Oceansize
Active Member
More specifically, my question is for those users whose reactors contain aragonite in addition to the sulphur in their reaction chamber (such as the Korralin S-1502).
I've read some reports that the presence of aragonite in the reaction chamber is there to eliminate the need to dose alkalinity or calcium, but I've also read some sound science that insists that is impossible: that at most, the presence of aragonite will reduce the rate at which you need to dose alk, but not eliminate the need to dose.
For the first several months after my denitrator was broken in, my alk would continue to drop slightly and so I would continue to dose bi-weekly, with the intent of keeping it stable at 9 dKh. Lately, however, in an experimental mood, I decided to stop dosing alk but keep monitoring it and see what happens.
What has happened is my alk has stabilized at 7 dKh. Of course at first I assumed it would continue to drop even further, but I was surprised to see that it stopped dropping once it got to 7 dKh. I have not dosed alk or calcium in months, and yet every time I test, I get alk at 7 dKh and calcium at 410 ppm.
This surprises me, as I was expecting to have to continue to dose alk even while using this denitrator. So my question is (sorry for taking so long to get to the point): assuming you're using a sulphur denitrator with aragonite in the reaction chamber, do you find that you must still dose alk or does your denitrator take care of all of that for you?
I've read some reports that the presence of aragonite in the reaction chamber is there to eliminate the need to dose alkalinity or calcium, but I've also read some sound science that insists that is impossible: that at most, the presence of aragonite will reduce the rate at which you need to dose alk, but not eliminate the need to dose.
For the first several months after my denitrator was broken in, my alk would continue to drop slightly and so I would continue to dose bi-weekly, with the intent of keeping it stable at 9 dKh. Lately, however, in an experimental mood, I decided to stop dosing alk but keep monitoring it and see what happens.
What has happened is my alk has stabilized at 7 dKh. Of course at first I assumed it would continue to drop even further, but I was surprised to see that it stopped dropping once it got to 7 dKh. I have not dosed alk or calcium in months, and yet every time I test, I get alk at 7 dKh and calcium at 410 ppm.
This surprises me, as I was expecting to have to continue to dose alk even while using this denitrator. So my question is (sorry for taking so long to get to the point): assuming you're using a sulphur denitrator with aragonite in the reaction chamber, do you find that you must still dose alk or does your denitrator take care of all of that for you?
