kaukwasser dripping vs calcium reactors

VIC · 01-22-2002, 10:01 AM

Guys,
I need a little help with this one. I was using a calcium reactor for about a year. I would get periodical algae blooms and a lot of red turf algae. I stopped using the reactor and dripped kaukwasser every day.
The ph now stays above 8.2 and the corals look great and no algae. My SPS corals are growing and very colorful. Here is the problem. My dkh keeps dropping to 8-9. This was a benefit of the calcium reactor as it kept the dkh at 10-12. I suspect that the po4 level would fluctuate and that would cause the blooms. (all calc. reactors give off po4)
Do the people who drip kaukwasser also use superbuffer on a regular basis. How do you keep the dkh at an exceptable level? Should I run the calcium reactor with the kaukwasser. (seems like a waste)
I honestly need some opinions on this. I also don't like the ph drop when using the calcium reactor and I do weekly changes so the corals get enough trace elements.
Give me some opinions on this pro-con.
Thanks,
Vic

myreef · 01-22-2002, 12:38 PM

Not sure what size tank you have or how you have the CA reactor hooked up, but I am a firm believer in the CA reactors lowering pH significantly in a system is a myth. I have been running my reactor for about a year and my pH actually went up. Was this attributed to other things I did to my tank? Maybe, but a reactor still shouldn't substantially lower pH. Think about it. How fast was your drip rate? Fairly slow like most peoples I am assuming...how can a pH of 6.8 or so affect a large system at such low flow, unless you have a small system. You can always have the effluent drip near the exhaust of your skimmer. This highly oxygenated water will also help with the expelling any excess CO2 and help keep Ph stable. My ph is 8.1 right before lights on and 8.3 at lights out. What type of lighting do you have? What type and how much water flow do you have? Both of these should be looked at when looking at pH swings as well.

Some people are starting to run a reactor and a Kalk reactor, Mark (golfish) is one of them. So maybe running both is the way to go for you. I would also check to see what type of media you are using for excess phosphates. I have never had any problems using CaribSea ARM media. You may want to use your kalk drip in conjunction with your reactor. You may also want to investigate why your pH is low to begin with. HTH...i would investigate more...and figure out what works best for you. Again...what size system do you have and how is it setup? HTH...let us know how things progress.

**Ninong** · 01-22-2002, 01:13 PM

One of the reasons people use Kalkwasser in addition to a Calcium Reactor is because of its ability to precipitate phosphate. I think that some Calcium Reactors are not as good as others and that is why people report varying experiences with them when it comes to lowering pH. It may be that some Calcium Reactors are allowing excess CO2 to get through... just a thought.

Ninong

**golfish** · 01-22-2002, 10:17 PM

As stated by Andy I do run both and feel the Nilsen reactor (kalk) was a good additon to my setup. I too have had a few small algae problems and felt the kalkwasser would help my tank. My ph ran 7.85-8.15, this really bugged my. The tank did fine at that lower ph but it just bugged the hec out of me.........Now the ph runs 8.15-8.35 and I'm happy

Andy,
I would love to see a picture of your Kalk reactor. I read that you were going to start making them.

Mark

myreef · 01-23-2002, 12:27 AM

Mark, I will have pictures of it next week. I have it designed and most of everything to build it. I will be using a magnetic stirrer instead of a pump to mix the kalk. The two people that want one, both liked the stirrer idea better, as did I. I did lots of research and determined it was more reliable in the long run. I will send you a pic when i am done.

Would love to know where you read that I was going to make them. LOL Only a few people know so far...well before now!

**golfish** · 01-23-2002, 11:31 AM

Andy,
I don't know the links off hand but It wasn't long after George built mine that I read you were going to start building them. IMO, there a better tool to start with over the calcium reator.

I have a magnetic stirrer ready to install but I just can't bring myself to do it. You should make one with the pump and try them side by side. The one good thing about the pump is that it keeps the Calcium Hydroxide in one spot. The sucking action from the pump keeps the powder from going above the intake of the pump, and really mixes it up good. I have not used the stirrer but it would seem to me that the powder would have to be mixed slowly or it would work its way up to the top of the reactor.

This puppy is still new (6 weeks old) I'm not sure how long the pump will last. Only time will tell.

I'm sure if your building it......it will work GREAT

Mark

myreef · 01-23-2002, 11:51 AM

Thanks Mark. I am not sure if this will be something I will sell as a regular item. Not sure how much market there is for it. Only time will tell! I think the pics you posted of the one you got from George, spurred some of my customers interests, hence me building two of them. They both wanted the stirrers though. I originally was going to build one with a pump, for cost issues. Stirrers are not cheap as you know.

There are so many items that can be built for the hobby, so there is a lot of duplication. It is people like George and I that are trying to help reefers out with lower cost good products. OK OK enough of my soap box! LOL

I might eventually build one with a pump, but time is short these days. I don't even get to read the boards as much as I would like.

Wonder why you were having problems with your pH with just the CA reactor? Has the Kalk reactor helped? Makes sens what you say about the pump mixing it, but the stirrers that I have seen don't allow the Kalk mix to rise too high. Are you using a litre meter to dose?

Nanook01 · 01-24-2002, 01:30 AM

I have the exact same problem as Golfish did with my 120g tank. I am using a dual stage calcium reactor, have good water flow, etc. My pH runs 7.8-8.1. My house is pretty airtight though, so this is part of the problem. I am seriously considering adding a Nilsen reactor to the system for ph stabilization in the 8.2-8.4 range. Like Golfish, my corals look ok and seem to be growing, maybe a little slow on the growth though.

I would be happier with the higher ph in my system, maybe you can hook me up with one of your prototypes Myreef? I hate to rearrange my tank with new projects, but I think this is something that I want to pursue.

Nanook

**golfish** · 01-24-2002, 09:20 AM

Andy,
Yes, I'm using a Liter meter. The good thing about these Nilsen reator is that they can be setup for less then 150.00, depending on the price of the dosing pump. Mine was less then half of that, but then I already had the liter meter.

I have a gut feeling these things will take off over the next year.

Mark

01-22-2002, 10:01 AM	#1
VIC Citizen Join Date: Nov 2000 Location: Elmwood Park, N.J. U.S.A Posts: 134	kaukwasser dripping vs calcium reactors Guys, I need a little help with this one. I was using a calcium reactor for about a year. I would get periodical algae blooms and a lot of red turf algae. I stopped using the reactor and dripped kaukwasser every day. The ph now stays above 8.2 and the corals look great and no algae. My SPS corals are growing and very colorful. Here is the problem. My dkh keeps dropping to 8-9. This was a benefit of the calcium reactor as it kept the dkh at 10-12. I suspect that the po4 level would fluctuate and that would cause the blooms. (all calc. reactors give off po4) Do the people who drip kaukwasser also use superbuffer on a regular basis. How do you keep the dkh at an exceptable level? Should I run the calcium reactor with the kaukwasser. (seems like a waste) I honestly need some opinions on this. I also don't like the ph drop when using the calcium reactor and I do weekly changes so the corals get enough trace elements. Give me some opinions on this pro-con. Thanks, Vic

01-22-2002, 12:38 PM	#2
myreef Council Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Lawrenceville, GA, USA Posts: 373	Not sure what size tank you have or how you have the CA reactor hooked up, but I am a firm believer in the CA reactors lowering pH significantly in a system is a myth. I have been running my reactor for about a year and my pH actually went up. Was this attributed to other things I did to my tank? Maybe, but a reactor still shouldn't substantially lower pH. Think about it. How fast was your drip rate? Fairly slow like most peoples I am assuming...how can a pH of 6.8 or so affect a large system at such low flow, unless you have a small system. You can always have the effluent drip near the exhaust of your skimmer. This highly oxygenated water will also help with the expelling any excess CO2 and help keep Ph stable. My ph is 8.1 right before lights on and 8.3 at lights out. What type of lighting do you have? What type and how much water flow do you have? Both of these should be looked at when looking at pH swings as well. Some people are starting to run a reactor and a Kalk reactor, Mark (golfish) is one of them. So maybe running both is the way to go for you. I would also check to see what type of media you are using for excess phosphates. I have never had any problems using CaribSea ARM media. You may want to use your kalk drip in conjunction with your reactor. You may also want to investigate why your pH is low to begin with. HTH...i would investigate more...and figure out what works best for you. Again...what size system do you have and how is it setup? HTH...let us know how things progress. __________________ Andy MyReef Creations andy@myreefcreations.com

01-23-2002, 12:27 AM	#5
myreef Council Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Lawrenceville, GA, USA Posts: 373	Mark, I will have pictures of it next week. I have it designed and most of everything to build it. I will be using a magnetic stirrer instead of a pump to mix the kalk. The two people that want one, both liked the stirrer idea better, as did I. I did lots of research and determined it was more reliable in the long run. I will send you a pic when i am done. Would love to know where you read that I was going to make them. LOL Only a few people know so far...well before now! __________________ Andy MyReef Creations andy@myreefcreations.com

01-23-2002, 11:51 AM	#7
myreef Council Join Date: Feb 2001 Location: Lawrenceville, GA, USA Posts: 373	Thanks Mark. I am not sure if this will be something I will sell as a regular item. Not sure how much market there is for it. Only time will tell! I think the pics you posted of the one you got from George, spurred some of my customers interests, hence me building two of them. They both wanted the stirrers though. I originally was going to build one with a pump, for cost issues. Stirrers are not cheap as you know. There are so many items that can be built for the hobby, so there is a lot of duplication. It is people like George and I that are trying to help reefers out with lower cost good products. OK OK enough of my soap box! LOL I might eventually build one with a pump, but time is short these days. I don't even get to read the boards as much as I would like. Wonder why you were having problems with your pH with just the CA reactor? Has the Kalk reactor helped? Makes sens what you say about the pump mixing it, but the stirrers that I have seen don't allow the Kalk mix to rise too high. Are you using a litre meter to dose? __________________ Andy MyReef Creations andy@myreefcreations.com

01-24-2002, 01:30 AM	#8
Nanook01 Tenant Join Date: Mar 2001 Location: st. louis, MO Posts: 89	I have the exact same problem as Golfish did with my 120g tank. I am using a dual stage calcium reactor, have good water flow, etc. My pH runs 7.8-8.1. My house is pretty airtight though, so this is part of the problem. I am seriously considering adding a Nilsen reactor to the system for ph stabilization in the 8.2-8.4 range. Like Golfish, my corals look ok and seem to be growing, maybe a little slow on the growth though. I would be happier with the higher ph in my system, maybe you can hook me up with one of your prototypes Myreef? I hate to rearrange my tank with new projects, but I think this is something that I want to pursue. Nanook __________________ The wind blew, the **** flew and then they came two by two.

01-22-2002, 01:13 PM	#3
Ninong Moderator Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Louisiana Posts: 20,330	One of the reasons people use Kalkwasser in addition to a Calcium Reactor is because of its ability to precipitate phosphate. I think that some Calcium Reactors are not as good as others and that is why people report varying experiences with them when it comes to lowering pH. It may be that some Calcium Reactors are allowing excess CO2 to get through... just a thought. Ninong

01-22-2002, 10:17 PM	#4
golfish Moderator Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Alta Loma,Ca Posts: 2,943	As stated by Andy I do run both and feel the Nilsen reactor (kalk) was a good additon to my setup. I too have had a few small algae problems and felt the kalkwasser would help my tank. My ph ran 7.85-8.15, this really bugged my. The tank did fine at that lower ph but it just bugged the hec out of me.........Now the ph runs 8.15-8.35 and I'm happy Andy, I would love to see a picture of your Kalk reactor. I read that you were going to start making them. Mark

01-23-2002, 11:31 AM	#6
golfish Moderator Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Alta Loma,Ca Posts: 2,943	Andy, I don't know the links off hand but It wasn't long after George built mine that I read you were going to start building them. IMO, there a better tool to start with over the calcium reator. I have a magnetic stirrer ready to install but I just can't bring myself to do it. You should make one with the pump and try them side by side. The one good thing about the pump is that it keeps the Calcium Hydroxide in one spot. The sucking action from the pump keeps the powder from going above the intake of the pump, and really mixes it up good. I have not used the stirrer but it would seem to me that the powder would have to be mixed slowly or it would work its way up to the top of the reactor. This puppy is still new (6 weeks old) I'm not sure how long the pump will last. Only time will tell. I'm sure if your building it......it will work GREAT Mark

01-24-2002, 09:20 AM	#9
golfish Moderator Join Date: Jun 2000 Location: Alta Loma,Ca Posts: 2,943	Andy, Yes, I'm using a Liter meter. The good thing about these Nilsen reator is that they can be setup for less then 150.00, depending on the price of the dosing pump. Mine was less then half of that, but then I already had the liter meter. I have a gut feeling these things will take off over the next year. Mark

Currently Active Users Viewing This Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode