Crazy calcium demand

chrisaggie · 12/16/2006, 08:28 PM

A few things were screwy with my calcium reactor so I decided to shut it down today to clean it and calibrate the pH probe, etc. This morning I tested my alkalinity at 3.54 meq/L, throughout the day I tested and added 2 part to keep the alk and ca steady. Since this morning I had to add 600mL of each of the 2 parts. My tank is a 180 packed with sps. I've had to add a lot of 2 part in the past (200mL a day of each), but thought 600 was just ridiculous!

ezcompany · 12/16/2006, 08:35 PM

600 ml, now thats funny lol
i add around 40 ml of each in my 24 gallon, if your tank was shrunk to 24 gallons you'd be using double mine, and i thought i was heavily stocked!

paulhines · 12/17/2006, 04:36 PM

I hope you make your own two-part! I'd go broke

chrisaggie · 12/17/2006, 04:39 PM

yup, homemade.

Hef · 12/17/2006, 05:57 PM

Try it for a week or two and report back to us. That is a lot of Calcium, but when you have an established SPS tank, the demands are incredible.
I dose about 32 ounces/946 ml per week of the Calcium part, so yes, the gallon lasts me a full month. I run a pretty low Alk at around 6.5 - 7.0 dkh. Being a balanced mix, if I wanted to raise my alk, which I dont, my calcium demand would go up.

gasman059 · 12/18/2006, 06:03 AM

i hope it works out for u /good luck-my reactor should b going up today to avoid that possibly in the future , well maybe not L

chrisaggie · 12/18/2006, 06:58 AM

My reactor is back up and running now. I'll measure the amount of media I use over the next few months.

kkenn · 12/18/2006, 07:21 AM

I think u should check your Magnesium first,if its in low range,even u put a lot of calcium ,they will gone fast

Ken

chrisaggie · 12/18/2006, 07:29 AM

My Mg is 1350ppm.

DrBDC · 12/18/2006, 07:41 AM

That's not that abnormal. I use about 3 dKh per day. Use the calculator and plug the numbers and that's pretty close.

RichConley · 12/18/2006, 08:52 AM

Has anyone seen anything negative from high magnesium?

I just bumped mine from about 1300 to about 1800 on mistake (was trying to go to 1500, and overshot), and it seems like the calcium demands are even easier to keep up with at these levels.

DrBDC · 12/18/2006, 09:34 AM

I had mine up about 1600 one time on accident as well. I never saw any problems although I did lower it to about 1450 over the next week with some water changes. So I didn't run it at that high level for very long.

bulfraw215 · 12/18/2006, 10:08 AM

I had a total shutdown with all of my corals when my wife added to much mag, i was out of town it was 1800 + when i got home it took me a few days to figure out what was wrong when i finally did it was to late for most of my sps. i would do a water change a.s.a.p. Good luck!

12/16/2006, 08:28 PM	#1
chrisaggie Premium Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Sunrise, FL Posts: 2,846	Crazy calcium demand A few things were screwy with my calcium reactor so I decided to shut it down today to clean it and calibrate the pH probe, etc. This morning I tested my alkalinity at 3.54 meq/L, throughout the day I tested and added 2 part to keep the alk and ca steady. Since this morning I had to add 600mL of each of the 2 parts. My tank is a 180 packed with sps. I've had to add a lot of 2 part in the past (200mL a day of each), but thought 600 was just ridiculous! __________________ I love this hobby! Current Tank Info: 180 g tank w/ 3 250W 10K metal halides & 3 30w vho actinic. ~300 pounds mixed live rock. SPS dominated. 1/2 hp chiller, K2R calcium rector, GEO nilsen reactor, enaly ozonizer w/ milwakee orp controller, dual injector MR-2 w/ pan world

12/16/2006, 08:35 PM	#2
ezcompany Registered Member Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Los Angeles Posts: 4,600	600 ml, now thats funny lol i add around 40 ml of each in my 24 gallon, if your tank was shrunk to 24 gallons you'd be using double mine, and i thought i was heavily stocked! __________________ Jin I don't want to see your actinic shots. Current Tank Info: Solana XL60

12/17/2006, 04:36 PM	#3
paulhines Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: Lakeland, FL Posts: 332	I hope you make your own two-part! I'd go broke __________________ God makes this look easy... Current Tank Info: 150g high and 65g reefs. Euroreefs, Tunzes, 2 x 250w HQI 14K Phoenix and 4 x 54w T5

12/17/2006, 04:39 PM	#4
chrisaggie Premium Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Sunrise, FL Posts: 2,846	yup, homemade. __________________ I love this hobby! Current Tank Info: 180 g tank w/ 3 250W 10K metal halides & 3 30w vho actinic. ~300 pounds mixed live rock. SPS dominated. 1/2 hp chiller, K2R calcium rector, GEO nilsen reactor, enaly ozonizer w/ milwakee orp controller, dual injector MR-2 w/ pan world

12/18/2006, 06:03 AM	#6
gasman059 The OG mad scientist Join Date: Jul 2006 Location: SOFLA Posts: 10,518	i hope it works out for u /good luck-my reactor should b going up today to avoid that possibly in the future , well maybe not L __________________ There's a fine line between "hobby" and "mental illness". 1985-present Current Tank Info: taking a break from the madness!

12/17/2006, 05:57 PM	#5
Hef Premium Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Fair Haven NJ Posts: 2,308	Try it for a week or two and report back to us. That is a lot of Calcium, but when you have an established SPS tank, the demands are incredible. I dose about 32 ounces/946 ml per week of the Calcium part, so yes, the gallon lasts me a full month. I run a pretty low Alk at around 6.5 - 7.0 dkh. Being a balanced mix, if I wanted to raise my alk, which I dont, my calcium demand would go up.

12/18/2006, 06:58 AM	#7
chrisaggie Premium Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Sunrise, FL Posts: 2,846	My reactor is back up and running now. I'll measure the amount of media I use over the next few months. __________________ I love this hobby! Current Tank Info: 180 g tank w/ 3 250W 10K metal halides & 3 30w vho actinic. ~300 pounds mixed live rock. SPS dominated. 1/2 hp chiller, K2R calcium rector, GEO nilsen reactor, enaly ozonizer w/ milwakee orp controller, dual injector MR-2 w/ pan world

12/18/2006, 07:21 AM	#8
kkenn Registered Member Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: Hong kong Posts: 93	I think u should check your Magnesium first,if its in low range,even u put a lot of calcium ,they will gone fast Ken

12/18/2006, 07:29 AM	#9
chrisaggie Premium Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Sunrise, FL Posts: 2,846	My Mg is 1350ppm. __________________ I love this hobby! Current Tank Info: 180 g tank w/ 3 250W 10K metal halides & 3 30w vho actinic. ~300 pounds mixed live rock. SPS dominated. 1/2 hp chiller, K2R calcium rector, GEO nilsen reactor, enaly ozonizer w/ milwakee orp controller, dual injector MR-2 w/ pan world

12/18/2006, 07:41 AM	#10
DrBDC Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Ballwin, Missouri Posts: 10,356	That's not that abnormal. I use about 3 dKh per day. Use the calculator and plug the numbers and that's pretty close. __________________ Some drink at the fountain of knowledge, some just gargle, but most are rabid. Current Tank Info: 180g sps+75 softy/lps on one system tunze's, seio's, mjmods, aquacontroller w/add ons, 2X400 XM10000 and 3X160 vho actinic, 110g sump, 110 frag tank, Geo Beckett and other stuff

12/18/2006, 08:52 AM	#11
RichConley Registered Member Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Bostonian in Chicago going to DC Posts: 9,910	Has anyone seen anything negative from high magnesium? I just bumped mine from about 1300 to about 1800 on mistake (was trying to go to 1500, and overshot), and it seems like the calcium demands are even easier to keep up with at these levels. __________________ NO TANKS!!!

12/18/2006, 09:34 AM	#12
DrBDC Registered Member Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Ballwin, Missouri Posts: 10,356	I had mine up about 1600 one time on accident as well. I never saw any problems although I did lower it to about 1450 over the next week with some water changes. So I didn't run it at that high level for very long. __________________ Some drink at the fountain of knowledge, some just gargle, but most are rabid. Current Tank Info: 180g sps+75 softy/lps on one system tunze's, seio's, mjmods, aquacontroller w/add ons, 2X400 XM10000 and 3X160 vho actinic, 110g sump, 110 frag tank, Geo Beckett and other stuff

12/18/2006, 10:08 AM	#13
bulfraw215 Registered Member Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: floridia Posts: 225	I had a total shutdown with all of my corals when my wife added to much mag, i was out of town it was 1800 + when i got home it took me a few days to figure out what was wrong when i finally did it was to late for most of my sps. i would do a water change a.s.a.p. Good luck!