Lazy Reefkeeper needs more calcium.

anathema · #1 11/07/2007, 02:48 AM

I have a 40G stretch hex with a 20G sump. DSB, lots of rock, mag 9.5 return through a sea swirl and a seio on a wave timer to help that out. Tank is skimmerless, and I don't really test for anything. If something seems out of the ordinary I do large changes with store purchased NSW. I use a minimal equipment approach to reefkeeping, and prefer to keep things as natural as possible. This tank has been running for about 2.5 years now, and I've never been able to keep up with calcium. I've decided to put some effort into solving this problem, but there are some challenges.

1: The tank is in the living room, and there isn't much room around/behind/under it for any kind of reactor/CO2 setup. I'd rather keep the simple, clean look as well.

2: I work away from home a lot. I am often gone for up to 2 weeks at a time. Whatever system I implement CANNOT need constant tweaking, care, or oversight. It just isn't a working piece of equipment if I have to touch it more than once a month.

As my montiporas grow larger, as well as my clams, I notice that some of the other SPS, mostly acros, aren't doing so well. I place most of this blame on low calcium, since my coralline algae growth is at a standstill also. I need to find a way to add more calcium.

My current calcium supplementation comes in the form of automatic kalk top off. I have two part, but since I am not on any set work schedule I found that doing random, manual, two part supplementation did more harm than good. While I supplemented irregularly, the SPS responded by coloring up, growing faster, but with the added problem that whenever I went away for any period of time I lost frags. Whenever I had to stop supplementing, the downswing in CA would cause individual corals to bleach out and often not recover.

I decided last year to simply run at a low calcium level, and have it be a steady constant, than to have it change rapidly.

Does anyone have any better ideas?

teen · #2 11/07/2007, 09:38 AM

if you dont test its gunna be hard to play with your calcium. alkalinity, magnesium, pH, and calcium all work off eachother, so if ones out of whack, its hard to adjust the others. or at least keep them constant.

im leaning more towards you having an alkalinity problem. but that doesnt mean you calcium isnt low as well.

anathema · #3 11/07/2007, 11:36 AM

Thanks for the reply!

I can test, and I have tests, but yes, of course I need a complete buffering system. I'm using calcium as a blanket term for a system to supplement the whole calcium/alk regimen. I'm wondering if anyone else faced similar challenges as mine and how they developed a dependable dosing/supplementation system that did not require constant testing to keep calibrated. I don't mind doing some tests to determine the initial rate of supplementation, but I prefer to rely on observation of the tank to make judgements on the water condition rather than trust what I view as rather questionable hobby test kits.

Basically, I need something I can trust enough to set up and walk away from for up to a month at a time. Kalk is bulletproof like this, but I need a way to supplement more than the kalk is providing me.

I'm kind of leaning towards a 2 part dosing system, and wanted to see if there were better ideas I wasn't considering. I have basically let my tank run as I had originally set it up for the last two years, mostly because I was very busy. I haven't been paying much attention to new developments so before I jump into buying a dosing setup I thought I'd ask if there were any new ideas I might have missed.

LobsterOfJustice · #4 11/07/2007, 12:33 PM

You can get a peristaltic dosing pump to automatically dose two-part.

FishAreFriends2 · #5 12/07/2007, 02:23 PM

Ever thought of doing a DIY 2 part dosing? I still think a calc would be a better choice since in the long run 2part kind of expensive don't ya think? Will a k2r or a korallin 1502 fit in there? But anyways man I feel ya Im a lazy guy too, I just wanna sit back and hae a beer and look at the tank. BTW you got pm

Flint&Eric · #6 12/07/2007, 03:05 PM

if you want something simple and easy i'd suggest tropic marin's bio calcium. i had great results with it in the past. it's balanced like kalkwasser, but wont have as much of an impact on PH.

nietzsche · #7 12/07/2007, 03:22 PM

this thread is a month old, i dont think hell reply

mkbtank · #8 12/07/2007, 03:46 PM

He's traveling

anathema · #9 12/07/2007, 05:31 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by nietzsche
this thread is a month old, i dont think hell reply

So negative! Next you'll be telling me god is dead...

I'm here, although I am loading up the car to drive to Tahoe. SNOW SNOW SNOW!

I read up on DIY dosing, and, I'd rather pay money to buy ready mixed stuff at this stage than spend an evening cooking up chemicals. I think I'm eventually going to end up buying a peristaltic pump, it's just a matter of saving up for it.

What brands do people recommend?

http://www.masterflex.com/
http://www.vectorpump.com/
http://www.watson-marlow.com/

I wonder which one Marine Depot sells...

nietzsche · #10 12/07/2007, 05:40 PM

lol sorry. ;p

happyface888 · #11 12/08/2007, 02:53 AM

Hey Gus hows your tank going? The last time I came over it was awsome set up. Marinedepot doesn't have any of those pumps you listed, they only got the aquamedics. The zoas you gave me some are fine and the more colorful ones bleached up on me, BTW you got PM

RokleM · #12 12/08/2007, 11:58 AM

I have to be honest, your solution is a calcium reactor. It will keep your setup the most stable and absolutely is the LEAST amount of work once the 30-60 minute setup is complete.

A calcium reactor will end up costing you a little bit more than the two-three part setup. Two-three part is great for those that can manually dose the system, but you're looking for something automatic, it's much more difficult. You have to mix the materials, invest in 3 dosing pumps, setup timers to run them, etc, etc. You will end up saving a little money, but spending much more time working on the system.

As well, a two-three part setup might take as much space under your stand as a calcium reactor once you consider three containers, pumps, etc. My GEO 618 takes up a 10x18x24 for the reactor and tank.

It's your call, but stability and hands of running for months are precisely the two main benefits of a calcium reactor.

anathema · #13 12/09/2007, 04:23 AM

Quote:

It's your call, but stability and hands of running for months are precisely the two main benefits of a calcium reactor.

Ok, are reactors really that stable? It just seems like a lot to go wrong, similar to a skimmer. I have to admit, I've always been kind of scared of them. I went as far as buying a CO2 tank and solenoid a few years ago and then resold it since I couldn't find a reactor I felt comfortable buying.

It's just one more thing to go wrong while I'm out on a boat without even a cell signal to know about it. Dosing seems exponentially more bulletproof.

Hey there happyface, I sent you an email this weekend, let me know if you want anymore frags.

RokleM · #14 12/09/2007, 01:19 PM

If you buy a good unit, yes they really are that easy.

Do a search on GEO calcium reactors. I have 375ish gallons with a decent number of corals. I touch my GEO reactor about once every 4-5 months when I go to refill or clean it.

FishAreFriends2 · #15 12/10/2007, 02:21 PM

A friend of mine has a K2R and that units pretty small,

The R2K calcium reactor offers a simple solution for calcium and alkalinity maintenance of reef tanks. It is especially well suited for stony coral type tanks where calcium and alkalinity demands are high. The K2R uses CO2 gas injection to lower the pH of the recirculating water to a point where the aragonite contained within it is dissolved. This helps maintain both calcium and alkalinity. You will not need to drip kalkwasser or add calcium chloride solutions to maintain the essential element of calcium in your reef tank. K2R features all acrylic construction, reliable Eheim pump, and integrated bubble counter. 1-year warranty from date of purchase on materials and workmanship. Height: 19-1/2" Footprint: 8" x 8" Capacity: Up to 450 gallon tank * Calcium reactors require substrate and a CO2 system and pH controller to achieve ideal water chemistry.

happyface888 · #16 12/11/2007, 02:26 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by anathema
Ok, are reactors really that stable? It just seems like a lot to go wrong, similar to a skimmer. I have to admit, I've always been kind of scared of them. I went as far as buying a CO2 tank and solenoid a few years ago and then resold it since I couldn't find a reactor I felt comfortable buying.

It's just one more thing to go wrong while I'm out on a boat without even a cell signal to know about it. Dosing seems exponentially more bulletproof.

Hey there happyface, I sent you an email this weekend, let me know if you want anymore frags.

Thanks alot gusty, I came over today but no one was there. email me back or call me when you have a chance so we can plan out on another time.

twon8 · #17 12/11/2007, 02:36 AM

if you can afford it, a litermeter 3 and an extra dosing pump will allow you to leave for weeks at a time with no worries. you also can store the two part remotely, the lm3 can pump 60 feet away and 25 ft up. My lm3 is 10 ft away from my 90 and pumps over a doorway along a wall.

mixing up diy two part isn't cooking up chemicals, all i do is mix with water. I run kalk and thus have high ph and use recipe 2.

Ewan · #18 12/11/2007, 12:29 PM

I'm with RokleM.

With quality components, and an understanding of how they work (or the proper way to adjust them) a calcium reactor is very safe and reliable. Some people like to tear in to them with no understanding, or no desire to learn, and have a mess on their hands. You read a lot more "HELP WITH MY REACTOR" threads than "MY CALCIUM REACTOR RUNS FLAWLESSLY" threads.

What's your budget anyway? You gotta pay to be lazy.

I also have a litermeter. I use it for topoff with kalk, and I swear by it. Kalk alone doesn't meet my requirements, but I can comment that the LM3 is worth every penny. Awesome, reliable piece of equipment.