Opinions of Kalk plus calcium reactor

[jcm2m9]

I currently have a sps dominated 40g cube with a 20g grow out tank and a 30g sump. The tank has been up and running for a little over a year now. Pretty much all of my sps have started out as frags, I rarely buy a colony.

My problem is that my growth seems very slow. I currently supplement with a calcium reactor and have an ato. I am considering dripping kalk with my ato. What are the pluses and minuses of this. I have read several posts where people have increased growth rates with the addition of kalk, especially with caps.

[matt the fiddler]

I think it could be a very good idea for balance, but we need specs.


tank ph swings
cal
alk
Mag wouldn't hurt
tank temp swings wouldn't hurt
Flow

a few pics would help us diagnose


do you have a ph controller?


Finally, how have you gotten the reactor tuned in?

[Lobster]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10362954#post10362954 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jcm2m9
My problem is that my growth seems very slow. I currently supplement with a calcium reactor and have an ato. I am considering dripping kalk with my ato. What are the pluses and minuses of this. I have read several posts where people have increased growth rates with the addition of kalk, especially with caps.

Assuming your alkalinity and calcium are correct and stable, if your growth is already slow, dosing kalk is probably not going to solve that problem. The main reason to dose kalk with a reactor is to stabilize pH since the acidic effluent of the reactor can depress it. Anyways, dosing kalk is always a good idea, so I'd do it. Just make sure you are keeping alk stable. ;)

You don't mention your nutrient levels, but I would check for nitrate and phosphates. Also, most folks will agree you will get better growth by switching to 10k bulbs.

[RichConley]

a 40Br is so shallow that I dont think switching bulbs would do anything but cause photoinhibition.

I'm thinking phosphates here

[jcm2m9]

Here are a few pictures of my tank

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y204/jcm2m9/TOTM/Front.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y204/jcm2m9/TOTM/left.jpg

http://i6.photobucket.com/albums/y204/jcm2m9/TOTM/Closeup.jpg

I have an ASD reactor that I run at an internal PH of 6.36 with Schuran media. I drip at about 30 drips/min. I try to maintain my calc at 420ppm and 8dkh. PH is controlled through my AC JR.

I do not test for Mag, but I am in the process of ordering a kit.

For flow I have two modded tunze 6025 and about 350gph through my return pump.

My temp is around 78 in the AM to 82 in the PM. The cube has a 250w Phoenix 14k and my frag tank has a 250 14k Hamilton SE.

I do not routinely test the tank PH, but when I do it is always in the morning and it is around 7.8-7.9. I am pretty sure I have low ph which I was hoping to help solve with kalk.

My entire system is BB. My cube has been bare bottom for 6 months, but just in the last two months has my grow out tank gone BB. For the last 3-4 months I have had an issue with bubble algae and have not been able to figure out why. My only guess is phosphates, but I have no idea where from.

I have a Catalina Aquarium skimmer that was made into a recirc with a gen x. It is constantly pulling out the nasties and I do regular 20-30% water changes with IO.

[RichConley]

Theres quite a bit of hair algae/bryopsis (for a BB SPS tank) in that last photo. That, combined with the sparce coralline coverage (for a year old tank) makes me think phosphates.

[jcm2m9]

So, what are your suggestions for phostphates?

GFO?

[Lobster]

I have a bare bottom SPS tank about the same size as yours. I run rowa in a phosban reactor and skim heavy (Deltec AP600) although it does not produce much (ie, nothing to pull out). I don't have any detectable phosphates (tested with Hach kit). I definitely don't have any spots of hair algae like that either.

You said you guess phosphate... have you tested phosphate and nitrate at all?

Also, you said you converted to BB recently. Did you cure your rock? You may be leeching nutrients from your rock.

Do you have any areas of low flow where detritus collects and breaks down? Run a refugium?

[jcm2m9]

I do get some deterius collection, but I siphon out into a filter sock once a week and then wash the filter sock. I have tested for phosphates in my tank but they are zero (algae is consuming them all). Plus I have tested my ro and salt water, they both test 0 with salifert.

I did cook my rocks when I first started my tank.

I do have a refugium, but my macro never grows, never really has in this tank. before I took down my 29g, my marco always grew very well.

[GTR]

Though I see the algae I don't see any herbivores to consume it so I'm not surprised it's there. Lack of coralline can also be from lack of nutrients. It grows like made in my softie system but not in the SPS tanks.
That said, I'd tune down the CO2 reactor and start the limewater. Calcification will be easier with an elevated pH.

SteveU

[Lobster]

I would try ditching the refugium. By definition, its an area of low flow. If your BB system is setup properly, having a place to nurture algae is of little use. Just my opinion. I think you'd have better results extracting the phosphates with GFO and water changes.

Also, I find salifert PO4 test is pretty useless at the low range, so don't base anything important on that.

[jcm2m9]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10365467#post10365467 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by gtrestoration
Though I see the algae I don't see any herbivores to consume it so I'm not surprised it's there. Lack of coralline can also be from lack of nutrients. It grows like made in my softie system but not in the SPS tanks.
That said, I'd tune down the CO2 reactor and start the limewater. Calcification will be easier with an elevated pH.

SteveU

I have 6 or 7 snails snails in my main tank. They tend to take care of the algae on the acrylic pretty well. I have to clean it every 4-5 days. I also have 2 emerald crabs that are working on the bubble algae.

I am going to order some kalk tonight.

[spankey]

I agree adding kalk to your top off water will help balance out the ph of your tank. I run a calcium reactor and have to dose kalk to help maintain a PH of 8

:)

[Sullyman]

If your mag is low, could be cause for slow grow. Test for mag and let's see the results.

[jcm2m9]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10365524#post10365524 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Lobster
I would try ditching the refugium. By definition, its an area of low flow. If your BB system is setup properly, having a place to nurture algae is of little use. Just my opinion. I think you'd have better results extracting the phosphates with GFO and water changes.

Also, I find salifert PO4 test is pretty useless at the low range, so don't base anything important on that.

Thanks, I am going to order some GFO tonight with my kalk order.

Any other suggestions?