Calcium consumption.

[Doug]

Originally Posted by rgardiner

I've been trying to switch from B-ionic to kalk for my 90G (with a light coral load but nuisance-level coraline), and my Ca also drops to about 330, forcing me to bring it back up with B-ionic (to about 380). I was wondering where in heck all the kalk was going - I've also tried using vinegar, following ReefCental recipes, but the kalk still has been inadequate to maintain Ca. I have suspected the coraline was sucking it up, but haven't worried about it too much as my few corals (monti, plate, hammer, one acro frag) have still been growing.

I had the exact same problem on another tank a few years ago. Could not cut back on B-Ionic, which I think is a super coralline grower. That and C-Balance.

Here is something interesting though. I was reading on another board, where another reefer, {Sue has one of the nicest sps tanks I have seen}, has done away with her reactor and just uses kalk and a weekly addition of a calcium powder. Her tanks are loaded 180 and 120 sps tanks.

Although I like my reactor, I sometimes wonder what other metals and such are being added by the dissolved media. Esp when you read some of the reports on heavy metals being stored in our rock and sand.