in praise of coarse reactor media

[Gary Majchrzak]

I get a lot of PM's from people asking me about my liquid two part calcium/ alkalinity supplements. I only use liquid two parts to bump up low levels.
My main method of supplementing Ca/alk is calcium reactor and kalkwasser (limewater).
To this end, the coarse Ca reactor media (coarse ARM media from CaribSea) has been working very well for me. I don't think that I'll ever go back to the fine media.

 

[Johnny C]

Gary- I'm not sure if you heard, but they recently changed the type of 'coarse' media being distributed by CaribSea. Seems to do the job just as good though! :thumbsup:

PS- I use this as the substrate in my propagation system and I truly believe it helps to buffer the water. Easy to vacuum, too!

 

[toddmh]

PS- I use this as the substrate in my propagation system and I truly believe it helps to buffer the water. Easy to vacuum, too!

awesome Johnny,I was just going to ask you what that stuff was called,I think I will use it in my 40 breeder prop tank build..

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

I first became aware of the coarse ARM media when looking at pictures of aquarium substrates here on RC. (Remember when I asked what it was? )

At one point CaribSea was offering small, coarse and extra coarse media.

The nice thing about coarse media is the fact that it doesn't "melt" together easily. Melted reactor media strains the reactor circulation pump (which is a bad thing).

 

[diverdick]

Is that the stuff on the bottom of Randy O's system at ARC? If not, it is a close second, Neat look too!

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

the last time I looked

the last time I looked

ARC was running coarse ARM that was shaped like a pellet.
I'm running something slightly different. It would probably be considered the "extra coarse" now. All pieces are irregular shapes and it allows for a very free flow through the calcium reactor.

 

[diverdick]

Is that the stuff on the bottom of Randy O's system at ARC? If not, it is a close second, Neat look too!

I meant to say he is using this as tank bed - bottom cover I believe, at least in his Acan system.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

yes

yes

that's the stuff. That's where/when I first became aware of the coarse CaribSea ARM.

 

[tmz]

I agree when I used my reactor the coarse media worked more consistently than finer grains. It may take a bit lower ph to dissolve sufficiently as less surface area is available.

Aragonite substrate will do little to add alkalinity or buffer . It just won't dissolve unless ph is quite low ( less than 7.7 with low alk) and then the corals and rock will dissolve too.. Some minimal dissolving could occur in localized low ph areas but these are unlikely in a relatively shallow coarse media where flow is relatively unimpeded.

FWIW, I used the large media as substrate in a couple of frag tanks. I liked the look and thought it would be great for spreading zoanthidae ,mushrooms and the like for attachment. It trapped detritus and siphoning was a pain. So after a year I took it out in favor of a bare bottom in one tank and a 2 to 3 inch sand bed in another. I personally like these better. The sand requires only an occasion puff with a turkey baster and it's easy to siphon the detritus from the bare bottom.