Need help with cacium level

[lmuller1]

I have been trying to get my water parameters right for several weeks .ie. calcium, alkalinity, and ph. After maximum daily doses of bi-calcium and reef calcium, the calium had no change at 250 but the alk went up to 4.00 and ph 8.3. I switched to TLF C balance and only added the calcium portion. Still only getting a reading of 250. Next I added a Korallin 1502 calc reactor and slowly have gotten the calc up to 400, but ph is 7.9 and alk is 2.75. I am still adding maximum allowed daily doses of C balance but adding both parts. If I back off of the supplements then the calc drops to 350 within a day.
The effluent is putting out calc-450, ph-6.4 with the drip rate of 300/60bubbles. Korallin recommended a 4/1 drip/bubble ratio, but I had problems with too much CO2 buildup so I backed off on the bubble rate. I added a small pump to the calc reactor to force the water flow and have the effluent dripping a few inches above the water to help eliminate excess CO2. It did help reduce the CO2 buildup in the reactor, but it also lowered the concentration of calc in the effluent.
At this point I don’t know if I should continue to increase the drip rate or what. For a tank of my size what should it take to get the calc reactor up to the point that I don’t have to heavily supplement every day. Can this only be achieved with the aid of a kalkwasser. Could I be dealing with a magnesium problem. With all the supplementation that has magnesium in it, I didn’t think that would be a problem.

My tank is home to 1 Elegance Coral, 2 Frogspawn, 1 plate coral, 1 flowerpot, 1 open brain, assorted mushrooms and polyps. There is room for much more, but until I get this worked out I don’t dare add more.
The RC articles on calcium and alkalinity have become my bible over the past month. I have read a number of other RC articles and links on setting up reactors, but I am still floundering and spending a fortune on supplements (not to mention the investment of the reactor).
Have you got any suggestions on where to go from here.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

You need to add a calcium only additive, like calcium chloride (such as Kent's Turbo calcium or Dowflake) or just the calcium part of C-balance (more expensive).

It will take a lot. You need way, way more than manufacturer recommendations which are for maintaining levels, not raising them.

This article will help guide you:

Solving Calcium and Alkalinity Problems
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/nov2002/chem.htm

This calculator will tell you roughly how much C-balance to use, since I assume that it is roughly similar in potency to B-ionic calcium part (it also has entries for calcium chloride):

Reef Chemicals Calculator
http://www.kademani.com/reefchem.htm

[lmuller1]

Once I get the calcium to the level I need with supplements then I have to continue supplementing because the reactor does not maintain it. How high of a drip rate is normal to maintain most reef systems. I have tried various rates and find that as it gets higher the effluent calcium level drops. I am currently running it about 300 drips/min.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Well, you can be sure the calcium will not decline to 250 ppm just because the reactor is not adding enough. If you start at 420 ppm calcium and 3 meq/L alkalinity, the lowest you could get to is 360 ppm calcium and 0 meq/l alkalinity.

However, it is certainly posible that your reactor is not putting out enough calcium and alkalinity. This article shuold help you maximize the output:

Simon Huntington's CaCO3/CO2 reactor article
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-05/sh/feature/index.htm

[lmuller1]

Thanks, those articles are very helpful. I have been referring to them since I started this quest. I guess I need to find people who have the same reactor as mine and get their input on settings that have worked for them.
My corals are all doing well. A few are growing so I guess I am on the right track. I feel like I am being held hostage by my tank as I spend lots of time testing, adjusting, and dosing.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

guess I need to find people who have the same reactor as mine and get their input on settings that have worked for them.

Yes, that's probably a good idea. :)