What is the best way to supplement calcium and alkalinity?

[rishma]

Thanks. Almost all should be good forever, but the container composition and storage safety is a good point.

I’ve had AFR get bacterial looking growth, cloudy/stringy. Maybe I contaminated it.

 

[rishma]

Double

 

[FishTruck]

Perspectives on cost to run versus the size of the system.

I always assumed calcium reactors where the cheapest for big systems.

 

[BryanM]

following along, since I like the idea of AFR but read that it ads too much calcium generally.

 

[IntrinsicReef]

For sodium hydroxide, definitely difficulty of mixing (PPE and hazardous effects if spilled).

For DIY 3 parts, it’s kind of tedious mixing 3 gallon jugs every time.

CACO3 reactors suck because you have CO2 running near your tank which will lower pH. Finding CO2 tanks is difficult and pricy, and it’s a pain to tune the bubble dosage.

I don’t think I’d EVER use a calcium reactor. They suck IMO.

I've been thinking about the pH issues I've had with calcium reactors over the years compared to the success others have with them. I've run into issues with calcium reactors in small tightly sealed airspaces and where the human/ animal to airspace ratio is high. I've been more successful in relatively large airspaces with fewer people. This is purely anecdotal, but it has been on my mind. I wonder if commercial operations in drafty warehouses/ garages with one or two caretakers are more prone to calcium reactor success than an insulated house with people and pets living there full time? Sorry, if this is off topic.
Edit: Maybe ambient CO2 should be looked at before people purchase a calcium reactor?

 

[friendlyAlien]

I think you are missing something about "idiot" proofing (like for me). Can I measure the effect of the dosing easily or is it delayed, can I overdose how easy is that, etc.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I’ve had AFR get bacterial looking growth, cloudy/stringy. Maybe I contaminated it.

Did you dilute it?

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I think you are missing something about "idiot" proofing (like for me). Can I measure the effect of the dosing easily or is it delayed, can I overdose how easy is that, etc.

Thanks. Ease of use and understanding will be addressed.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

following along, since I like the idea of AFR but read that it ads too much calcium generally.

It is very slightly overbalanced to too much calcium, exactly as kalkwasser is.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I've been thinking about the pH issues I've had with calcium reactors over the years compared to the success others have with them. I've run into issues with calcium reactors in small tightly sealed airspaces and where the human/ animal to airspace ratio is high. I've been more successful in relatively large airspaces with fewer people. This is purely anecdotal, but it has been on my mind. I wonder if commercial operations in drafty warehouses/ garages with one or two caretakers are more prone to calcium reactor success than an insulated house with people and pets living there full time? Sorry, if this is off topic.

Not off topic. The idea that different methods are suited to different situations is very important. As another example, unlimited kalk to control pH in a coral farm, where demand is so high that alk must also be added in other ways. Trying that in a low alk demand reef tank may give very different outcomes.

 

[Reefer Dan]

I’m not sure if you had this in mind already in a subtopic or not, but how it impacts overall water chemistry instead of just calcium, alk, mg (for example dilution effect/ adding part c for balling, etc).

 

[rishma]

Did you dilute it?

First time yes, second time no. First time was much worse. I didn’t dilute second time in hopes of avoiding it but it eventually got cloudy too. I just stopped putting it in a clear container. Problem solved

 

[KrisReef]

Folks often ask about purity and/or contamination issues possible from different media sources and types.

Methods for tuning replacement streams.

Cost of starting up and maintaining the various methods.

 

[billyocean]

I'm curious at what point kalk or a calcium reactor is necessary if at all. I've been doing carbonate, calcium chloride, part C. Alk/calcium are about a gallon a month and dose RM trace. System is acro "heavy heavy" and things are doing great. Fwiw people that see the system are surprised I don't run kalk or a calcium reactor. I prefer to keep things as simple as feasible and have a "if it's not broken" mentality. But..always open to more knowledge and information as I'm no pro.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I'm curious at what point kalk or a calcium reactor is necessary if at all. I've been doing carbonate, calcium chloride, part C. Alk/calcium are about a gallon a month and dose RM trace. System is acro "heavy heavy" and things are doing great. Fwiw people that see the system are surprised I don't run kalk or a calcium reactor. I prefer to keep things as simple as feasible and have a "if it's not broken" mentality. But..always open to more knowledge and information as I'm no pro.

Those other methods are never needed. They are just potentially less expensive or less work. A two/three part can meet any demand.

 

[A_Blind_Reefer]

2/3 part Monday/Wednesday/Friday, kalk over the weekend, calcium reactor Tuesdays and Thursdays, and bolus on the first and fifteenth of every month. Except on leap years, then it’s just madness

Edit. Oh and with my recent experience….chuck a piece of man made rock from a certain vendor in the tank for any Alk corrections needed

 

[rishma]

I'm curious at what point kalk or a calcium reactor is necessary if at all. I've been doing carbonate, calcium chloride, part C. Alk/calcium are about a gallon a month and dose RM trace. System is acro "heavy heavy" and things are doing great. Fwiw people that see the system are surprised I don't run kalk or a calcium reactor. I prefer to keep things as simple as feasible and have a "if it's not broken" mentality. But..always open to more knowledge and information as I'm no pro.

Become necessary? Never. But I’ve been dosing Kalk in every tank for nearly 30 years. It’s the OG system for calcium and alkalinity. I start with Kalk, and then add other systems as I see fit when the tank matures. I doubt I’ll ever do it differently. Almost nothing is simpler or cheaper. Mix a saturated solution with ballpark amount of Kalk powder and RO/DI, then use a dosing pump at night. Or just put it in the top off if you really want to get simple. It’s not perfect but darn simple and effective until demand gets higher than evaporation.

 

[ss7]

I'd like to hear an approach to pick a proper balance of carbonate/bicarbonate for optimal coral health for tanks at low/mid/high pH. Is there an argument the bicarb is a preferred compound for coral uptake if pH is "stable normal"?

 

[BeanAnimal]

I don’t currently do water changes, but even if I did, I don’t want the hassle of ICP.

I never tried a CA reactor because they feel complicated in some sense and pH can be quirky in our tight space.

I have settled on Triton Core other method (no refugium or ATS) and somewhat blindly trust that it is doing a better job at balanced trace than water changes and spot dosing. I could be insanely wrong. If the crash ever happens, I suppose that is when I will ICP test and find out.

 

[areefer01]

The issues are:

Are these issues or concerns or things to be considered before selecting?

Cost for the materials
Equipment cost and space requirements (if any)
Time needed by aquarist to set up and adjust
Complexity (hard to understand effects?)
Anything else added, such as magnesium or trace elements
Effect on pH
Limitation on amounts dosed (e.g., evaporation replacement for kalkwasser)
Problem scenarios (e,g., overdose)
Any measurement complexities (such as alk when using AFR)
Any other effects (e.g., organic carbon dosing effects; salinity changes)

Anything else important?

You noted cost for the materials. Does that include monthly or bi-monthly ICP tests if running some additive based methodologies such as Moonshine (not picking on it)? There is product coast just not sure how that may or may not fit in or if it matters.

You probably cover this in problem scenarios since you mentioned complexity and overdose but what about monitors, alerts, and how one manages travel, vacation, or time away?