What do you really need to add?

[NateHanson]

Didn't mean to imply otherwise, meant that Ca reactor's tend to drive the Alk up in relation to the Ca. Both Ca reactor and Kalk drip will help to maintain both levels but IME the Ca reactor alone tends to push the Alk up which will eventually limit the Ca level your able to maintain. IMO they work best when used together.

That's interesting. Does anyone else have this experience with Ca reactors raising Alk more than Ca? I would think the Calcium Carbonate would dissolve releasing a calcium ion and a carbonate ion. But maybe it's not that simple. I've never used a Ca reactor

As for Kalk, I've used that a lot and never noticed it changing the balance of Ca and Alk. (i.e. I've dosed for many months using only Kalkwasser and still had the same balanced Ca and Alk readings).

Nate

 

[karl wagner]

ShallowWaters- you mentioned a "good" test kit, curious as to which one you used.
Like phosphate test kits, most available Iron test kits are designed for freshwater planted tanks, and have a "lower limit of detection" that is actually quite high and therefore of very limited utility in the marine hobby.

I think Bob Fenner said it best when he restated Martin Moe "Don't add anything you don't test for!" Certainly words to live by.

I've tested for Strontium for years, never noticed an "out of trend" value. Never supplemented, never had to.

I tested for magnesium, finally got a low value once, added magnesium to get back into an acceptable range.

Same goes for alk and kalk. Test first, then add, then test again.

Peace out.

 

[ReeferMedic]

OK, all that said. If regular water changes replace the necessary trace elements, are all salts created equal? I use Instant Ocean just because it's cheap and readily available............

 

[ReeferMedic]

Also, what would every one recomend for a ca reactor. I really don't want to do this one on trial and error. I have a total of about 250 gallons of total water.................

 

[dima96]

instant ocean is good salt. most reefers i know use that or tropic marin both are should be fine. as far as ca reactors i run a my reef creations cr-2, but there are a number of other brands that work very well, maybe other people could recomend brands of reactors. i would look for a reactor that is rated for double the volume of your system.

 

[Shallowwaters]

Karl,
I used a Hagen test kit. Not as elaborate as LaMotte, but pretty good. It tests for fresh & marine water, free iron & chelated iron with a range of 0.0 to 1.0 mg/L. That said, I get your point. I guess I'd have to try another kit to know for sure. But the package has a nice picture of a clown fish on it!!

 

[DSOUZA]

How often does the average reef keeper need to change water? Or how much of the tank? Just curious to how what people actually do.

 

[Moe_K]

The most often spouted guideline is a 20% water change once per month.
Smaller changes more frequently might be better, though.

 

[NateHanson]

Yeah, recently I've heard a number of people doing 10% every other week. That's my goal these days (reality may differ).

 

[Greg Hiller]

>In my SPS loaded 125, I'll monitor calcium, alkalinity, and magnesium. I'll run a calcium reactor and supplement those three as needed. Everything else will be maintained by water changes and by feeding the fish<

What Moe said.

I will say that I have occasionally added strontium and I have seen boosts in coraline algae growth, but I've never been very controlled about it so I cannot say for sure. All the hobbyist kits for strontium stink though, so if you use it you are pretty much shooting in the dark.

 

[Brian]

Greg, what about Iron?