liquid calcium reactor
- Thread starter directfish2
- Start date
Thunnus
Premium Member
Alright, here is what I am going to do. Tommorow I am going to turn off my co2. I am going to only use liquid reactor to maintain my current calcium and alkalinity (430 & 10dkh). I have used enough Kent products to know that no harm will come out of my unscientific experiment. Kent Marine, what is the MAX per day dosage that you would recommend for a heavily stocked 80 gal? I am going to dose that amount. I will keep everyone posted on the progress. Dont worry about the integrity of this "study"
I hope that this product works. It would be great for my nano if it does. I will only use it as Kent Marine directs.
Kent Marine, just so you dont think that I am anti-Kent, here is a picture of one of my tank cabinets. Many of your products I cant live without. My issue is only with the products previously mentioned. Regards, Jason
I hope that this product works. It would be great for my nano if it does. I will only use it as Kent Marine directs. Kent Marine, just so you dont think that I am anti-Kent, here is a picture of one of my tank cabinets. Many of your products I cant live without. My issue is only with the products previously mentioned.
Regards, Jason
Papa Funk said:
You're right. I am wasting my time. I haven't gotten a single answer and I suspect I never will.
BTW, I never said I didn't "like Kent products." As a matter of fact, I believe that Kent is a reputable company. In my prior post I praised Kent for being somewhat of a pioneer in the reef aquarium hobby. The Liquid Reactor may be a valid product. I don't know. I only stated that I wouldn't buy it based upon the explanations given here by their "director of R&D.
BTW, you're a perfect example of why aquarium companies can continue to get away with selling products of dubious quality, and then make claims that a product is good because it sells well. There's nothing wrong with pressing these companies for straight answers. I've been through many of these battles over the years. I've seen all the ich cures, nitrate removers, trace elements, etc. come and go. Go ahead and spend your money. As for me, I like to know what I'm buying. BTW, I recently invented "liquid skimmer." You pour this into your aquarium and it neutralizes organics. No need for a skimmer! Interested in buying the first bottle?
Greg
nitroxdiver009
In Memoriam
the does is 2 capfuls per 55 gall it says on the instructions
nitroxdiver009
In Memoriam
ok .. but i am holding the bottol in ym hand
Papa Funk said:
I disagree, this board is used for discussion and it appears that you are trying to dictate how the discussion proceeds. IMO any product marketed for this hobby that contains a secret ingredient should be questioned.
Good morning Kent Marine,
Do you advice that the protien skimmer be shut off during this "cloudy" period?
Steve
BTW, in case any aquarium product companies are listening, I invented the name "Liquid Skimmer." If you want to buy it from me, send me an e-mail.
All kidding aside, Theil Aqua-Tech actually sold a similar product years ago. It primarily contained dilute potassium permanganate. I hate to admit it, but I probably have a half-full bottle sitting around some where. Live and learn. Or should I say "spend and learn."
Greg
All kidding aside, Theil Aqua-Tech actually sold a similar product years ago. It primarily contained dilute potassium permanganate. I hate to admit it, but I probably have a half-full bottle sitting around some where. Live and learn. Or should I say "spend and learn."
Greg
We use kent calcium to maintian our calcium rate. Got coraline algae all over the place. Getting some sps and will probaley try kent liquid reactor. How can you bash a product you never tried?
FWIW, nearly every aquarist agrees that calcium chloride, such as Kent's Turbo calcium, is an OK way to raise calcium levels. So if that is your experience with Kent products, then that is not at all surprising.
No one in this thread is saying all Kent products are not useful. I think it fair to say that I have read more threads from aquarists about their experiences with different calcium and alkalinity additives than just about anyone. Few folks with more than a year of reefkeeping experience claim that Liquid Reactor has been a great product for them, and many, many folks have found it lacking. That said, my comments on it here and in the article that was linked earlier are largely based on detailed testing of the dissolution of calcium carbonate in seawater, both by myself and in the chemical oceanography literature.
One does not always need to test a product to know whether it can work. I have asked Kent in the past to tell me what was in this product, and based on everything that I have been told, and tests that I have run on similar products, it more than likely does not do what it claims (IMO). I do not believe that calcium carbonate added to reef aquaria will dissolve.
Chris now says that it may be only partly calcium carbonate, and may contain things helping the calcium carbonate to dissolve.
If those ingredients are anything other than carbon dioxide (which I believe Chris told me a long time ago was not added to this product), or organic chelators or other organic compounds (which he has repeated said is not there), then I'd have to back off on my opinion that it largely does not work, and change it to "Whether it works or not, I do not recommend adding it as one does not know what undesirable effects these unknown ingredients might be having on reef aquaria"
I think, however, you may be unlikely to trust in basic science to say whether something will work (not surprising, perhaps, when "secret ingredients" are later invoked), so we can ask folks to chime in whether they have been able to keep rapdily growing SPS corals in a reef aquarium where Kent Liquid Reactor was the ONLY supplement used for an extended period (including not using tap water to top off and not doing a ton of water changes).
Not keep them alive, but keep them rapidly growing (which varies, of course, but I mean the usual rapid growth rates where lots of coral frags become a big colonies in several months).
So who has tried this?
How many were sucessful or not?
FWIW, nearly every aquarist agrees that calcium chloride, such as Kent's Turbo calcium, is an OK way to raise calcium levels. So if that is your experience with Kent products, then that is not at all surprising.
No one in this thread is saying all Kent products are not useful. I think it fair to say that I have read more threads from aquarists about their experiences with different calcium and alkalinity additives than just about anyone. Few folks with more than a year of reefkeeping experience claim that Liquid Reactor has been a great product for them, and many, many folks have found it lacking. That said, my comments on it here and in the article that was linked earlier are largely based on detailed testing of the dissolution of calcium carbonate in seawater, both by myself and in the chemical oceanography literature.
One does not always need to test a product to know whether it can work. I have asked Kent in the past to tell me what was in this product, and based on everything that I have been told, and tests that I have run on similar products, it more than likely does not do what it claims (IMO). I do not believe that calcium carbonate added to reef aquaria will dissolve.
Chris now says that it may be only partly calcium carbonate, and may contain things helping the calcium carbonate to dissolve.
If those ingredients are anything other than carbon dioxide (which I believe Chris told me a long time ago was not added to this product), or organic chelators or other organic compounds (which he has repeated said is not there), then I'd have to back off on my opinion that it largely does not work, and change it to "Whether it works or not, I do not recommend adding it as one does not know what undesirable effects these unknown ingredients might be having on reef aquaria"
I think, however, you may be unlikely to trust in basic science to say whether something will work (not surprising, perhaps, when "secret ingredients" are later invoked), so we can ask folks to chime in whether they have been able to keep rapdily growing SPS corals in a reef aquarium where Kent Liquid Reactor was the ONLY supplement used for an extended period (including not using tap water to top off and not doing a ton of water changes).
Not keep them alive, but keep them rapidly growing (which varies, of course, but I mean the usual rapid growth rates where lots of coral frags become a big colonies in several months).
So who has tried this?
How many were sucessful or not?
nitroxdiver009
In Memoriam
could this product ( since it disolves the calcium in the solution) also destroy my liverock?
could this product ( since it disolves the calcium in the solution) also destroy my liverock?
I suspect only Chris can answer how it might help the calcium carbonate particulates in Liquid Reactor to slowly dissolve in reef aquaria, but not impact any other calcium carbonate materials in the reef, such as skeletons.
I suspect only Chris can answer how it might help the calcium carbonate particulates in Liquid Reactor to slowly dissolve in reef aquaria, but not impact any other calcium carbonate materials in the reef, such as skeletons.
Agu
Premium Member
Although I'm no chemist I'm confused. If a calcium reactor isn't an alternative why would one spend money on an expensive additive when pickling lime is so cheap? Dripping kalk is a proven way to maintain both Ca and alkalinity and costs pennies a day. I haven't purchased other additives in years and don't understand why there's a market for shortcuts when the best alternative is so inexpensive.
I understand there are other trace elements in some additives. But by the time you buy the product, and the test kits to confirm you're dosing at correct levels, it seems to me water changes would be cheaper and less prone to error.
I must be missing something because ime dripping kalk (actually pickling lime) and water changes works for me.
just stirring the pot
,
Agu
I understand there are other trace elements in some additives. But by the time you buy the product, and the test kits to confirm you're dosing at correct levels, it seems to me water changes would be cheaper and less prone to error.
I must be missing something because ime dripping kalk (actually pickling lime) and water changes works for me.
just stirring the pot
,Agu
Thunnus
Premium Member
That is a valid point, but unless I missed it nobody said that it was a requirment. There is no doubt that you can have good SPS growth under favorable conditions without a reactor using kalk. The big question is can Kent Liquid Reactor give the same results as your way or my way.
Agu said:Although I'm no chemist I'm confused. If a calcium reactor isn't an alternative why would one spend money on an expensive additive when pickling lime is so cheap? Dripping kalk is a proven way to maintain both Ca and alkalinity and costs pennies a day. I haven't purchased other additives in years and don't understand why there's a market for shortcuts when the best alternative is so inexpensive.
I understand there are other trace elements in some additives. But by the time you buy the product, and the test kits to confirm you're dosing at correct levels, it seems to me water changes would be cheaper and less prone to error.
I must be missing something because ime dripping kalk (actually pickling lime) and water changes works for me.
just stirring the pot
Agu
You're not missing a thing! If you can dose enough kalkwasser, then I would agree that it's probably your most inexpensive and effective method for maintaining calcium and alkalinity. The only issue with kalkwasser is that you're limited by the amount of water that evaporates and the pH of the aquarium. In aquariums with heavy demands for calcium and alkalinity, kalkwasser alone often isn't enough to keep up with the demand. That's why you'll see many reef hobbyists, like myself, using both kalkwasser and a calcium reactor, or kalkwasser and a two-part supplement.
As for your question of "why there's a market for shortcuts when the best alternative is so inexpensive," it's called "marketing" and "ignorance."
Greg
Kent Marine,
I'm having trouble figuring out what you mean with this statement:
Since not all chelate's are derived from organic sources, how is the claim of not using ingredients derived from organic sources saying that you don't use any chelate's
Now I'm not accusing Kent of using chelates, but the statement you use to make that claim make's absolutly no sense 
I'm having trouble figuring out what you mean with this statement:
Since not all chelate's are derived from organic sources, how is the claim of not using ingredients derived from organic sources saying that you don't use any chelate's
Now I'm not accusing Kent of using chelates, but the statement you use to make that claim make's absolutly no sense nitroxdiver009
In Memoriam
my calcium is 420 and has been for 3 days now using LCR ( liq
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