High Tide Aquatics

Calcium levels versus KH levels

Bula

Bula

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I added a calcium reactor about a month ago and I have been testing the waters so to speak and find the following occurring:

PH 8.2 in the SPS tank and 6.7 coming out of the Calcium reactor
KH/Alkalinity 12.5
Calcium 390

I think the KH is too high and the Calcium is not hitting the 400 level.....should I tinker with this or just be happy with these readings?

Opinions would be appreciated.

Thanks

Bula
 
I'd raise the calcium to ~440ppm, check the alk after that and if it is still above 10 dkh dial back the reactor until it drops a little and then find the sweet spot

HTH
 
Thanks.

Two questions, can this be done by just increasing the CO2 bubble count and/or increase the flow from the reactor to the sump....thanks

John
 
To raise the calcium level while keeping alk the same, you'll need to use a calcium-only additive. Your reactor will always add both calcium and alkalinity.
 
Thanks for the input.

My understanding the outflow should be at 6.5 ph. The amount of outflow is still a question

Thanks
 
pixelpixi said:
To raise the calcium level while keeping alk the same, you'll need to use a calcium-only additive. Your reactor will always add both calcium and alkalinity.
Click to expand...

Erin, would that be the reason some reefers have a CaRx and a Kalk stirrer?

..always learning something new.

Thx
 
xcaret said:
pixelpixi said:
To raise the calcium level while keeping alk the same, you'll need to use a calcium-only additive. Your reactor will always add both calcium and alkalinity.
Click to expand...

Erin, would that be the reason some reefers have a CaRx and a Kalk stirrer?

..always learning something new.

Thx
Click to expand...

I am curious to know this as well Mario. My thought has always been that the effluent from the CaRx would lower the pH of the water, so people would then utilize a Kalkawasser Rx to balance out the pH. Plus the Kalkawasser Rx would help in adding calcium and alkalinity to the tank, and precipitate PO4 out (?). But that is all my speculation.
 
Kalkwasser and CO2 reactors each contribute both calcium and carbonate. They both do so in the same proportion, but kalkwasser is fairly limited in the amount of calcium and carbonate it can provide.

You're right that some people run kalk in addition to a CO2 reactor in order to combat the Ph lowering effect of the CO2.

Here's some recommended reading:

http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/feb2003/chem.htm
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-04/rhf/feature/index.php
 
Dialing in a CaRx is a slow process but once done, you should rarely tinker with it. You'll need to add Kent Turbo Calcium or B-ionics. I crashed my tank by trying to add Kalk to bring up the Calcium. Use this calculator to figure out how much you need to add. These two links have been my reef bible for the past year. I constantly go to both to see if i need to act quickly or not. I'm impressed that you ph is 8.2 while your eff is 6.7; what do you have the flow rate set at (drops per min)?

http://jdieck1.home.comcast.net/~jdieck1/chemcalc.html
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/nov2002/chem.htm
 
I have not tested the flow lately but it was approximately 30 mil per minute.

I have a 65 gallon tank.

Thanks for the links and input from you and from the previous members.

John
 
I agree with Jeremy. Add some calcium (check the two part recipe), and dial back your calcium rx (slow the bubble count a bit and slow the effluent rate). Adding calcium should drop your ALK, carbonates should percipitate out a bit.
 
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