What should my Ca reactor effluent dkh be?

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Do you have any links on this method? Is the limewater your actual top off water exclusively, or do you do both, RO top off and limewater separately?

Yes, it is all of the top off. Most people using limewater from a large reservoir use it with an ATO, or they use a dripper they refill every day.

I discuss limewater in many ways here:

What Your Grandmother Never Told You About Lime
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-01/rhf/index.htm

The Self Purification of Limewater (Kalkwasser)
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/may2003/chem.htm

The Degradation of Limewater (Kalkwasser) in Air
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2003-05/rhf/feature/index.htm

Magnesium and Strontium in Limewater
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/dec2003/chem.htm

How to Select a Calcium and Alkalinity Supplementation Scheme
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/feb2003/chem.htm

 

[tmz]

FWIW, I have used a still reservoir( 32 gallon brute ) for about 5 years. A constant flow of fully saturated limewater without precipitants is provided.
The limewater from it is dosed via a peristaltic pump with a built in timer( a liter meter 3). The amount of limewater to be dosed over 24 hours is set to approximate top off needs ( ie 16 lters per day in my case) The water is dosed as top off in 150 increments dispersed over 24 hours by the dosing unit. Refilling the can involves : shutting off the pump; pouring in new water; adding 2 tsps of calcium hydroxide per gallon plus a a little ( excess sits on the bottom undissolved); briskly stirring it in with a length of pvc pipe ; waiting 2 hours for it to settle ; restarting the pump; scooping out some slurry from the bottom when it gets too deep,about once every 6 mos or so.
This is not an ato. The amount of limewater dosed is constant across the seasons even though evaporation may vary a bit. Differences are made up with plain ro water directly to the sump.

 

[tmz]

I hope I don't get to that point, but with that being said, my reactor may be a bit small for my reef tank. I probably should have opted for the next size up. The whole point of me switching was to not have to continually dose anything else. Thanks for the advice

Afterthought, runningthe effluent through a second course of calcium carbonate media may help a bit with ph and add a little more dissolved calcuim and carbonate.

 

[Aquarist007]

The way I understand it the high calcium drives down the alkalinity so maybe try and get it down a little. I've only had the opposite happen if my calcium reactor is turned up too high (faster drips and more co2) I get high alk and low calcium and if I brought the alk down the calcium went up, only my observation I am in no way a chemist or pretend to be one, lol.

I have not been a situation like that before where I have a very high calcium level but low alkalinity with not dosing calcium other than the reactor.
How would one lower the calcium---shut off the reactor and just dose part one of the two part for a week (the alk)

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Yes, that is a way, or water changes with a lower calcium mix. Some salt mixes have excessive calcium to begin with.

 

[lolgranny]

im tagging along, good info here.

@tmc Im dosing kalk with my tunze osmolator tmc. No issues other then i think i need a Ca reactor as it doesnt seem to be able to keep up with my alk even at full saturation.

@Randy, i read your article about limewater losing potency. i have the ato on my 40g and its stocked with sps, it seems like i cant keep up with my alk so i have been dosing alk ontop of the kalk. Do you think its because the container with kalk isnt airtight and losing saturation? The crust is on the top and i dont break / mess or agitate it so it stays there. Im refilling it every 2 weeks.

 

[karsseboom]

I think 20ml per min is to slow for your effluent rate and will cause it to be
Inconsistent and clog often. I would run the effluent rate over 30ml at least.

 

[tmc1313]

Well, it's been six days from my last post on the calcium reactor and all seems to be going well at the moment. I'm set at 1 bubble per second and ~40 ml/min. drip rate. Alk has been holding steady at 9dkh and Ca is ~440ppm. My effluent dkh is 18-19dkh. I was a little worried about this and thought it should be higher, but things are holding steady (so far). Thanks for the help