When is it time to use a Calcium reactor?

[Koigula]

I always found success with covering basics well in this hobby. There is the bleeding edge, cutting edge, and dull edge. I am trying to be a green thumb expert on the dull edge. I carefully run test kits on 250 gallon system. Ill list parameters below. Tank is growing well now with now changes inlast year except water changes and T5 replacements

151 Reef Savvy Tank - SPS dominant
8x54 watt ATI T5 lighting, 2 UV, 4 blue plus, 2 coral plus
3x MP40 full blast ramping up and down, 1 mp40 detritus sweep in back of tank

100 gallon Rubber made in storage room
Life reef mazzei skimmer
80 watt UV idle disconnected
100 lb live rock in sump
20 gallon refugium with chaeto. (not great exporter but great predictor of issues...)
k1 Avast dripped at night 2 min on 20 min off all night,

I keep alkalinity at 155 ppm target with kalk and now need 75 cc a day BRS Soda ash to keep up!

When should I start an idle Reef Life calcium reactor? Should I wait awhile? I have Carbon doser regulator and Komer so dialing is should be easy...

Here is one of many corals taking off. Some type of Efflo I think
Parameters are ok and no issues. Had slight dino in refugium receeding in past.

10% water changes to keep nitrates down
Temp 77F Calibrated thermocouple
Salinity 1.026 Density stick tropic marin
Alkalinity 155 +/- 5ppm Hanna and auto pipette dispensers
Calcium ~450 salifert
Magnesium ~1300 salifert
Nitrate ~15 ppm HR Hanna
Phospahte 0.15 to 0.2 HR Hanna

Nutrients a bit high but leaving alone for gradual decline.

 

[arking_mark]

Keeping it simple...maybe consider an all-in-one balanced dosing supplement like All-for-Reef. I use Kalk plus AFR for my tank.

 

[Koigula]

Like solution for softies tank but this is wall to wall SPS.

I will run BRS Soda Ash for next months to see how it keeps up. It now needs to be automated I think.

 

[arking_mark]

Like solution for softies tank but this is wall to wall SPS.

I will run BRS Soda Ash for next months to see how it keeps up. It now needs to be automated I think.

Just for awareness, Soda ash is only about 1.2 x more potent than AFR for Alkalinity. Additionally, it provides everything else in a balanced way.

 

[Koigula]

Calcium formate solution can only be that potent on a much higher solids content in solution.

Efficacy on cost is not an option of selling frags.

 

[arking_mark]

Calcium formate solution can only be that potent on a much higher solids content in solution.

Efficacy on cost is not an option of selling frags.

Sorry about that. You're right from a cost perspective and farming corals, AFR is not the way to go.

 

[Jared Bryant]

I consider a calcium reactor when dosing becomes too much.

 

[arking_mark]

If we are talking farming, I'm not sure I'd go Calcium Reactor as they typically reduce pH. If I'm farming, I'm going for high pH supplements...and would use Randy's high pH Alk supplement.

 

[Koigula]

I am using just kalk now and water changes. I found it can go along way on tank setup. I am starting to see it is reaching end in 6 months or so.

I understand pH concerns a bit. Other option is high amounts of salt and larger water changes though. Most of things are wash.