Calcium reactor and Kalkwasser = Bad Combo??
- Thread starter cavediver
- Start date
Many people with high calcium demand run a calcium reactor and dose kalkwasser. Some even use kalkwasser stirrers or Nielson Reactors which automatically mix and dose highly saturated kalkwasser without exposing it to air contact. By dosing kalkwasser in combination with running a calcium reactor you help to aleviate some of the problems that could occur from running a calcium reactor like lower ph.
FWIW, Nathan
FWIW, Nathan
hi.
As mentioned, the "cancel each other out" effect you LFS refers to is the pH swing associates with each of the methods. For most people, this effect of doing both methods at the same time enable them to keep the parameter stable, so it is a good thing. For economic and efficiency reason, only one method is used unless the demand for calcium is so high that neither method alone can keep the calcium at reasonable level.
However, if you have a high photosynthetic ratio (if you see tons of bubble whenever you turn your MHs on), using a calcium reactor (CO2 enrichment) alone during the light cycle is a better idea than using both methods. For majority of reefers, this is not the case, and you LFS (surprise, surprise!) is misleading you for saying that both method together is a bad combination.
As mentioned, the "cancel each other out" effect you LFS refers to is the pH swing associates with each of the methods. For most people, this effect of doing both methods at the same time enable them to keep the parameter stable, so it is a good thing. For economic and efficiency reason, only one method is used unless the demand for calcium is so high that neither method alone can keep the calcium at reasonable level.
However, if you have a high photosynthetic ratio (if you see tons of bubble whenever you turn your MHs on), using a calcium reactor (CO2 enrichment) alone during the light cycle is a better idea than using both methods. For majority of reefers, this is not the case, and you LFS (surprise, surprise!) is misleading you for saying that both method together is a bad combination.
I have been running a Ca reactor for about 1 year. My DKh had been 12 to 13 (yeah, it should be around 10). Anywhy, I recently created a kalkwasser reactor and used it with my topoff water. The combination of the two raised my DKh to 18 with Ca levels (according to my Salifert test) at 800 within the last two weeks. Soooooo I have turned off the Ca reactor before I get a summer snowstorm.
If I had a ton of SPS and lots of corraline, they would happy!
4 tanks on one system with about 280G all together.
If I had a ton of SPS and lots of corraline, they would happy!
4 tanks on one system with about 280G all together.
They compliment each other - they do not compete and I wouldn't call them redundant. You can get higher levels of Alk and calcium than using either one alone. Calcium reactor adds excess CO2 to the tank and kalkwasser uses up excess CO2 in the tank.
You can not dose both in the same spot however. I have the reactor effluent drip into the sump and the nilsen effluent drip into the overflow chamber (high flow rate area).
If I did not use the nilsen reactor in combination with my calcium reactor I would have to drive the calcium reactor much harder and I would have a depressed system pH. Right now I run my K2R at 80 bubbles per minute, effluent pH 6.80 at 60ml min. Which is pretty mild for a fully stocked 180 gallon SPS, LPS & Clam tank with crazy coralline growth.
You can not dose both in the same spot however. I have the reactor effluent drip into the sump and the nilsen effluent drip into the overflow chamber (high flow rate area).
If I did not use the nilsen reactor in combination with my calcium reactor I would have to drive the calcium reactor much harder and I would have a depressed system pH. Right now I run my K2R at 80 bubbles per minute, effluent pH 6.80 at 60ml min. Which is pretty mild for a fully stocked 180 gallon SPS, LPS & Clam tank with crazy coralline growth.
Attachments
My 'redundant' description was a reference to what DK experienced. Too many ions in the water and you're going to get a precipitate, in which case I'd call the two methods redundant to that extent. Perhaps there's a better word, but the bottom line is that they definitely do not cancel each other out.
Tim
Tim
hi.npaden":1ugvq6wt said:
Reefland answered your question. But let it make it more clear. Macro algea have a greater effect on the CO2 level in a tank than coral, since coral is an animal (I know everyone knows...). If you have a tank full of Halimeda, during the light period, they suck up large amount of CO2. It will be a slight advantage if you use ca rxtor than dose kalk, since kalk will use up the CO2 in the sump. With efficient air/water exchange, like in most skimmer, this can be a minor issue, but that's the justification that I use for ca rxtor than kalk.
cavediver":2bovx4cf said:
Actually, using both limewater and a calcium carbonate/CO2 reactor is perhaps the ideal solution for a large, high calcium carbonate demand system, where you can afford to make the investment in the technical equipment for the reactor.
Calcium carbonate/CO2 reactor effluent has somewhat over two moles of inorganic carbon per mole of calcium. Limewater has essentially zero moles of inorganic carbon per mole of calcium. You need one mole of inorganic carbon per mole of calcium to support calcification. Combining the methods puts you somewhere in the middle, around the correct number, so that the system isn't pressed to either exhaust or take up carbon dioxide from the surroundings.
If you have the limewater dosing on a timer, you can achieve a very stable system pH... much more so than with any other single method. Most people would continue to run the reactor 24 hours/day.
Craig Bingman
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