KnoppC Cal reactor and dosing question

[Jay]

Ok....

 

 

So I have hooked up my knopp C Calcium reactor 2 days ago. I have the effluent set to a broken almost steady stream with bubbles of c02 enough to make the PH 6.6 in the effluent according to my probe. Have it finely tuned so its stable at 6.6. I test the ALK this am and it is 11-12 and this looks good. My Calcium is testing at 320 - 330 which is low to me. So whats the best way to raise the Calcium to 425? Do I just run the reactor and test both the alk and Cal every day or 2 and see if the Cal moves up??? Or should I start spooning in granuales of Turbo Calcium made by Kent marine? I have a big jar of this stuff. It says to be careful because it is concentrated and a little goes a long way. I have found from experiance with it that I can dose a big teaspoon every 3 days and the Cal moves up slowly. I am thinking I want to bring it up to 425-450 over the next week or 2. How should I do it so I dont brown my corals any worse then they already are? (scratch)(scratch)

 

Thanks

 

Jay

[andy]

As you've found out, a Ca reactor is great at maintaining calcium levels but isn't worth a darn for raising it. This tool will tell you (very precisely) how much Turbo Calcium to add, based on your system volume and how much you want to raise each dose.

[Jay]

As you've found out' date=' a Ca reactor is great at maintaining calcium levels but isn't worth a darn for raising it. This tool will tell you (very precisely) how much Turbo Calcium to add, based on your system volume and how much you want to raise each dose.

 

Wow Andy this is exactlt what I was looking for. I wonder how accurate this way of calculating is. It says I need to add 18.9 teaspoons of turbo calcuim to reach 425 ppm Cal. Raising it from 350 in my 120 gallon system. This seems like a lot when the jar says to add half teaspoon a day.

 

Any thoughts?

 

Jay

[andy]

The half a teaspoon a day number is for Ca maintenance on a lightly loaded system. The numbers from the calculator are correct, I've used it many times times for Ca, alk and Mg. Don't raise your Ca by more than 25ppm per day, break down the total dose over several days. Also, I used a digital kitchen scale -- for such a large amount, mass (grams) is a much more reliable unit of measure. Teaspoons vary too much.

[Jay]

I also live here in Vancouver. What kind of a tank do you keep? Do have any kind of corals to trade? Right now I have a big frogspawn that needs to go. Its 25+ heads and perfect vollyball share. I may just cut it up and sell it that way. I need the room.

 

Have you used that Turbo Calcium b4?

 

Jay

[andy]

I have a 55g mostly-SPS tank at this point (my tank thread and blog). I'm still growing out most of my colonies, so don't have any frags quite yet but when I do we can get together and trade.

 

Yes, I've used Turbo Calcium before. Works great.

[Jay]

Great looking tank. Love your clowns. I have a really big anemone also. Its a crispa anemone and has a big clownfish BOZO. Have another rose anemone with the same type of clownfish also. This anemone is getting ready to split soon. This rose anemone is touching 3 of my sps corals and killing the base, I dont care I like the anemone. Anyway....I am keeping sps corals also and have several that are pretty big. nothing spectacular or rare but if you want some new frags to add let me know and you can stop by and I will break off some. I have some green cap also that is a really fast grower. A red one that grows fast but is on he small side. A sunset fuzzy millipora.......I have a tabling type acropora also. Some of my corals have turned brown ( story of our lives right ) but I am hoping they will recover.

 

We use the same reeflux bvulbs

 

Jay

 

I would like to dibbs your Seriatopora hystrix when you have a frag. Thats a nice one. Is that a birdsnest?

[Twitterbait]

You may want to slow the reactor down a bit. I kept my knop C at 1 bubble per 2 seconds and 1 drip per second. that drops the PH in the chamber and allows the reactor to dissolve the media better so your drips have more effect on the water.

 

also some great advice i got from Joel at waves, soak your media in clean RO water for 24 hours, then drain before using it and it will dramatically reduce the phos in it.

[WAVES]

You can also buy raw chemicals rather than turbo calcium. I dont know about the other shops in town, but I sell calcium chloride that I package from a 50 pound sack. If you look at the label on the turbo calcium, it says.... ingredients calcium chloride. If you want to make Kent Liquid Calcium? Just add RO/RI

 

Calcium chloride is listed on that reef chemistry calculator as well.

[Jay]

Ok thanks everyone. I have the Cal approaching 400 now. ALK is this am at 9 DKH. Should I raise the alk or leave it comfortably at 9. The Reactor effluent is perfect at 6.7 right now. I am useing ARM media. Next time I fill it it will get the 24 hour RO bath. Also whats the best method for running the effluent through Phoslock? Just dripping it into a cup with Phoslock doesnt seem like it would work. I already have 2 Phosban reactors one with carbon going into the other with Phoslock. How is this done?

 

Jay