection. Thanks Jon, I'll keep everyone posted on its performance. I think a dual chamber would have been nice but I've heard a lot of good reports from this unit.
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Posted By: Travis
Date Posted: January 08 2004 at 9:50am
| Marcus, FYI, the GEO recommendation as a starting point is 35ml per minute and 30 BPM. They also recommend not to adjust up over 10 BPM at a time: and wait 12 to 24 hours between adjustments. It also says that the alk of the effluent will be around 2-3 times that of the tank. Just some things I thought may help. |
Posted By: Marcus
Date Posted: January 08 2004 at 12:00pm
| Cool - I got the reactor tuned in perfect on the other tank that I helping with. The pH stays between 8.1-8.35. |