what the best calcium/kalk?

[bk_market]

im setting up my calcium reactor and I just want to know where to buy the best brand calcium media? also any recommend for the kalk powder? link to the actual item would be great. thanx

[davelin315]

Depends on the brand of calcium reactor you have. Some are designed to use specific types. For instance, some reactors require that you use something like Schuran media which is very coarse (it looks like crushed coral to me, very large pieces or branches) while other types are made to use smaller pieces like ARM. I'm in the same boat as you are, as I just set my reactor up last night...

 

As far as kalk, there are a lot of sources and people have different opinions. Some prefer the Mississippi lime, while others prefer a name brand such as ESV. I think you'll find support for any and all of those.

[bk_market]

I got a MRC-CR2 dual chambers reactor. what type of media is recommend for that one?

 

Also I have the 20# CO2 bottle and im planning to buy it for my 90g with medium load. how long will it last? I dont have much room left behind my tank so im thinking of trading the 20lbs bottle for the 5 or 10lbs bottle.

[madmax7774]

Having tried several types of Kalk powder, I have found that in my tank, nothing works quite like E.S.V. brand. I tried the mississippi lime, and ms. wages pickling lime, and one other brand of store bought kalk powder that I can't remember at the moment, and nothing beats this stuff.

 

http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_ViewItem~idProduct~EV2102.html

 

They sell it at BRK. I highly recommend it.

John

[flowerseller]

I was long a proponet of "Sigma Chemical" reagent grade Calcium hydroxide.

I tried the Mississippi Codex Lime many years ago. It was fine product and I saw and my animals reponded the same.

I even suggested that no company makes a kalk powder just for the aquarium trade and it was all repackaged.

 

I just looked at the EVS and low and behold,

"This product is extremely pure and meets American Water Works and Water Chemicals Codex Specifications. This means it`s pure enough to be used in low-levels as potable water additive by water municipalities."

 

Notice in particular the "codex" specification.

 

I would like very much to have a sample of the EVS to do a comparison for kicks.

I'm not interested in buying any since I'm possitive they are at least the same product, just repackaged or packaged for them.

 

Anyone got some they want to give in the same weight as I give in my Mississippi lime and try it out together?

 

I am not picking on John(madmax7774), EVS, John at BRK, BRK, or anything else that might resemble that attitude. I know they sell this and the margin is clearly better so it's not that at all.

 

The only difference I've ever seen in 18 years of use is canning grade pickleing lime which is aweful to use in a fish tank.

[yauger]

and so the pickle wars begins.....

 

I used Mississippi lime for a year now with good results...

never tried anything else, but might switch over soon to see if there is a difference

[davelin315]

I got a MRC-CR2 dual chambers reactor. what type of media is recommend for that one?

 

Also I have the 20# CO2 bottle and im planning to buy it for my 90g with medium load. how long will it last? I dont have much room left behind my tank so im thinking of trading the 20lbs bottle for the 5 or 10lbs bottle.

 

Check out the poll I posted. Not too many replies, but generally speaking they all seem to last between 7-12 months. I think that this is generally based on load, the smaller tanks use smaller tanks (fish vs. CO2), large use large tanks.

[fab]

The only difference I've ever seen in 18 years of use is canning grade pickleing lime which is aweful to use in a fish tank.

What is the probem with pickling lime? What do you know or observe that leads to this statement?

 

thanks,

fab

[Guest Aurora]

I use a combination of Schuran and ARM. I have a 24" tall dual chamber and used to use ARM alone but noticed the pump has trouble pushing flow through 20" of ARM media when it's full and the reactor doesn't work every efficiently due to poor flow. Now I fill my 1st chamber with 1/2 schuran at the bottom and 1/2 ARM at the top. I put a filter foam between the two layers to separe the media. This works quite well since the ARM tend to get dissolved first and I'm able to maintain good flow through the reactor. When I clean out the reactor and put in new media, I dump the mushy mess that's left over from the 1st chamber into the second chamber since flow is not so critical in the second chamber. ARM is the cheapest per pound and Schuran in about 50% more expensive.