Keeping up with Alk with a calcium reactor qestion.

[WDKegge]

So I have a Korallin C1502 Calcium Reactor on my 150 gallon SPS tank, as the tank has grown I have been slowly bumping up the kamoer dosing pump that I use for the reactor.

As time has gone on many of my sps frags are now turning into mini colonies, and some are getting quiet large, I have adjusted accordingly but I am now getting to a point where I'm wondering if I need to change something, I am currently at 34 ml/m on the output of the reactor, I keep my PH at 6.5.

I know the kamoer can get way up there in terms of output, but would it be better to make the concentration of my effluent stronger and run the pump slower? Can I go much lower than 6.5? Is that a good idea? This is my first Calc reactor and so far I love it, I just want to make sure I am prepared as the tank grows.

 

[DC Reefer]

So I have a Korallin C1502 Calcium Reactor on my 150 gallon SPS tank, as the tank has grown I have been slowly bumping up the kamoer dosing pump that I use for the reactor.

As time has gone on many of my sps frags are now turning into mini colonies, and some are getting quiet large, I have adjusted accordingly but I am now getting to a point where I'm wondering if I need to change something, I am currently at 34 ml/m on the output of the reactor, I keep my PH at 6.5.

I know the kamoer can get way up there in terms of output, but would it be better to make the concentration of my effluent stronger and run the pump slower? Can I go much lower than 6.5? Is that a good idea? This is my first Calc reactor and so far I love it, I just want to make sure I am prepared as the tank grows.

I wouldn't worry about running the Kamoer at a faster rate. I have been running mine in the mid 50s without any issues (just replace the tubing on the pump periodically - I usually do every 6 months or so) and I believe it maxes out at 120.

Depending on the media you are using you may be able to go lower but too low could melt the media. I keep mine in the 6.6 range.

 

[WDKegge]

Thought I would update this post.

Changed out my media for just off the shelf bulk crushed coral and my effluent has been stable at 45+ DKH with a PH of 6.5, was able to turn my output down to more than half to maintain an alk level of 9dkh in my tank.

 

[blasterman]

Yep

Crushed coral for the win.

The problem with the specialized reactor media is it contains a lot of big chunks of denser skeleton corals that have a higher proportion of calcite, which is what corals deposit when they are slower growers. Think of a dead Acan skeleton or clam vs montipora. One is rock hard while the other is brittle. It takes more C02 to chew through and dissolve the denser, lager media. Of course, the fancy reactor media (Reborn?) looks cool in the bag.

CC being a lot more uniform and smaller in size and composition tends to dissolve more efficiently.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Thanks for the update!

 

[WDKegge]

Thought I would also note that the media I was previously using was ARM

 

[PeterC99]

Thought I would update this post.

Changed out my media for just off the shelf bulk crushed coral and my effluent has been stable at 45+ DKH with a PH of 6.5, was able to turn my output down to more than half to maintain an alk level of 9dkh in my tank.

Was there a brand name to the bulk crushed coral and where did you get it?

Thanks!

 

[WDKegge]

Was there a brand name to the bulk crushed coral and where did you get it?

Thanks!

I got it from my LFS, just generic large sized crushed coral, it had little shells and rock that I had to pick through but for price it was worth it, I have a 5 gallon home depot bucket of it now and doubt I'll ever run out in the next few years.

 

[PeterC99]

I got it from my LFS, just generic large sized crushed coral, it had little shells and rock that I had to pick through but for price it was worth it, I have a 5 gallon home depot bucket of it now and doubt I'll ever run out in the next few years.

Appreciate that. I'm also using coarse ARM but have to set the pH at 6.2 to get the ALK up. Finding it very difficult to dial-in.

 

[WDKegge]

Appreciate that. I'm also using coarse ARM but have to set the pH at 6.2 to get the ALK up. Finding it very difficult to dial-in.

You're not the only one, ditch the arm it's trash.