Really confused about Calcium Reactors and additional dosing

[dusty]

I just added a PM calicum Reactor to my system (135 gal start of a reef) in hopes of avoiding all of the dosing. Since adding the reactor I have not seen coralline growth. Do I need to do additional dosing? I was under the impression, most likely wrong, that a reactor would take care of all my needs. Currently my calicum level is 400ppm, PH 8.03, DKH 14. Any adivice?

Thanks in advance.

[reefrunner69]

Give it time.

Your CA and ALK are a little out of balance, for a CA of 400 a balanced ALK would be 5.6 DKH and for your 14 DKH a balanced CA would be 460 ppm. I think you should shoot for a happy med, maybe 11 - 12 DKH and 440 ppm CA It will take several weeks before you notice coraline growth, you can increase it's spread by aiming your power heads at rocks with a good amount of coraline growth, or physically scraping the coraline on the rock.

[dusty]

Ok but now I'm really confused. My reactor instructions state that the DKH will "self adjust" to between 12 and 17 DKH and CA levels around 450ppm. So, how do I go about lowering my DKH? And how abot additional dosing? Do I need to worry about Iodine, lime water etc?

[reefrunner69]

Well, it is quite possible that it was out of balance prior to starting the calc reactor. What you may prefer to do, is to bring the CA to balance with your ALK by using Calcium Chloride, and slowing the reactor a bit. You'll need to keep a close eye on the CA and ALK and when they reach your target goal, you'll want to crank it back up. I'm really hoping someone with a CA reactor will jump in here, cause I'm not sure that what I just outlined is even feasable

Originally Posted by reefrunner69

What you may prefer to do, is to bring the CA to balance with your ALK by using Calcium Chloride, and slowing the reactor a bit.

This is going to be your safest bet without overshooting anything. Slowing the reactor will allow the alk to fall off slightly and the addition of the CaCl to bring up the Ca will push the alk down a bit further and bring you into a more managable balance as RR suggested. Make sure you carefully read the bottle of CaCl you buy, many are not safely mixed with kalk similarly it will have the same effect on the efluent from the reactor.

Originally Posted by reefrunner69

I think you should shoot for a happy med, maybe 11 - 12 DKH and 440 ppm CA

Those levels will be much easier to maintain than a lower alk higher Ca ratio. If alkalinity is to low and magnesium is not properly maintained, the Ca will rise out of control. Which usually results in flesh of calcerous animals "pulling" away from the scleractinia.

Cheers
Steve