cal reactor ? will it help

[chuckbuc]

I have a 120 gallon reef tank ,I mostly have lps with some softies and a few pieces of monti .my monti.I was thinking about getting a cal reactor my ?is what actually does it do I know it keeps ur cal at a certain level ,and I think it helps out with keeping ur alk steady, would a cal reactor benifit my tank ,I test very often and my alk and cal are pretty steady I don't add cal or alk I just do a water change weekly sometimes bi weekly

 

[A sea K]

As the cal/alk demand increases with more coral additions or growth your bi-weekly water changes probably wont be able to keep up. You will at some point need to supplement to keep cal/alk levels were you want them and consistant.
There are other options out there but lots of people use reactors, espeacially on large high demend SPS systems. I'm running a 210 and have easily kept up with medium demand using Randy's DIY 2-part cal/alk solution and mag supplement as well. About a year ago I automated with dosers as I was getting tired of adding two supplements twice a day.

 

[chuckbuc]

Thanks ,I test every week alk cal and mag and there always good almost like nothings using them up .maybe I just don't have enough stuff to absorb the cal mag and alk the only thing I really ever have to add is alk ,what would be a big swing in alk ? I try and keep my alk at 10 sometimes it will go down to 9 is that a big swing
How could I keep it steady ? Does everyone check there alk every day with a test kit?

 

[A sea K]

You'll see alk swing much more rapidly than cal or mag. From 9 to 10 is not terrible(not good either)depending on how long it takes to make the swing. Stability is a major key to success in a marine system so I would start a dosing regime of 2-part to stabilize the fluctuating alk. My dosers are currently set to make 3 seperate dosages in a 24 hr period so there is no fluctuation in PH or alk.
I would check my alk/cal pretty regular (2-3 days) while I was dialing in my dosage. Now its where I want I usally only check when I do a WC to see if I need to adjust my dosage.
That is one very cool dog in your avatar.

 

[A sea K]

You can buy 2-part at the LFS but I use my own DIY, saves a ton of money. Here is a link to the recipe I use if your interested.
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2006-02/rhf/index.php

And I get my drygoods here (calcium and magnesium)
http://www.bulkreefsupply.com/store/products/calcium-alkalinity-magnesium

 

[chuckbuc]

Thanks a lot bro ,that's my dog in the avtar she's a bull terrier .so what do u keep ur alk at

 

[A sea K]

Thanks a lot bro ,that's my dog in the avtar she's a bull terrier .so what do u keep ur alk at

Well she really looks sweet.
I was keeping my alk at 9 as I was dosing vodka for the past year. I stopped with the vodka and am currently at 10. I've been making a gradual change towards a more sps dominat system and may push it to 11. Not sure yet, so far everything looks pretty good @10 so I'll just feel it out as I go.
In all fairness to seek what is best for you there is yet another option and is cheaper than 2-part but requires a little more effort, also comes with a bit more risk if things go wrong, Kalkwasser. Get your levels adjusted were you want them and drip kalk to maintain them. I just dont care for constantly mixing kalk and the risk if things go bad are quite high but I have seen some stellar tanks that employ this method.

 

[chuckbuc]

Yeah I did some reading about kalk and its risky I'm gonna test every day and try and figure out what's gettin used up then ill calculat it on the reef calculator to figure out what's getting used daily I guess. What dosing pump do u use on ur tank and how much alk do u add daily ruffly

 

[outy]

you should set up a ATO and then use kalk in the ATO resivour/tank

kalk is not risky at all, you just drip it.

If your tank demands are light and water changes are keeping up then kalk in a ATO might be the answer.

when it comes to supplemnitatuion on a big tank a cal reactor is the only way to go. for 14 years i used to part and its a big pain in the but, plus using 2 part leeds to calcifacation build up on all your motors heaters ect. [even with a doser]


nice thing about a cal reactor is it gives you balanced alk and cal and other essential elements and it gives them at the rate the tank uses.

with your tanks demends being low its no big deal if you dont have one, as your tank demends increase a cal reactor is the only way to go, made my tank easy to maintain.

 

[chuckbuc]

Yeah I have an ato but if I drip kal won't my cal go up as well my cal levels are always pretty steady cause I'm doing water changes the unsteady part is the alk that's what's fluctating not the cal I don't wann od on cal by using kalk right

 

[A sea K]

Alk and calcium get used up roughly at the same rate, I'm no chemist but for whatever reason fluctuations in alk are more easily detected by hobby test kits and leads people to believe calcium is steady when in reality its not. Just set your target levels, (ie; calc 425, alk 10) and kalk will maintain them both simultaneously once the correct daily dosage is figured out. Periodic testing and adjusting may be needed till you really get it dialed in.
I say kalk is risky simply because people dont safegaurd against possible overdosing and when it happens it will generally nuke a tank, that and I cant stand mixing batches every few days. I've also yet to experience calcification issues after 4 years of use on my pumps with little to no maintenance on them using 2-part.

 

[chuckbuc]

What's pump do u use to dose ur part 1 and 2 what's the brand ,I think I might just buy a reactor for my 120 seams the easyest way .how much and what's a good brand cal reactor to get for my tank ? I feel like my tank would do better cause my alk would be steady

 

[A sea K]

I'm using doser's that Bulk Reef Supply sells. There a basic unit, work very well for my application. I use a digital timer to control on/off cycles and the whole deal has been set and forget for the most part.
Make sure to read up on calcium reactors before you dive in. Those things arent exactly fool proof either and can take quite a while to get properly dialed in. I actually bought a unit when I set up my system 4 years ago with the anicipation of using it as the tank matured. I never got around to setting it up and eventually sold it. I have no idea what reactor system to reccomend.

When properly implemented through the use of various Timer's/ATO/Doser's/Reactor, you will be able to keep your alk/calc very stable no matter which system you employ. The trick here is to decide what method best suits you, your system, and your budget.

 

[outy]

Yeah I have an ato but if I drip kal won't my cal go up as well my cal levels are always pretty steady cause I'm doing water changes the unsteady part is the alk that's what's fluctating not the cal I don't wann od on cal by using kalk right

actually kalk does great on the alk side. you cant "od" alk or cal with kalk.

a cal reactor has benifits over dosing, dosing you get way to much percipitation on motors and heaters, and there a pain to constantly refill and mix and tweak and tune the same as any cal reactor.

cal reactors tune very easy if you start with good equipment, buy cheap and youll regret it the same as dosers.

also dosers limit your tank size, if you upgrade to a 180 or larger dosers are to much work and use up to much suppliments

i spent $620 on a geo 618 complete package with the %10 off during the holiday, best piece of equipment next to my skimmer i have purchased.

Like i said earlier using kalk in your ato might meet your needs at this time