calium Reactor question for the Experts

[madmax7774]

I am looking into a calcium reactor as a way to boost calcium. Initially it looks like a $650 investment just to get setup without a PH controller. My question is this: Do you need a PH controller? Is it a nice to have, or is it necessary? I know that if I go for a PH controller, I may as well go the extra mile and just get a Reefkeeper2, or an Aquacontroller. This will add another $300 to 500 to the cost, which I am hoping to defer that cost till later on this year. What is the opinion of the experts?

John

[dhoch]

I would ask why you think a calcium reactor is necessary at this point.

 

I didn't add one to my system till it was a year old...

 

Dave

[madmax7774]

My system is over 14 months old. I transplanted almost everything from the old tank to the new tank except for about 1/2 of the original sand bed. I have been monitoring my calcium frequently, and I seem to be hovering around 350ppm which is too low for what I want to grow in my tank. I have to add quite a bit of B-ionic to keep it up, and I am tired of doing that. I want a mostly automated additive system, and if I have to keep dosing B-ionic at this rate, then I want a calcium reactor.

[dhoch]

For some reason I thought your system was newer...

 

What is your alk and what is your daily drop?

 

A pH controller is not a necessity, but a nicety... it helps to be able to do a ph test though to see what the effluant is running at.

 

Dave

[madmax7774]

my alk will drop to 5-7dkh and calcium drops to 320-340ppm in about 2 days. To get it back to 450ppm i have to add 4 full capfuls of bionic calcium & 4 capfuls of alkalinity. ( I don't know off the top of my head what that equates to, but I can check it when I get home. It seems to me, that Reef crystals is low in calcium as a general rule. ( like 350ppm)

So that means I should be adding 2 capfuls of each every single day. ( 60ml ?) I think I remember the capful is 30ml)

 

 

System is 110G display with 30G sump

125 lbs live rock ( 14 months old)

combined sand bed of fine sand, crushed coral, and aragonite from old sand bed.

refugium with 6" deep sand bed & various algae

deltec ap851 skimmer

4 mj1200's on wavemaster for circulation

dual 250W 10Kmetal halide lights

 

RO/DI system for all water. TDS meter reads 0

As far as water changes, I have a loose schedule now of 15 gallons every week or two.

The new saltwater is mixed at tank temperature for about 4 or 5 days before the water change.

 

Water Parameters:

1.026 salinity

80-82' F (working on a fan system to get this a little more stable)

ph 8.2 ( verified with 2 different test kits)

Ammonia 0 (verified by BRK)

Nitrite 0

Nitrate less than 5ppm

phospate - not detectable by testing (verified by BRK)

alk - try to keep it around 10 or 11 dkh

calcium - try to keep it around 450ppm

magnesium - I test this occasionally, and it always come out right in the middle of the recommended range, but I don't remember the numbers off the top of my head.

 

I also have a bottle of coral-vite, which has alot of trace elements in it, which I add a few drops from every week or so to suplplement my trace elements. unfortunately I don't have all the test kits for this, but I been doing this all along, with no ill effects yet.

 

My current Bio-load is very light. 3 small fish and Goby. Several peppermint shrimps, and a cleaning crew. I hope to add 3 tangs, a dwarf angel, and some other fish in the next month or two.

[dhoch]

I understand wanting to go to an automated system...

 

I'm wondering if a calcium reactor may be under utilized in your system and for now you might be better off with a kalk reactor & getting the controller and then doing the calcium reactor in the future.

 

In the end it's your call...

 

Dave

[Rascal]

I don't think you need to spend $600. Consider a DIY. You don't have necessarily need a lot of tools or skill with acryllic to put together a workable reactor. For about a year, I have been using one made from a couple of RO canisters and a Mag3. .

 

It's not pretty, but it works. I just got the parts today for a slightly bigger version -- generally based on this: http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.p...mp;pagenumber=1 Should be even easier to construct than what I've got now -- no drilling acrylic.

 

I am going to put a dispersion plate near the bottom and have all of the output of the recirc pump come out underneath that, so mine will hold a little bit less media than the one in the thread -- but as long as I can get over 4 lbs in there, that should be enough.

 

Cost:

 

$74 from Lowes

$85 Milwaukee Regulator/solenoid/bubble counter/

$100 (?) 20 lb CO2 tank (I can't remember how much this cost)

$20 media

$60 pumps (I use a spare MJ as a feed pump, plus the Mag3 for recirc).

 

The reactor itself can be built for not much more than $100 (less if you have extra pumps and plumbing fittings lying around). The biggest cost is the CO2 equipment.

 

Someday I'll probably add a PH monitor but I too don't consider them necessary. If you use a media like A.R.M., you don't need to drop the reactor PH all that low anyway. I also run mine through a second chamber and I have the output so that it mixes with the output of my skimmer so any CO2 that remains is effectively off-gassed. The overall effect on my tank's PH is minimal. I do think that the solenoid is important, however. The reason is that if you don't have it and power goes out, the CO2 will keep going, building up in your sump. When power comes back on, all of that can hit your tank at once, causing a rapid drop in PH. I believe that's how I lost 3 fish after a 7 hr power outage last summer. All fish were fine when the power came back on at 0300. When I next checked at 0800 three were belly up and 2 sps had bleached. Painful lesson learned.

 

Sorry for the long post. I just read your title again and realized you were looking for advice from the Experts. That's not me by a long shot, but I thought I'd share my experience anyway.

[madmax7774]

Rascal I apprecaite the info. I am always looking for ways to cut costs in this hobby.

Dave - my concern with the kalkwasser was that I would push my PH too high. My ph naturally resides at 8.2 and fluctuates from 8.2 to 8.4 seemingly on it's own. I thought that a kalk reactor naturally raises PH, or is it not a severe reaction? as you can tell I have 0 experience with either form of reactor, and am looking to learn. Kalk is definately alot cheaper to start with, but is there limit to it's effectiveness? I don't have a lot of SPS right now, but like most others, I am slowly aquiring them, and plan on the long term to grow them quite a bit. Does kalk raise the alk as well as the calcium?

John

[dhoch]

Good question....

 

I just think with the amount of calcium consumming creatures a Calcium reactor is overkill, and would start with kalk (it does add calcium and alk in a balanced way same as a calcium reactor).

 

I do think it would drive ph up though, but if done at night it's not as big a concern.

 

Dave

[madmax7774]

Thanks Dave. Good info. I will consider these as well.

John