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Thats ok Bev, I understand what needs to be done. I'm just trying to figure out what products will allow me to achieve the levels I want.

On another note, I've been told that HOB calcium reactors are not far off for my LFS.

Good products for raising Alk are Kent's Superbuffer DKH in liquid or powder form... Seachem's Reef Builder, or if you have low pH Marine Buffer...

To Raise Calcium use Kent Turbo Calcium or Seachem's Reef Advantage calcium...

My experience just this past week has been this as I have actually had to make a serious additive adjustment to keep things up...

Turbo Calcium or equivalent calcium chloride is what you want to use to raise levels... Reef Advantage sounded like the product to me, but I found it difficult to raise levels using this product... I used half of a 1kg jar and was getting nowhere... when I switched to Calcium Chloride my levels responded...

The powdered form of Superbuffer dKH was also the most effective at raising Alk levels over the other products.

I would recommend dosing one, then the other at say 12 hour intervals over a period of days until target levels are acheived. I had to go from 7 dKH to 10 dKH, and did this over 3 days... Calcium was a bit more challenging as I had to get from 340 to 400... this actually took me 5 days finally coming after I switched to Calcium chloride... all the while I was dosing Kalk as my makeup water... 2 gallons a day! I wouldn't try and raise Alk by more than 1 dKH a day.... and Calcium 10 - 20 ppm per day, but that's just me.

FYI my levels fell from my target levels within 3 days of hooking up a Phosban reactor... if I ever doubted even small amounts of Phosphate inhibited calcification and coral growth, I am 100% convinced now! I had taken my Ca Reactor out of the system, as consumption did not warrant it, and I was concerned about leeching Phosphates and subsequent algal blooms because of the C02... but it's back online... Kalk alone will not keep up with these greedy corals.

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Good info, I can't quite justify a calcium reactor yet because I've only got 80 gallons total volume.

Please answer: Best bang for your buck for maintaining calcium levels?

1. Kalk
2. Calcium suppliment

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Definitely Kalk since you wouldn't have to maintain Alk either (as long as your Kalk dosing can keep up with your evap rate).

There's also a product by Kent called "Coral Builder". This stuff is like Superbuffer, except it won't mess with your pH. So if you have a good and stable pH already, I would use Coral Builder to maintain your alk. Too much Superbuffer can up your pH which is something you don't want.

I think basically all Superbuffer is is baking soda, while Coral Builder is basically baked baking soda.

If it's the expense of a reactor, I don't blame you... however you can dial even the largest reactors down to providing the smallest of systems with Ca and Alk... Just because your system is small doesn't mean it wouldn't benefit...

Good question.... I would lean towards Kalk.... easy to do and more stable unless you drip your supplements... personally I have Kalk running straight from my auto top-off as WELL as my Ca reactor going.... and I don't really have a crammed tank.... (YET!)... Kalk is a "balanced" additive that replenishes BOTH but keep in mind that 1 dKH of Alk is only 20 ppm Calcium or something like that, so to raise your Ca by 60 ppm would mean adding 3 dKH in Alk... I've heard some people having great success ... swearing by it as a matter of fact, by using 2 part A&B supplements... even in very large systems... These are ionically balanced, and most of your other trace elements get dosed as well with these systems... Cost effectiveness of these additives would vary with quantities bought... 1L of each could cost $20/L while 5 gallons might set you back $150 a bucket...

One downside of using Kalk only is the precipitation of Magnesium... in my system, (Ca reactor + Kalk), I find that I have to monitor Magnesium, Strontium and Iodine, as they tend to fall, especially iodine which apparently gets skimmed away quite quickly. No matter what system you use... be sure to use test kits to make sure you're not over or under dosing. Some of the most successful reefs I have seen are done with NO supplements, rather frequent water changes with water prepared to values of natural sea water... sometimes I think in this hobby... as with computers, that success or failure depends on the wind direction.... :mrgreen:

This is just from my own humble experience and in no way to be taken as an "expert" opinion... do LOTS of reading... Emily B has posted some very useful water chemistry links.

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Well, I went out and bought a small jar of Kent Kalk last night to try out. I mixed about 1 tbs into a 5 gallon bucket that I rigged with some airline and a valve for dripping. How long should it take to drain that amount? I was told about a day, 24 hours. Right now its just sitting in the bucket.

I'm a bit nervous about using it because my ph has been higher lately, 8.35 to 8.41.

1tbs per 5 gallons is not that much at all. I use 1 tsp per gallon, and drip overnight as a topoff. What you have shouldn't affect your pH that much at all.

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Cool thanks

I don't know if some one else mentioned it so if they didn't I will and if they did I am just suporting them (to lasy to read everything right now :mrgreen: )

turbo ca should only be used as a once and a while corection as it contains somthing else that will be elivated in your tank and may not be good. I can't rember exactly what it was right now (something to do with the chloride) but I will try find it but there was a big study done on them by RHF and that is what came out if it. I have had a 7 oz bottle for 3 years now and only used it 3 times and they are on 100% water changes to balance everything out.

Steve