Kalk reactors, co2 reactors, etc.

[Doug]

I have always liked kalk because of its ability to help with phosphate removal. By using both kalk and my co2 reactor, my levels stay at around 420ppm and 12dkh. With the co2 reactor only, the alk stays but the calcium slowly drops. I dont have anywhere near the sps like you,{Brad}, but I do have several hundred pounds of coralline encrusted rock, which is a calcium sucker.

I adjust mine by following the effluent alk. Near 30dkh @ a very fast drip,{almost steady}. My ph monitor is just used to check the effluent output for changes.

Just out of curiosity, what do some of your reactors measure for effluent calcium levels?

[StirCrazy]

Originally Posted by Doug Lowey

I have always liked kalk because of its ability to help with phosphate removal.

I have realy noticed this benifit sence i switched to the reactor and stopped using kalk. The kalk reactor is my new priority now!

Steve

[Doug]

Interesting observation Steve.

Also, not only does one lose that ability of kalk, but many co2 reactor media,s contain some phosphate, which is released when dissolved.

[stephane]

Some update till my calccium reactor addittion

it's made about 3 week since I have stop my kalkwasser reactor and only use calcium reactor

my alk is now at 11dkh steady and the calcium is 420 but the PH run very very low 7.95-8.07

Everiting seem to be realy find and still grow well but to early to say one grow more than another

the biggest draw back from now is valonia I alway have them since 7-8 years but they have alway be slow grower and mostly alway covert with
coraline and small in number. I have alway let them grow as divesity but now they seem to realy speed up there grow and came big prety fast. They have also lost most coraline over them and are now shiny green and seem to be in a realy good shape :x

If valonia grow I tink any other algea could stard to grow either and Im a bit afraid to have a algea bloom even if no sign of it are in the tank right now I have the feeling someting bad is preparing :?

the bigest benefit of the cacium reactor over the kalk reactor is that it is realy trouble free set it and forget but it maybe have sone draw back that I have not yet fix and maybe the best way to solve the draw back will be to grow macro algea in the sump cause I dont have any macro in this
setup and need to find someting that will eat that CO2

[stephane]

Originally Posted by Doug Lowey

. With the co2 reactor only, the alk stays but the calcium slowly drops.

Doug I dont have a lot of experience with CO2 reactor but I have made a lot of reasserch ans test and my conclusion is that lowering your ph inside the reactor and slow you efluent drip will help to balance your calcium
it seem that at lower PH, the reactor disolve more calcium than carbonate in %

I dont know why but it seem to work :?: I have almost finish to botle of alkalinity test and 2 box of salifer calcium test :? to arrive to this conclusion

I will try to explane the best I can in my bad english hoping you will understand

Do some test and you will see someting realy currious take measure of your efluent KH, the drip rate in ml. perminute ,PH in the reactor and note all your reading then slow your efluent but keep the same CO2 rate your PH will drop but and your alkalinty efluent will raise but not enought to keep you level up in alaklinity

now do some calculation mutliply efluent alk x drip rate from both set adjust and you will see you add more DKH at hight PH per volum than in low PH but more calcium at low PH per volume :?:

[Doug]

Interesting Stephane.
Thanks for sharing. Perhaps thats the reason my old duel had not problem keeping up with calcium in my other tank. I use to run it at 6.5 as compared with 6.9 on my current reactor @ a faster drip.

I do find my scrubber helps a lot in consuming any left over co2, but like you, also notice my valonia growth goes up & down, depending on the co2 reactor use.

Wondering why you shut down your kalk reactor. Seem most are running them together now. Is it just to set your co2 reactor up or a permanent shut down?

[stephane]

I just shut it down because I want to made experience and see wath is good and wich is the more easy ans set and forget from now the calcium reactor is realy the easyer but is I have to run both.........with the calcium reactor Im wondering why pay so much to buy a calcium reactore and just not only stick with my kalk reactor :? and keep my money

Anyway it is to early to give any conclusion and this is my very first impression after spending 1000$ on it

I will not for shure get rid of my old visio kalk reactor for now and he sit
waiting to be refil

on ting very surprise me is how some could maintain a PH of 8.2 .8.4
with a CO2 reactor? what exacly they do to keep it that hight I realy dont know

I going in vacation next week for 2 week but when Im back I will start to dose borate hydroxide (borate acid and sodium hydroxide) It seem from some report from french reefer that this will be the secrect to keep very hight stable PH

Here are intersting tread about Borate hydroxide
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...rate+hydroxide

and the second part
http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...rate+hydroxide

if you read this you will see that randy is again's the borate but never realy experience with it as much as people around but there some guy that realy use it and it realy work to fix PH at 8.3 night and day I have a a couple of friend how use it to and it realy work even habid from salifert use it and he even introduce a new test to test it and sid it seem to be an essentiel element

seachem salt already add it to ther mix in very hight quantity maybe to hight

in an article Randy recomand to use Boraxe from the grocery store but from people I have ask they said it is not the same and borate should be add in the form of borate acide with the sodium hydroxide to form barate hydroxide and not only borate how will be useless and detrimental

I keep you update

[Doug]

Your point on just using the visio and saving the co2 money, is a good point. Thats one reason why I started the thread.

If a tanks evaporation level is not enough to allow for kalk to keep up with that tanks particular load, then another method is needed, but it seems to me if, a kalk reactor will keep levels up, then why bother with co2.

The common reasons I see, is so neither has to be overdriven to keep up. You can drive a co2 reactor harder but not a kalk reactor. A co2 reactor does give nice alk levels.

[stephane]

Originally Posted by Doug Lowey

If a tanks evaporation level is not enough to allow for kalk to keep up with that tanks particular load, then another method is needed, but it seems to me if, a kalk reactor will keep levels up, then why bother with co2.




The common reasons I see, is so neither has to be overdriven to keep up. You can drive a co2 reactor harder but not a kalk reactor. A co2 reactor does give nice alk levels.

from my experience in most case the more you need calcium the more you will have evaporation, cause evaporation mean hight light and hight light mean hight demand low light mean low evaporation and low demand
(in most case) also the more you have demand the more you have bioload and the more you have bioload the more you have CO2 and the more you could drive your reactor harder IMO it is an equilibrium

also nilsen have fouund a way to increase kalk by injecting CO2 maybe it coulb be a good alternative to combine CO2 this way a kalk reactor could be realy more easy to overdrive in any situation

vinegard also is a good way to increase kalk reactor but it is pain to use maybe using it with dosing pump could be another alternative

I love this hobby $$$$$$$

[Canadian Man]

Great info guys! Thanks Stephane!