dif between calcium and kalk reactors?

[mindytoy]

what are the diferences? they both add calcium right? i notice one has a co2 bottle and is alot more $$$...

whats the diference? how does each work? i mean if they both dose calcium then why such a big dif in price?

[Bonneville08]

The kalk reactor is for adding saturated Calcium Hydroxide solution (AKA limewater). It is used commonly to add Calcium, maintain alkalinity, and precipitate Phosphate. The mechanics of it are easy, the chemistry associated is more complex. It is easy to misuse.
The Calcium Reactor uses minute amounts of CO2 to lower pH in the reactor to dissolve reactor media into solution and add whatever that particular media is made of (calcium, carbonate, Strontium, etc) into the aqaurium.
They are both very effective when used properly and should be studied before use.
I know Randy Holmes-Farley has written on the subject.

[JRechcygl]

Ca Reactors use CO2 gas to lower the pH and inturn "break" down the aragonite into Ca and CO3 adding both to the sytem. You will also need monitor so make sure the effulent water is not TOO acidic coming from the reactor. They TYPICALLY add more Ca than kalk but as with everything in life there is always exceptions. Kalk reactors essentially keep the Ca(OH)2 in supension longer. I know these are very vague desricptions but I hope it helps.

Oh, BTW many people will DIY kalk reactors as there is very little to do. You don't even need the clear acrylic many people just use PVC.

Good luck

[mindytoy]

so one uses a powerhead? and how are kalks easy to misuse? would i need a CA controller?

[IslandCrow]

The biggest issue with using kalkwasser is that it depletes the tank of CO2, thus raising the PH. As long as you don't add too much, too fast, this is not a problem. When you first start dosing kalkwasser, you should always keep an eye on your PH until you get a feel for it. I'd recommend using a PH probe just to make your life easier. A controller is not necessary and usually not the best idea.

Kalkwasser works great as a relatively inexpensive method of maintaining calcium and alkalinity in a tank with fairly low demand (its effect on PH severely limits how much you can add). For tanks with a larger calcium/alkalinity demand, calcium reactors are much more effective. They add calcium and alkalinity in much greater amounts, and if anything have the opposite effect on PH. I.e. they can cause it to drop because of the very low PH of the effluent (the liquid solution that's dripped into your tank). Dual chamber reactors generally have less of an effect on the tank's PH since they allow the PH of the effluent to rise a bit before it goes into the tank.

A third option is two-part liquid supplements; also called Part A&B supplements. Kent and ESV are a couple companies that make such supplements. They're pretty easy to use. You just add equal amounts of each liquid based on the demand of your tank. It's not as automated as the other two (though you can buy equipment to automate the process for you), but the initial start-up cost is much less than a calcium reactor, and you can use it to keep up with the calcium and alkalinity in even the highest demand tanks.

[tmz]

I use a calcium reactor and dose limewater.
The calcium reactor dissolves caclium carbonate and provides alkalinity and calcium in the proper proportions for use by calcifying organisms such as corals. The CO2 injected (from the bottle)into the water drops the ph to a point where the media dissolves. The reactor effluent which contains the dissolved calcium and carbonte has a ph of about 6.7. Too much will create excess CO2 and problems with low ph.

Limewater is calcium hydroxide which is also a balanced mix of calcium and carbonate usable by calcifying organisms. Too much at one time can cause high ph spikes and you are limited overall to dosing the amount of your top off water .The water will only hold two teaspoons of lime(kalk( in solution) .Some systems need more calcium and carbonate than can be provided by kalk dosing alone. Many do not.Ther are a number of ways to dose kalk. Gravity fed drips, dosing pumps, slurries and reactors are the main ways it's done.

Either the calcium reactor or kalk dosing can be easily overused and cause ph issues.
When more is needed than a clacium reactor or kalk can provide safely, supplements with 2 part additives which include calcium chloride and a buffer are used.
Sometimes as in my case a calcium reactor is used together with kalk dosing to meet the needs for calcium and alkalinity .This approach also balances off the CO2 and ph issues since the CO2 from the calcium reactor and the 6.7 ph are offset and balanced by teh 12.4ph CO2 absorbing limewaer.

[mindytoy]

well i bought liquid calcium from kent and will try to keep it at 430 or so. i can only dose a cap a day right until calcium is stable?

[Kdocimo90]

myabe a little off topic, but does anyone know what the best test kit for Calcium is? I use a Red Sea one, and you have to keep dropping until the color of the water matches the color of the test card. This is tough becase 5 drops may look VERY similar to 6 drops and etc... It is also very hard being that I am colorblind.. .any recommendations?

[rogergolf66]

Elos is the best I hear, but I use salifert

this question has been answered very well!!

good job.

[IslandCrow]

mindtoy, are you dosing alkalinity as well? Dosing calcium alone won't be of any benefit. As far as the maximum amount you can dose, double check in the Reef Chemistry forum, but I don't believe there is a limit. There may be one stated on the bottle, because some people will dose without testing, and Kent is trying to protect itself from someone pitching a fit because they dosed half the bottle having no idea how much they needed in the first place. If you're trying to raise your calcium significantly, it will probably take more than one cap. Use this calculator to determine how much you need to add: http://home.comcast.net/~jdieck1/chem_calc3.html