Questions/conversation about dosing and when it’s to much and time to switch to calcium reactor.

[((FORDTECH))]

Hello past few weeks this question has been starting to pop into my head. My system is 250 gallons total with display , frag tank, separate refugium , and sump. After finally getting my ph stabilized and consistently above 8.25-8.3 With a pretty extravagant Co2 scrubber setup outside air plumbed with solenoid valves connected to my apex my alk and calcium consumptions started to take off. Over doubled from 70ml a day to 160 ml a day of both alk and calcium. This has been going on for 3 weeks now. Right now I use brs 2 part. Does not cost a lot but I feel like 160ml a day Of each is a lot. Was wondering what other people feel is the switching point from dosing to reactor? I’m sure I will have some other follow up questions about reactors after this aswell. Want to mention with apex and trident and dos I can have trident test and dos fairly decently control how much needs to be dosed and then adjust little bit if day my ph fluctuates for a day or two if I have family visit for weekend causing high co2 in the house. How would a calcium reactor do this besides an actual manual adjustment from me? I have a calcium reactor and Kamoer pump already looking into New electronic Bubble counter aswell if I go cal reactor route. Sorry so long winded I’ve got a whole lot more to say but will stop there. Thanks for any help and info

 

[Sawdonkey]

Hello past few weeks this question has been starting to pop into my head. My system is 250 gallons total with display , frag tank, separate refugium , and sump. After finally getting my ph stabilized and consistently above 8.25-8.3 With a pretty extravagant Co2 scrubber setup outside air plumbed with solenoid valves connected to my apex my alk and calcium consumptions started to take off. Over doubled from 70ml a day to 160 ml a day of both alk and calcium. This has been going on for 3 weeks now. Right now I use brs 2 part. Does not cost a lot but I feel like 160ml a day Of each is a lot. Was wondering what other people feel is the switching point from dosing to reactor? I’m sure I will have some other follow up questions about reactors after this aswell. Want to mention with apex and trident and dos I can have trident test and dos fairly decently control how much needs to be dosed and then adjust little bit if day my ph fluctuates for a day or two if I have family visit for weekend causing high co2 in the house. How would a calcium reactor do this besides an actual manual adjustment from me? I have a calcium reactor and Kamoer pump already looking into New electronic Bubble counter aswell if I go cal reactor route. Sorry so long winded I’ve got a whole lot more to say but will stop there. Thanks for any help and info

While your concern about PH and alk consumption is reasonable, I don’t think you need to worry about daily or even weekly fluctuations. It’s not going to hurt your tank if your alk goes up and down a little. However, you should check alk at least once a week and adjust CO2 accordingly. It’s pretty simple.

I use a calcium reactor and a CO2 scrubber with a line outside. It’s still amazing how having a few people in the house really drops PH. I wouldn’t worry about having guests over unless they are staying for weeks and making a permanent change to PH. No need to adjust for short term ph swings.

Check this out....I’ve been out of town for months and I came home last week for a few days. You can see where my PH was when I was still out of town. The CO2 scrubber media was spent. The you can see when I got home with the family for a few days where it drops. Then you can see where I replaced the scrubber media and left town again. Through the roof! I’m a little worried about where my alk will be when I get home, but not too worried. It likely dropped a little, but nothing that will hurt my tank. I do find that I get better growth when PH is 8.2-8.4.

 

[Pawel]

Is your tank SPS or LPS dominated?

 

[((FORDTECH))]

While your concern about PH and alk consumption is reasonable, I don’t think you need to worry about daily or even weekly fluctuations. It’s not going to hurt your tank if your alk goes up and down a little. However, you should check alk at least once a week and adjust CO2 accordingly. It’s pretty simple.

I use a calcium reactor and a CO2 scrubber with a line outside. It’s still amazing how having a few people in the house really drops PH. I wouldn’t worry about having guests over unless they are staying for weeks and making a permanent change to PH. No need to adjust for short term ph swings.

Check this out....I’ve been out of town for months and I came home last week for a few days. You can see where my PH was when I was still out of town. The CO2 scrubber media was spent. The you can see when I got home with the family for a few days where it drops. Then you can see where I replaced the scrubber media and left town again. Through the roof! I’m a little worried about where my alk will be when I get home, but not too worried. It likely dropped a little, but nothing that will hurt my tank. I do find that I get better growth when PH is 8.2-8.4.

So if you test alk 1x a week and adjust co2 to correct alk how is calcium corrected. When using a reactor is it alk you can control and calcium just lands where it’s gunna land and you role with it ?
If no need to adjust for short term swings I’d assume very important to have it dialed in when your sure everything else is done being played with like turning lights up and holding co2 scrubber on longer for testing at higher ph. And I bet takes at least days if not weeks to find the sweet spot on amount of co2 and rate that drips back to sump. Is the reward worth it ? Co2 and media versus 2 part actually 3 with the magnesium. How is magnesium added to the tank? Threw the media? Again no way to actually control the level you have like this so is it really better then dosing?
Since I am dosing 170 ml a day if I decided to start reactor and try it any suggestions on how to make the transition? Should I try to slowly start reactor and slowly turn it up as I turn down dose till eventually no dose over a few days or something ?

 

[((FORDTECH))]

Is your tank SPS or LPS dominated?

Very full of mostly LPS with couple SPS

 

[Sawdonkey]

So if you test alk 1x a week and adjust co2 to correct alk how is calcium corrected. When using a reactor is it alk you can control and calcium just lands where it’s gunna land and you role with it ?
If no need to adjust for short term swings I’d assume very important to have it dialed in when your sure everything else is done being played with like turning lights up and holding co2 scrubber on longer for testing at higher ph. And I bet takes at least days if not weeks to find the sweet spot on amount of co2 and rate that drips back to sump. Is the reward worth it ? Co2 and media versus 2 part actually 3 with the magnesium. How is magnesium added to the tank? Threw the media? Again no way to actually control the level you have like this so is it really better then dosing?
Since I am dosing 170 ml a day if I decided to start reactor and try it any suggestions on how to make the transition? Should I try to slowly start reactor and slowly turn it up as I turn down dose till eventually no dose over a few days or something ?

I don’t worry about daily swings in most metrics. I shoot for alk of 8.0 and I really don’t care if it goes down in the low 7s or high 8s. If alk is good, calcium is likely good. I check calcium every few months, but it’s always higher than it needs to be, which isn’t a problem unless it gets so high that it precipitates. I also rarely check mag, but it’s almost always fine. A water change every few weeks seems to keep it high enough (1350 or so). I give the tank a squirt of mag now and then and I don’t even measure. It takes a surprisingly large amount of mag to move the needle.

To set your reactor up, set your effluent drip rate at about 2-3 drips per second. I think my kamoer is at 380 or something like that. Then adjust your CO2 bubble count. If you have a ph probe in your reactor, target 6.3 to 6.5 Ph. If not, you’ll just do trial and error...and that’s fine. Then test alk. 24 hours later, test alk again. If it dropped, increase your CO2 rate slightly. 24 hours later, test alk again. Adjust CO2 again. Repeat until you have a few days in a row with stable alk. Don’t adjust effluent drip rate and CO2 bubble rate at the same time, or you won’t know the effect of the change and you’re basically starting over.

Now...yes, things like PH/lighting etc can throw off the balance, but it won’t happen quickly and if you check alk once or twice a week, you’ll catch the change in alk and adjust your CO2. I usually go more than a month before tweaking anything on my reactor.

You’re already off to a good start by having a Peristaltic pump. I couldn’t get my reactor dials in for months without one. Since I got one....rock solid reactor ph/effluent drip rate.

 

[Pawel]

Looks like you made some big changes to your tank that made your consumption of ALK and CAL to double. There are a few things that might be going on. #1 your PH is 8.3 which is perfect for coral growth. That could be the first reason for doubling your two-part consumption. If your coral growth exploded then you have your explanation. #2 You might have a bad two-part. Trying ordering a new two-part and see if it makes a difference. #3 your two-part might be getting skimmed before it makes it to your tank. Make sure you dose into the return pump chamber after all the filtration. #4 take a few steps back to a point where you were dosing 70ml and track the changes you have made to your tank that made you double on dosing. If in the end you still have to dose 160ml then I would definitely switch to the calcium reactor. I hope this helps.

 

[((FORDTECH))]

I don’t worry about daily swings in most metrics. I shoot for alk of 8.0 and I really don’t care if it goes down in the low 7s or high 8s. If alk is good, calcium is likely good. I check calcium every few months, but it’s always higher than it needs to be, which isn’t a problem unless it gets so high that it precipitates. I also rarely check mag, but it’s almost always fine. A water change every few weeks seems to keep it high enough (1350 or so). I give the tank a squirt of mag now and then and I don’t even measure. It takes a surprisingly large amount of mag to move the needle.

To set your reactor up, set your effluent drip rate at about 2-3 drips per second. I think my kamoer is at 380 or something like that. Then adjust your CO2 bubble count. If you have a ph probe in your reactor, target 6.3 to 6.5 Ph. If not, you’ll just do trial and error...and that’s fine. Then test alk. 24 hours later, test alk again. If it dropped, increase your CO2 rate slightly. 24 hours later, test alk again. Adjust CO2 again. Repeat until you have a few days in a row with stable alk. Don’t adjust effluent drip rate and CO2 bubble rate at the same time, or you won’t know the effect of the change and you’re basically starting over.

Now...yes, things like PH/lighting etc can throw off the balance, but it won’t happen quickly and if you check alk once or twice a week, you’ll catch the change in alk and adjust your CO2. I usually go more than a month before tweaking anything on my reactor.

You’re already off to a good start by having a Peristaltic pump. I couldn’t get my reactor dials in for months without one. Since I got one....rock solid reactor ph/effluent drip rate.

Thanks for all the info I’m gunna go thru most of this 2 part that I just restocked on and then try it this way.
Bought the peristaltic pump after trying to use the stock valve reactor came with and after every few days my drop rate would slow down from Valve constantly getting clogged. This is when I switch to 2 part and never got around to trying pump.
Ill let you know how it goes when I make the switch

 

[((FORDTECH))]

Looks like you made some big changes to your tank that made your consumption of ALK and CAL to double. There are a few things that might be going on. #1 your PH is 8.3 which is perfect for coral growth. That could be the first reason for doubling your two-part consumption. If your coral growth exploded then you have your explanation. #2 You might have a bad two-part. Trying ordering a new two-part and see if it makes a difference. #3 your two-part might be getting skimmed before it makes it to your tank. Make sure you dose into the return pump chamber after all the filtration. #4 take a few steps back to a point where you were dosing 70ml and track the changes you have made to your tank that made you double on dosing. If in the end you still have to dose 160ml then I would definitely switch to the calcium reactor. I hope this helps.

All great information here. I would assume the double in consumption came from being able to hold ph so high at 8.3 consistently. Also I’ve been slowing ramping lights up little 1x a week. In combination of those 2 I’d expect to see larger alk consumption but then you threw in there do I see explosive growth in my corals and the answer is no not really.
As far as bad 2 part don’t think so cause just mixed new batch from new bag 4-5 days ago and would have seen the change by now I’d think.
Since adding the co2 scribber getting ph to 8.3 also noticed increase in skimmate being produced. Could this be 2 part being pulled out? I’ve always had very dark great skim production. Just that it seemed more. Instead of turning off skimmer ( because used with co2 scrubber to raise ph) maybe I will remove collection cup for few days to see if it will tell me if 2 part being skimmed out? Hmmm
So if 160ml in my 250gallon system is a legit amount you think switching to calcium reactor would be best idea? Thanks for your help

 

[Pawel]

All great information here. I would assume the double in consumption came from being able to hold ph so high at 8.3 consistently. Also I’ve been slowing ramping lights up little 1x a week. In combination of those 2 I’d expect to see larger alk consumption but then you threw in there do I see explosive growth in my corals and the answer is no not really.
As far as bad 2 part don’t think so cause just mixed new batch from new bag 4-5 days ago and would have seen the change by now I’d think.
Since adding the co2 scribber getting ph to 8.3 also noticed increase in skimmate being produced. Could this be 2 part being pulled out? I’ve always had very dark great skim production. Just that it seemed more. Instead of turning off skimmer ( because used with co2 scrubber to raise ph) maybe I will remove collection cup for few days to see if it will tell me if 2 part being skimmed out? Hmmm
So if 160ml in my 250gallon system is a legit amount you think switching to calcium reactor would be best idea? Thanks for your help

First, you have to find the reason for double consumption. If don't mind spending that money on two-part then don't change a thing. A calcium reactor would be a cheaper route in the long run.

 

[Sawdonkey]

Thanks for all the info I’m gunna go thru most of this 2 part that I just restocked on and then try it this way.
Bought the peristaltic pump after trying to use the stock valve reactor came with and after every few days my drop rate would slow down from Valve constantly getting clogged. This is when I switch to 2 part and never got around to trying pump.
Ill let you know how it goes when I make the switch

That’s the exact problem I had until I got a peristaltic. Then....problem solved. I have mine set up to pull water through rather than push.

My reactor is super stable now. I haven’t adjusted a thing in well over a month and my alk has been right around 8.0. It’s truly set it and forget it now. I think you’ll like your reactor when you get it set up with the right pump.