Continuously increasing Alk Consumption

[Treefer32]

I think this is a good problem to have with my 340 gallon display. I've got a Chalice that's probably 2-3 foot in diameter and continues to add close to a half inch a week across all of it's exterior. It's highly invasive. My hammers continuing to grow new heads - from 1 to 7 in 6 months. Duncans and other corals continuously growing. So I expect alk and calcium consumption to rise.

That topped by a drop in alk due to a plugged dosing line. That's resolved got dosing back on schedule and manually dosed to gradually raise alk for 6.2 to 7.0 to hopefully 8 today.

The question is I'm also not dosing enough. It slowly drops over a week. As much as 1dkh from 8 to 7 despite dosing:

192 ml of alk over a 24 hour period- baked baking soda and calcium chloride (separate containers but equal amounts of each and mixed at the same ratios.)

I also have a standard BRS doser running 24 hours a day dosing maximum saturated Kalkwasser - which I've calculated it's dosing amount to be around 1.5 liters per day or about 5 gallon bucket 7 days.

Between the two the alk continues to drop throughout the week. I'm raising my dosing to 240 ml per day. (10 ml per hour). Plus the kalkwasser on top of it. MG usually tests out at 1500, but I am dosing a maintenance dosage of MgCL and MG sulfate at a much lower rate, around 32 ml per day.

I could increase my container and dosing amount of baked baking soda and CACL. using gallon buckets or 5 gallon buckets instead of 1.5 L dosing containers. I'm at a cup per day of liquid and probably increasing.

The other option would be to save up for a Calcium reactor.

Comparing options:
Scenario 1: increase Kalkwasser dosing
Pros: Raises ph, Ph might hit 8.0 if Kalkwasser is dosed more frequently and at higher rates
Cons: Costs more time, how How much of this would be needed to maintain if it exceeds evaporation rates?
= $200 and more time maintaining buckets of kalkwasser + $50 a month in trace elements and core 2 part chemicals
= Some type of ATO for kalkwasser $100-$200 (to reduce self maintenance time)

Scenario 2: continue to increase Baked baking soda and CaCL
Pros: Raises PH with this method raises ph to 7.8 during the day
Costs more time: How much dosing of 2 part is simply too much to keep up (e.g. exceeding evaporation rates).
Increase baked baking soda and cacl increased dosing: cost of chemicals and use a larger container to dose from
Increase cost of dosed materials from $50 - 75 a month

Scenario 3: Implement Calcium reactor
Cost: $210 plus media (onsale now)
Pros: Near no maintenance once dialed in
Cons: complex to install, and lowers PH (PH is typically 7.8 at the highest and frequently 7.6 at night - lowering ph would be detrimental to organisms.)

I'm looking for short and long term low cost, high stability, and low maintenance options?

 

[KrisReef]

I have a Calc reactor and it needs more media atm, but otherwise it keeps things stable.

I started with a tiny Calc reactor and found out that when the demand goes up I had to purchase a large unit. $210 seems very inexpensive for a reactor that will be able to keep up with your demand, otherwise I think it is the best solution.

 

[jda]

Amything that you do will need increased over time if stuff is growing. I have to turn my CaRx up every so often - right now it is maintaining at about 6.6, when this drops below 6.5, I will turn it up and over a week I will end up at 7.2, or so... then over a few months, it will start to drift lower again. Larger colonies and especially coralline use up a lot of carbonate, calcium and magnesium.

 

[gbroadbridge]

I think this is a good problem to have with my 340 gallon display. I've got a Chalice that's probably 2-3 foot in diameter and continues to add close to a half inch a week across all of it's exterior. It's highly invasive. My hammers continuing to grow new heads - from 1 to 7 in 6 months. Duncans and other corals continuously growing. So I expect alk and calcium consumption to rise.

That topped by a drop in alk due to a plugged dosing line. That's resolved got dosing back on schedule and manually dosed to gradually raise alk for 6.2 to 7.0 to hopefully 8 today.

The question is I'm also not dosing enough. It slowly drops over a week. As much as 1dkh from 8 to 7 despite dosing:

192 ml of alk over a 24 hour period- baked baking soda and calcium chloride (separate containers but equal amounts of each and mixed at the same ratios.)

I also have a standard BRS doser running 24 hours a day dosing maximum saturated Kalkwasser - which I've calculated it's dosing amount to be around 1.5 liters per day or about 5 gallon bucket 7 days.

Between the two the alk continues to drop throughout the week. I'm raising my dosing to 240 ml per day. (10 ml per hour). Plus the kalkwasser on top of it. MG usually tests out at 1500, but I am dosing a maintenance dosage of MgCL and MG sulfate at a much lower rate, around 32 ml per day.

I could increase my container and dosing amount of baked baking soda and CACL. using gallon buckets or 5 gallon buckets instead of 1.5 L dosing containers. I'm at a cup per day of liquid and probably increasing.

The other option would be to save up for a Calcium reactor.

Comparing options:
Scenario 1: increase Kalkwasser dosing
Pros: Raises ph, Ph might hit 8.0 if Kalkwasser is dosed more frequently and at higher rates
Cons: Costs more time, how How much of this would be needed to maintain if it exceeds evaporation rates?
= $200 and more time maintaining buckets of kalkwasser + $50 a month in trace elements and core 2 part chemicals
= Some type of ATO for kalkwasser $100-$200 (to reduce self maintenance time)

Scenario 2: continue to increase Baked baking soda and CaCL
Pros: Raises PH with this method raises ph to 7.8 during the day
Costs more time: How much dosing of 2 part is simply too much to keep up (e.g. exceeding evaporation rates).
Increase baked baking soda and cacl increased dosing: cost of chemicals and use a larger container to dose from
Increase cost of dosed materials from $50 - 75 a month

Scenario 3: Implement Calcium reactor
Cost: $210 plus media (onsale now)
Pros: Near no maintenance once dialed in
Cons: complex to install, and lowers PH (PH is typically 7.8 at the highest and frequently 7.6 at night - lowering ph would be detrimental to organisms.)

I'm looking for short and long term low cost, high stability, and low maintenance options?

My 75 gal consumes over 300 ml a day of 3 part (900ml total) so your tank sound like it's doing great.

You're at the point where I would seriously consider setting up a Calcium Reactor either alone or in combination with2/3 part dosing.

 

[Shooter6]

Add a fan over the sump and or display, increase evaporation and offset it with kalkwasser.

I have to admit I laughed at your 1.5ltr per day dosage, as I dose 6gal a day of kalk slurry to my system, along with all for reef ( 250ml) a day. I'm looking at adding a calcium reactor as a secondary dosage controlled by the reef factory kh pro.