Calcium Reactor or A&B everyday?

[steve1600cc]

Currently doing the A&B everyday,It's my understanding that this is just a way to Automate this process?
All said and done this would be one of the more Costly of this Wild Adventure I've been Living but would if Benefits could be explained other then a Paragraph on Dr.Fostors...Also have had some say to get a Kalsawasser deal?
I know everyone has there Opinions I'd like to hear them...
Thanks as always..

[jon_56048]

What time frame are you useing A&B?

One other thing I was told by OD is that with A&B you don't need Kalsawasser. But then I have heard people say the opposite.

[twincitiesreefer]

I think its time for spell check...kalkwasser

I used kent turbo calcium to get the level around 420ppm and only use kalkwasser to keep it steady at 420ppm

[gogregerson]

I'm trying to figure out what your asking. I'm assuming by A&B your talking about two part calcium and alkalinity right? And I think your asking how to automate the dosing of part A & B, you can get a dosing pump or two that will pump a prescribed amount into your tank daily. As far as Kalkwasser goes, it is used to maintain Calcium and Alkalinity in small consumption situations and it has a pH raising effect. If your adding two part you don't need kalk to maintain levels and if your pH levels are high enough and stable you don't need kalk for that either. A calcium reactor is used to further automate maintaining levels by dissolving media into your tank. It does have to be closely monitored to make sure levels don't get out of whack but if tuned properly you can handle a large calcium consumption rate. I dose DIY two part manually and it takes 16oz of both parts daily.

[steve1600cc]

Well I'm definatly not doing 16 oz each day,I've been just putting in a capful of each everyday around 7 ish....so 1oz of each a day.This is a 125 Gallon with 7.8 Alk is 250 Nitrate 0 and just realized I don't have a Calcium test!!
Perhaps in the Junk Room I'll have to look.
I don't mind doing this at all everyday just want to make sure I'm doing correctly and if this is the way to do it where and what is most cost effective?

[oyam123]

http://www.tcmas.org/forums/showthread.php?t=4217

[gogregerson]

What your using, I'm guessing, is the commercially available A&B and it may be more concentrated then DIY.

[steve1600cc]

I'm using the AquaC complete.

[mattb]

If you have a community reef tank, kalk is all you need. Two part is fine as well, but you get an added benefit using kalk- precipitation of phosphates. Its all personal preference.

[gogregerson]

How is your pH? Try testing it during the day and then at night. If you find you have problems maintaining pH you might want to try kalkwasser. But from your avatar it looks like you have a refugium so with a little macro in there on a reverse light cycle you shouldn't need kalkwasser. What your doing now is fine but you need to be testing for Calcium, Alkalinity and Magnesium then go here http://home.comcast.net/~jdieck1/chemcalc.html to find out how much product to add to reach your preferred levels.

[mattb]

IMHO if you don't have a heavily dominated SPs tank, a ca rx is overkill.

[gogregerson]

IMHO if you don't have a heavily dominated SPs tank, a ca rx is overkill.
I totally agree. I was just telling him about the different options.

[clownnut]

depend what you have in your tank. how big is your tank?
i use Ca reactor(controlled by AC Jr) + Kalk reactor/Dosing pumps(timer). completely automatic, maybe clean out the Kalk reactor once a month.
pH never lower than 8.2, Alk around 11, Ca never lower than 460.

[mattb]

depend what you have in your tank. how big is your tank?
i use Ca reactor(controlled by AC Jr) + Kalk reactor/Dosing pumps(timer). completely automatic, maybe clean out the Kalk reactor once a month.
pH never lower than 8.2, Alk around 11, Ca never lower than 460.

You clean your kalk reactor monthly? assuming you discard the old kalk? Damn, I'm a lazy bastard!

[mattb]

I totally agree. I was just telling him about the different options.
:beerchug:

[clownnut]

You clean your kalk reactor monthly? assuming you discard the old kalk?

yeah.

[mattb]

how long/often do you turn on the powerhead to circulate the kalk?

[clownnut]

i run the MJ whenever the dosing pumps were on, so the new water have to mix with the Kalk before they can head out of the reactor.
once the Kalk inside start turn blackish(magnet dusts) i will clean out the Kalk reactor, if the kalk didnt run out first.