Need a new calcium reactor

[Jason McK]

So you start off with water at 400CA and between water changes your CA drops . How about your Alk is it stable.

What is your buble rate of CO2 and your efluent rate

J

[marie]

Right now the effluent rate is a fast drip (never measured it) ph is 6.5, bubble rate is between 55 and 60/min. The highest DKH reading I seem to be able to get on the effluent is 24. I do a water change every 2 weeks and bring up the calcium and alk to 400ppm and 10 dkh. By the end of the 2 week period the levels have dropped to 380 ppm and 8 dkh and that's with dosing saturated kalk every night as well.
I can still deal with the demand at the moment but i don't consider my tank heavily stocked and the rate the calcium and alk is being used up seems to increase just when I think I have everything figured out .

[marie]

As my daughter so nicely pointed out to me yesterday. If I got rid of my regal angel, I could stock with softies and lps like originally planned and then I wouldn't have this problem . All this fuss for a stupid fish

[niloc16]

its a beautiful fish though. i've always wanted one.

[marie]

Originally Posted by niloc16

its a beautiful fish though. i've always wanted one.

If you want to come and catch her, shes yours

[Jason McK]

Huummm Very interesting.

have you tried increasing both the bubble count and the effuent rate?
Have you tried different media?
What are your Mag levels?

If you let it go does it continue to drop or dose it stableize at 380 and 8?

[marie]

Originally Posted by Jason McK

Huummm Very interesting.

have you tried increasing both the bubble count and the effuent rate?
yep, the effluent dkh dropped and so did the ph in the tank
Have you tried different media?
not yet, i've been using caribsea ARM
What are your Mag levels?
the Mg is 1360

If you let it go does it continue to drop or dose it stableize at 380 and 8?
It continues to drop but not as fast. When alk reached 7 dkh I bumped the levels back up