Calcium Reactors ???

[Reefer Rob]

Never had a calcium reactor... never wanted one. High Ca/kH demand, SPS tank. Automate you 2 part (3 part), it's the easiest way!

[StirCrazy]

just a note, you can use your return pump to feed the Ca reactor, but not all the return can go through it. you just "T" off the return side with a 1/4" line and a valve to regulate how much you are supplying.

[reefermadness]

This is from Randy's Article -- What your Grandmother never told you about limewater


What Is Lime?

According to the National Lime Association, “lime” is defined as either quicklime or hydrated lime. These materials are made by heating calcium carbonate until the carbon dioxide is driven off, forming quicklime (calcium oxide):

1. CaCO3 à CaO + CO2

Water can then be added to form hydrated lime (calcium hydroxide; referred to subsequently in this article as just lime):

2. CaO + H2O à Ca(OH)2

Both lime and quicklime are suitable for making limewater (kalkwasser) and otherwise supplementing calcium and alkalinity in reef aquaria. There are some important differences between the use of lime and quicklime that will be discussed in subsequent sections. These differences relate to the fact that quicklime is slightly more potent and gets hot when water is added to it (equation 2).

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-01/rhf/index.php

I've never known that limewater only supplies calcium is a common misconception?

[StirCrazy]

Originally Posted by Oxymoron

Im not trying to thread hijack but what is the difference between a calcium reactor and a kalk drip? Do they serve the same purpose?

no, different all together with one common element.

Kalk is just Ca and will raise PH. With a Ca reactor you are maintaining both Ca, Alk, and trace elements. Some times they can lower Ph so then you would use Kalk in addition through a kalk reactor to balance it.

the purpose of the reactors weather it be Kalk or Ca is stability, better control with less work. With a Ca reactor you are not dosing once a day and causing swings of levels but you are dosing every second so it is constant. The are a bit of work for the first few days to get them dialed in, but once that is done....

One thing to note, a Ca reactor shouldn't be used to correct bad levels, only to maintain good ones.. before starting the reactor make sure your levels (Ca, Alk, Mg) are good.

Steve

[reefermadness]

Originally Posted by StirCrazy

no, different all together with one common element.

Kalk is just Ca and will raise PH.

Steve

That is not true. Kalkwasser or calcium hydroxide (chemical term) is a balanced calcium and alkalinity supplement which also has the ability to raise pH.

[StirCrazy]

Originally Posted by reefermadness

That is not true. Kalkwasser or calcium hydroxide (chemical term) is a balanced calcium and alkalinity supplement which also has the ability to raise pH.

when I ran just kalk my Ca was good but my alk always dropped. when I added my Ca reactor to the mix all was good.

I ran kalk only for about 3 years and on 2 different tanks, both the same, so where is the balanced part? even RHF uses it in his recipies as only 1/2 of a ballanced additive mix.

Steve

[reefermadness]

Again I'm sorry but you are wrong. Randy does use kalkwasser but does not use it as only 1/2 of a balanced additive mix.

This is taken from Randy's Article -- How to Select a Calcium and Alkalinity Supplementation Scheme

"Limewater (also known by the German term kalkwasser) has been used very successfully by aquarists for a number of years, and it is the system that I use on my tank."

"The calcium ions in the solution obviously supply calcium to the tank, and the hydroxide ions supply alkalinity."

That is all I have time for now but if you don't believe me do some research. You will find that kalkwasser can be used as a balanced additive that supplies calcium and alkalinity.

[StirCrazy]

ok, I think we're getting a little confused, this is from RHF

" In an aquarium with an acceptable pH, there is no concern that the alkalinity provided by limewater is any different from any other carbonate alkalinity supplement. The hydroxide immediately disappears into the bicarbonate/carbonate system. In other words, the amount of hydroxide present in aquarium water is really a function of only pH (regardless of what has been added), and at any pH below 9, it is an insignificant factor in alkalinity tests"

so yes it does add alk, but not relitive to Ca so if you want to raise your Alk but not Ca you can't do it with kalk. and in my case if I wanted to keep my Ca at a NSW level of 380 to 400, but I like an elivated Alk, I needed to run both.

Steve