Alkalinity And Calcium Reactor Help needed.

[Rob's Reef]

So I hooked up my Calcium Reactor to my tank. My Alk and Calcium weren't at the levels I wanted them at so I'm just running water through my reactor until I got my numbers right. "No C02 yet" and I was doing large water changes with Scripps water. I noticed all my zoas started closing up so I tested my water and noticed my Alk was really low all the sudden... would running water through my calcium reactor without C02 cause my alk drop? Is the media in the reactor absorbing the alk from my tank??? It's the only thing different I have done to my tank. "Scratching head"...

Media in reactor is Carib Sea Geo-Marine argonite formula.
Florida crushed coral

Any ideas would be appreciated

 

[Rob's Reef]

Anyone?

 

[Tyreef2016]

my understanding is if calcium goes up alk. drops.

Hopefully someone with reactors will chime in.

 

[greg 45]

If your alk is low run the calcium reactor to get the alk where you want it . Say you are at 5 run it till it gets to your desired number. Once you reach your target number you might have to cut back / slow down the reactor . Hope this helps. Also check your mag before you start to know where it's at.

 

[Rob's Reef]

If your alk is low run the calcium reactor to get the alk where you want it . Say you are at 5 run it till it gets to your desired number. Once you reach your target number you might have to cut back / slow down the reactor . Hope this helps. Also check your mag before you start to know where it's at.

Wouldn't that make my Calcium too high?

 

[greg 45]

When I set up my reactor I used it alone to raise alk . The calcium didn't go out of a acceptable range.
The system went low from a cheep test kit I usually run around 10 dkh.

 

[Rob's Reef]

Hmm
I though a calcium reactor dosed calcium and alk...

 

[gcrawford]

Turn on the co2 and watch your alkalinity rise..... IME, they actually are and should be called alkalinity reactors. I use them and supplement my ATO with kalkwasser to maintain ph and calcium. Great combo....

 

[Rob's Reef]

OK I'll give it a shot tomorrow when I have more time to mess with it

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

So I hooked up my Calcium Reactor to my tank. My Alk and Calcium weren't at the levels I wanted them at so I'm just running water through my reactor until I got my numbers right. "No C02 yet" and I was doing large water changes with Scripps water. I noticed all my zoas started closing up so I tested my water and noticed my Alk was really low all the sudden... would running water through my calcium reactor without C02 cause my alk drop? Is the media in the reactor absorbing the alk from my tank??? It's the only thing different I have done to my tank. "Scratching head"...

Media in reactor is Carib Sea Geo-Marine argonite formula.
Florida crushed coral

Any ideas would be appreciated

Its possible for a small amount of calcium, magnesium and alkalinity to deposit onto fresh calcium carbonate, but the effect is usually small and I expect it is not the explanation in this case. I've tested it with aragonite sand, and sayw the effect on pH, but not in alk. So the effect is there, but small.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Hmm
I though a calcium reactor dosed calcium and alk...

It does.

 

[Rob's Reef]

Its possible for a small amount of calcium, magnesium and alkalinity to deposit onto fresh calcium carbonate, but the effect is usually small and I expect it is not the explanation in this case. I've tested it with aragonite sand, and sayw the effect on pH, but not in alk. So the effect is there, but small.

Then I have no idea why my alk has dropped so low but other parameters are in a normal range... I'd what to do. 90% of my zoas are closed up......

Would Gfo have any effect on Alk?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Sometimes new GFO can impact alk.

How low is it?

 

[Rob's Reef]

It's dropped to 5.6 I started dosing seachem reefbuilder but it says to dose only twice a week. My tank volume is about 350-380

 

[Rob's Reef]

I was mixing my own salt with IO then switched to Scripps NSW and this is also when I noticed the alk to start dropping.

 

[locito277]

Turn on the co2 and watch your alkalinity rise..... IME, they actually are and should be called alkalinity reactors. I use them and supplement my ATO with kalkwasser to maintain ph and calcium. Great combo....

Nice unit!

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

I was mixing my own salt with IO then switched to Scripps NSW and this is also when I noticed the alk to start dropping.

Well, the alk in IO is far high then NSW, so that might be it.

 

[Rob's Reef]

Well, the alk in IO is far high then NSW, so that might be it.

Maybe I need to go back to making my own water I guess... :/

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Maybe I need to go back to making my own water I guess... :/

Or you can just dose a little to the tank or the new salt water.

 

[Rob's Reef]

Or you can just dose a little to the tank or the new salt water.

Yeah It just sucks because my take k was fine before I switched. Thought I'd be doing my tank a favor in switching to NSW and now the tank isn't so happy... the weird part is the dkh tested 7 i think in the NSW but once used my tank dropped to like 5.6 on the red sea kit...