2 part/ calc reactor questions

EuphylliaAddict · Apr 27, 2020

So I'm dosing 5ml per hr part 1+2 and I can't seem to get above 7.8 alk it seems to always fall to there... Should I double my dosage? My target is about 9.5 dkh. Also I ordered a bubble magus cr200 calcium reactor, I plan on dosing my effluent to my skimmer intake, is this recommend? Thanks for any input my system is 220 gallons or so mixed reef and everything looks good just see that my alk is a degree plus off my target. I do have kalwasser to get back to target, but I can't seem to maintain 9.5 with 5 ml per hour.

kevin_e · Apr 27, 2020

Seems like calcium reactor media is hard to come by. Just a heads up on that front.

EuphylliaAddict · Apr 27, 2020

kevin_e said:
Seems like calcium reactor media is hard to come by. Just a heads up on that front.

Yeah it is, reborn is out everywhere. I was thinking of using this stuff but idk

kevin_e · Apr 27, 2020

It's been out for months and months. Rumors of regulatory issues to stocking issues. Triton media requires lower pH from what I have read.

FactoryKTMmotocross46 · Apr 27, 2020

What two part are you dosing?

EuphylliaAddict · Apr 27, 2020

FactoryKTMmotocross46 said:
What two part are you dosing?

Seachem part 1 and 2 I also dose trace elements and amino acids.

My coral is just growing so fast since I started dosing, but using up 120ml per day is getting expensive...

greg 45 · Apr 27, 2020

The Dastaco media is what I have been using for years now . I does take a lower ph to dissolve. I also supplement 2 part by ESV to make up the difference of the reactor . System is 1200 gallons 7.5 is where I keep the tank. I dose both calcium reactor and 2 part into the sump.

EuphylliaAddict · Apr 27, 2020

What about this combo until reborn is back in stock?

FactoryKTMmotocross46 · Apr 27, 2020

Yeah, I'm not sure how the concentration compares, but I buy sodium carbonate and mix in di water. I dose 205mL/ day and around 170mL/ day of calcium chloride. I wouldn't be able to afford to buy any premixed name brand stuff and its still a lot cheaper for me to do than buy a calcium reactor right now. I have a lot of corals and they do well.

FactoryKTMmotocross46 · Apr 27, 2020

You'll want to get your levels up to where you want them and then use your caRx to maintain.

EuphylliaAddict · Apr 27, 2020

FactoryKTMmotocross46 said:
You'll want to get your levels up to where you want them and then use your caRx to maintain.

Should I use kalwasser to get it to 9.5 then?

dwest · Apr 27, 2020

You can add kalk. That will work. You can also add more 2 part. Do you only have the option to double it? On my 180, 10 ml each of 2 part per day increases my alkalinity about 0.1 dKH.

Also, an alkalinity of 7.8 is fine as well. I run my tank at 8.

vetteguy53081 · Apr 27, 2020

Seachem also has media called " Reactor".

EuphylliaAddict · Apr 27, 2020

dwest said:
You can add kalk. That will work. You can also add more 2 part. Do you only have the option to double it? On my 180, 10 ml each of 2 part per day increases my alkalinity about 0.1 dKH.

Also, an alkalinity of 7.8 is fine as well. I run my tank at 8.

Oh then maybe I should only aim for 8.0-8.5 dkh then, like I said I'm dosing 120 ml per day right now, I'm not trying to fill my reservoir every 3 days either... Lol

Randy Holmes-Farley · Apr 27, 2020

I would not use limewater (kalkwasser) to raise alkalinity unless you do it over several days. The pH will potentially rise too much if added in a shorter time.

Ultra Aquatics · Apr 27, 2020

I’ve been running Arm media with ReMag for years, it works well enough for me. You don’t want to use kalk to raise levels, use 2 part to raise it and your reactor to maintain it.

waterskiguy · Apr 27, 2020

Triton requires very low PH to melt, but seems to run really clean. I have a friend that just switched over from Reborn a few months ago and loves it. He had problems with po4 from reborn. I've been using ARM course media for the last half a year and really like it. With Kalk, in addition, my Dt Ph stays between 8.2 and 8.4.

I dose 2 part to get my levels up, where I want them, before I switched over to calrx. Knowing that I was going to run it, I started running kalk full time, while dosing 2 part, before i switched over so the switch over was fairly seamless. I just took 2 part offline and started the calcium reactor up. It took me a few weeks to get it really dialed in because I did some tests with flow rates, ph and tank Ph, to get it really working efficiently. I think it only took a couple days to get it to match my consumption though.

EuphylliaAddict · Apr 27, 2020

waterskiguy said:
Triton requires very low PH to melt, but seems to run really clean. I have a friend that just switched over from Reborn a few months ago and loves it. He had problems with po4 from reborn. I've been using ARM course media for the last half a year and really like it. With Kalk, in addition, my Dt Ph stays between 8.2 and 8.4.

I dose 2 part to get my levels up, where I want them, before I switched over to calrx. Knowing that I was going to run it, I started running kalk full time, while dosing 2 part, before i switched over so the switch over was fairly seamless. I just took 2 part offline and started the calcium reactor up. It took me a few weeks to get it really dialed in because I did some tests with flow rates, ph and tank Ph, to get it really working efficiently. I think it only took a couple days to get it to match my consumption though.

So I have 2 pH monitors, one for tank and one for in reactor... Typically I see 8.2-8.4 pH 8.3 being target. I stopped dosin kalk in ato because I would come home and see pH at 8.6+ and immediately would dose vinegar... I plan on keeping the in tank pH monitor online just to see the live reading (that's what I use it for now). The second monitor will be for the co2 system. 6.0-6.2 pH was just what I read on the 22 lb box if I remember right. I'm not worried about co2 consumption since I have a 5lb bottle already. I plan on adding the effluent to the skimmer intake since I hear that's the ideal way to scrub the co2 out. Also I plan on using a dosing pump still for trace elements and amino acids. Not sure why I need for elements but I have 4liters to use... I can't test for trace elements so maybe I should only half dose.... I was going to get the magnesium from two little fishes to add also. Alot to think about in the meantime I haven't done anything to bump it up, just waiting for reactor/media to arrive and install. I figured no point in dosing more part 1+2 since you say 7.8 is fine. So far only some red Digi has been acting different. Not too concerned since I can get more.