extreme Calcium demand?

[dz6t]

I am pouring 400 mL each of the home made two-parts (recipe 2) everyday in my 125g in order to keep calcium around 450 ppm. What the heck, is it sound normal?

worng place, please move

 

[fanaglethebagle]

Lol Dong, thats insane. Maybe the clam filter has its fallbacks?

 

[dz6t]

No kidding. I think that is part of the reason.

MOD, sorry for the wrong forum, please move it.

 

[smcnally]

Clams demand calcium. Time for a Ca Reactor, Dong?

 

[Dave]

What is your Mg at? I have a high Ca demand too and bringing up the Mg to about 1480 helped slow down the consumption.

 

[dz6t]

No calcium reactor. Not plan to go that route.

 

[this is me]

There's no escape Dong. You must have a calcium reactor. I'll be pouring about the same amount if my calcium reactor is offline. Having 6 clams in a tank can really suck up your calcium and alk. Clams and sps, no way you can escape from a reactor.

 

[Moe_K]

There's no escape Dong. You must have a calcium reactor. I'll be pouring about the same amount if my calcium reactor is offline. Having 6 clams in a tank can really suck up your calcium and alk. Clams and sps, no way you can escape from a reactor.

Great point.
Randy's article on calcium supplementation methods shows this pretty clearly.
Over the long run, the cost of two parting with a really high calcium carbonate demand is more than using a calcium reactor.
Then we have to factor in convenience....

 

[dz6t]

Calfo said otherwise. Also, when a reactor goes nuts, it can kill the tank. Plenty of examples out there. I don't mind mixing and pouring, I just don't want a CO2 tank inside the house with kids around.

 

[dz6t]

Theoretically, the CO2 bubbling can be replaced by dripping diluted HCl solution or plan old vinegar. Anyone tried these method?

 

[this is me]

I don't see a problem with the C02 tank itself. Just snuck it under the cabinet or something like that. If the reactor carefully set up and monitor for the first two months or so, you shouldn't have to worry about it too much. You still have to check your bubble rate and drip rate once in awhile but it beats having to dose twice a day. You don't want to wake up in the middle of the night and ask yourself "did I dose my tank before I went to bed?", or when you're stuck in traffic in the morning on your way to work and ask yourself the same question. Hahahaha. You don't know how many I have done that when I didn't have a reactor. You always have to test your parameters more often when you're dosing. Also, your PH can really climb up and down when you dose those two parts. esp alkinity. That was the main reason why I went with a reactor even on my small set up.

 

[RichConley]

Dong, whats your magnesium at?

 

[Moe_K]

Also, when a reactor goes nuts, it can kill the tank. Plenty of examples out there.

When a heater goes nuts it can kill the tank. When a chiller goes nuts it can kill the tank. When a kalk dripper goes nuts, it can kill the tank. When lights go nuts, they can kill the tank. When your pump goes nuts, it can kill the tank. Float valves and auto top-offs can kill the tank if they go nuts. Plumbing can kill the tank if it goes nuts....

Just about any piece of equipment we use in this hobby can have disasterous results if it fails in a spectacular manner.

 

[rtc_reefer]

good point. We all walk the tight line.

 

[dz6t]

so one less equipment, one less thing to fail.

 

[Glass Ocean]

When a heater goes nuts it can kill the tank. When a chiller goes nuts it can kill the tank. When a kalk dripper goes nuts, it can kill the tank. When lights go nuts, they can kill the tank. When your pump goes nuts, it can kill the tank. Float valves and auto top-offs can kill the tank if they go nuts. Plumbing can kill the tank if it goes nuts....

Just about any piece of equipment we use in this hobby can have disasterous results if it fails in a spectacular manner.

That's it. I quit. Too dangerous

 

[nichols]

When a heater goes nuts it can kill the tank. When a chiller goes nuts it can kill the tank. When a kalk dripper goes nuts, it can kill the tank. When lights go nuts, they can kill the tank. When your pump goes nuts, it can kill the tank. Float valves and auto top-offs can kill the tank if they go nuts. Plumbing can kill the tank if it goes nuts....

Just about any piece of equipment we use in this hobby can have disasterous results if it fails in a spectacular manner.

Thanks Moe. That ought help me sleep much better!!!!