Need some calcium reactor help! A LITTLE HELP WOULD BE NICE

[kari]

After the mg is at normal level maybe use something cheap like calcium chloride (Turbo Calcium) and baked baking soda for adjusting alk and calcium levels.

I'm planning on trying the mg media in the reactor aswell but wonder if over dosing can become a problem. It would be a bummer if levels get too high and the need to dump all the media comes up. Possibly the easiest fix is to use a salt brand with the correct mg content and do some water changes. I find the bottled mg additives get too costly with larger tanks.

[Doug]

If all measures are correct, then dont add anything that will effect your alk. levels. Plus the reactor is basically an alkalinity reactor, so it will maintain those levels.

I agree with the idea of adding a calcium/magnesium/strontium product, like the mentioned Turbo Calcium or my preference , Seachems Reef Advantage. However their are several on the market.

Adjust it slowly. I would back the reactor down for now, until a balanced calcium & alk. levels are reached. An effluent quanity around 40ml/min. & a bubble count of around 60 or less/min. Ed,s ph suggestions are right on. They can all be increased later as the tank matures & grows. Also it should then maintain both alk. & calcium levels. Most aquarists with larger tanks, esp. with sps, use both reactors. Kalk & CO2.

Or at the least, drip kalk, with a jug or whatever.

[Tarolisol]

Ok, so im going to turn the reactor down for now untill i get everything correct with additives. I have mg and seachem calcium stuff that i am using to increase it.

Ill post back when i get everything at the right levels.

Thanks, everyone.

[Railskinner]

I have just set up a calcium reactor as well. Last night

calcium 440/alk 11/ ph 8.3 /salinity 1.023
77 gal/33 gal sump

5lbs tank/ milwaukee regulator/bubble counter/soleniod/needle valve /sms122 controller.Followed intructions for set up and ph was about 7.8. So i raised the bubble counter and then it dropped to 7.4

ATM I have everything working bubble counter set at about 150 drops per minute/ effulent at 180 drops. Ph was at 7.4 This morning I looked at ph controller and it's reading 7.0. I 'm trying to get this down to about 6.5- 6.7. If l turn the bubble counter up more and keep the efulent flow the same will this knock the ph down for me.

[vanreefer]

Originally Posted by Railskinner

I have just set up a calcium reactor as well. Last night

calcium 440/alk 11/ ph 8.3 /salinity 1.023
77 gal/33 gal sump

5lbs tank/ milwaukee regulator/bubble counter/soleniod/needle valve /sms122 controller.Followed intructions for set up and ph was about 7.8. So i raised the bubble counter and then it dropped to 7.4

ATM I have everything working bubble counter set at about 150 drops per minute/ effulent at 180 drops. Ph was at 7.4 This morning I looked at ph controller and it's reading 7.0. I 'm trying to get this down to about 6.5- 6.7. If l turn the bubble counter up more and keep the efulent flow the same will this knock the ph down for me.

With that size tank unless it's overflowing with large sps colonies I would slow down the drip rate to ~120 min and bubble count to about 60/ min and come adjust the reactor slowly from there

A basic rule of thumb to start is ~ 2 drops of effluent to one bubble... then test ph CA and ALK if all are fine then leave'er be if the ph is low, then so will the alk, just increase the bubble count. If the Ca is low but ph is OK-low and the ALK is high, only adjust the drop rate.

Summary
Low alk---> increase the CO2 bubble count
Low Ca---> increase the drop rate
Low Alk and Ca but good PH----> increase both in the 2:1 ratio (drops:CO2)
Good Ca and Alk but low PH---> leave it and check again in a few days
High alk and low Ca---> check Mg if OK (above 1350) increase drop rate

These are the general rules of thumbs I have used to dial in my reactor...

HTH
Dan

[Tarolisol]

Well, things are going screwy, ive began increasing my calcium with an additive, seachem, i also was trying to increase my magnesium but its gone down and my alk well its sky rocketed

PH 8.35
Calcium 300ppm
Alk 15dKH
mg 900 somthings

[Pescador]

Which Seachem product are you using? Reef Complete? And your leaving the reactor off for now?
If it is still running is the Zeomag you have in your reactor a type of Dolomite?

If it is this might apply

It has been suggested that adding dolomite to CaCO3/CO2 reactors can help with magnesium problems. Dolomite is a material that contains both magnesium and calcium carbonate. If dolomite is added to the reactor to maintain existing appropriate magnesium levels against their continual depletion via calcification (for example, if the calcium carbonate used is too low in magnesium to maintain adequate magnesium), then this is a fine approach. Aquarists might typically use on the order of 10% of the media as dolomite (and 90% as calcium carbonate).
However, this method is unsuitable if the goal is to raise magnesium levels. The problem is that for every magnesium ion released from the dolomite, two units of alkalinity are also released:

MgCO3 à Mg++ + CO3--

Consequently, raising magnesium in this way by 100 ppm will necessarily raise the alkalinity by 8.2 meq/L (23 dKH). The only way around this problem is to add a mineral acid (not vinegar) to the aquarium to reduce the alkalinity, and that may be more problematic than just adding a magnesium supplement in the first place.

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/20...f/index.php#10