[1BadHawk]

Im just wondering what you all use to raise your Ca levels?

[dougchambers]

Hawk,

We used Kent Turbo Calcium to build up our Ca levels. We us a calcium reactor to maintain our Ca and Alk levels. Since installing the reactor and getting balanced, we haven't added any Ca or Alk boosters. It's been about 7months now...

pH 8.13
Alk 3.46
Ca 430

Doug

[1BadHawk]

Im not familiar with Ca Reactors. Ive been using the bottles of Ca sold at the fish stores. Ive been told to use B-Ionic instead, and once I get the levels where I want them, then use kalk to help maintain them.

[tendar]

I use sealab28 works well for me and a small tank.

[dougchambers]

Hawk,

Let's start with some information about your system;

How big is your tank?
Sump?
Substrate? (Crushed Coral, DSB, etc)
Live rock?
Fish?
Corals?
Clams?
Lighting?


A calcium reactor is used to sustain Ca and Alk levels. It is effectively a chamber with media that is disolved slowly via the addition of CO2. The effluent from the reactor is dripped back into your tank water. I have a picture of ours on our website under the setup section. Depending on your setup and requirements, they can be a wonderful thing! They can also be a little tricky to get setup. For our type of system, I would never run without one again.

Doug

[1BadHawk]

Well, Im not ready to fork out the dough for a Ca Ractor or Co2. So I guess thats out'a the question. At this point I probably dont need them just yet anyway.

I have a 90g that Im upgradeing to either a 120 or 135, Ill be getting one or the other probably by weeks end. Ive had my 90 up for about 5 years now. Was a FOWLR, but Ive recently started to get into the SPS. Im considering going all reef but that will be over time.

Not sure of the parameters since I havent tested them lately, however evreything in the tank seems happy. I do 25% water changes once a month. I have a 10g sump to bu upgarded to a 35g with the installation of the new tank. No refugium, however my curent 10g sump will probably be used as such on the new one. Curent lighting is two 55w actinic PC's, two 96w 10,000k PC's. New lighting will consist of dual 175w MH's with the PC's. There probably 100# or more of LR, Im not sure, I have bought most of it over a period of 2 years, a rock here, a rock there. The 90g tank though is prety much full. Mixed with some lace rock as well.

You can see current tank, minus the corals and a couple fish Ive recently added at my page.

http://www.1BadHawk.fotopic.net

[scubadude]

I use a dual chamber CA reac. and have to bump the CA & ALK every once in a while w/some Kent Turbo CA and Super DKH buffer. Hawk you could setup a cheap topoff of kalk/limewater and dose at nite. There are some setups im sure in the DIY section of the board.

Rocky

[Northman_with_reef]

I mix limewater in a 15 gal tank and add it by using an Auto top-off system, Works great so far...I use Kent Kalkwasser mix BTW.

[Chris Lakies]

I use a calcium reactor to maintain Calcium and Alk levels. I used Seachem Reefbuilder Calcium to get my level at 450 ppm. I have had better luck with the Seachem over Kent Turbo.

[SueT]

For my 180g sps/clam tank I drip kalk. 24/7. I was having some trouble getting this system stablized but after trying Tropic Marin Bio-Calcium this is the best stuff I have ever used. I don't use a reactor and don't have any trouble keeping my cal/alk balanced now. I have within 2 weeks figured out exactly what it will take to keep my ca @430ppm., and my alk @ 11.2dKh. I use 3 tsp. of the powder every 4 days and drip the kalk. I have seen new growth and new shell growth in just this short of time. I got the tub and it will last me easily 6-8 months. I believe it was like $24.99. My pH is 8.2

my 180 ecosystem sps/clam tank:
http://berlinmethod.com/suet/
my 120 ecosystem sps tank:
http://suetruett.homestead.com/home.html

[c04r4l0v3r]

I use CBalance everyother day my calcium sits at 375 you can order this *edit* from our sponsors.

[whatevva]

What brand of salt are you using?