Is this possible?
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Forum Name: Reef Chemistry
Forum Description: A place to discuss reef chemistry.
URL: http://www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=42663
Printed Date: February 12 2026 at 3:55am
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Topic: Is this possible?
Posted By: bugzme
Subject: Is this possible?
Date Posted: August 05 2010 at 7:27pm
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I am dosing over a cup of alk and cal. a day and I'm still not keeping up with consumption. I really don't want to go to a calcium reactor but I can't believe what my tank is using.
Could it e because of the new rock using it up for corraline algae? ------------- Jeff 125 tank 50 gallon sump T-5 lighting Rum drinker, Carbon User I KNOW ROCKS THAT ARE YOUNGER THEN ME!! I AM A Realist! I write what I think!! |
Replies:
Posted By: sterling18
Date Posted: August 05 2010 at 8:31pm
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Jeff, What are your numbers, you happen to have kept a log? |
Posted By: Luckedout
Date Posted: August 05 2010 at 10:59pm
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That would seem like a lot for corraline. You do have a ton of SPS so maybe it is time to buy a calc reactor.
------------- -Ben 90g Mixed reef www.body-balancechiropractic.com |
Posted By: BobC63
Date Posted: August 05 2010 at 11:01pm
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I'd say both reasons -
Lots of new rock growing coralline AND lots of SPS in your tank.
------------- - My Current Tank: 65g Starfire (sitting empty for 2+ years) - * Marine & Reef tanks since 1977 * |
Posted By: Nick801
Date Posted: August 06 2010 at 12:23am
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when you say a cup your not talking concentrated powder are you =)?
I think its about time to set up a calcium reactor =) I'm sure you would be 10x happier once its set up ------------- http://www.reefinsanity.com" rel="nofollow - www.ReefInsanity.com http://www.facebook.com/ReefInsanity" rel="nofollow - www.Facebook.com/ReefInsanity 801-680-4676 |
Posted By: bugzme
Date Posted: August 06 2010 at 6:57am
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It's mixed with ro water (BRS 2 Part) ------------- Jeff 125 tank 50 gallon sump T-5 lighting Rum drinker, Carbon User I KNOW ROCKS THAT ARE YOUNGER THEN ME!! I AM A Realist! I write what I think!! |
Posted By: snoyce
Date Posted: August 06 2010 at 8:13am
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That sound reasonable to me for two part.
I only have a few SPS in my 90 Gallon and I am up to 4 ounces a day of each to maintain my Alk at 9 and Calcium at 400. If I miss a day my Alk is back to 7 everytime.
Just FYI I use reef crystals salt, BRS Calcium Chloride, and Arm and Hammer baked baking soda mixed with RO water for Alk, I follow randy's recipe #1 which I believe is the same as the BRS instructions ------------- Scott Noyce 90G reef ready AGA display basment 20G sump, 29G fuge 4x54 watt T5 retro SLR Octopus NW150 |
Posted By: Shane H
Date Posted: August 06 2010 at 9:54am
| Jeff - bite the bullet and get a calcium reactor. You'll love it. It was one of the biggest expenses on my last tank and I waited forever to get it. But, once I did, there were no regrets! |
Posted By: bugzme
Date Posted: August 06 2010 at 10:03am
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I know I will need one sooner or later. I had one 4 yrs. ago and never could get it dialed in! ------------- Jeff 125 tank 50 gallon sump T-5 lighting Rum drinker, Carbon User I KNOW ROCKS THAT ARE YOUNGER THEN ME!! I AM A Realist! I write what I think!! |
Posted By: Ryan Thompson
Date Posted: August 06 2010 at 10:22am
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Just use your dosing unit and keep things in line. I don't how many ML's are in a cup but I know that Sunny over on RC is dumping in 110ML of each solution a day.
When the alk and calcium are available, corals will suck it up way quick. I am up to about 15ML a day of each solution in my little 40 gallon to keep alk around 8 and calcium at 420. I will throw it out there that your chalices are sucking up just as much if not more than your SPS. They build quite the skeleton under their flesh. As far as a calcium reactor goes, I don't like them. Never used one, but I know I wouldn't want to deal with probes that need to be cleaned constantly and refilling media. I am sure they work great but I will just dump in my 2 part every day and be done with it. |
Posted By: Shane H
Date Posted: August 06 2010 at 11:12am
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Ryan - I thought the same thing. Until I got one. Once mine was dialed in (which did take some time) it was nearly maintenance free. Clean the probe once in a while, check your bubble counter (at a glance) and refill CO2 and media a couple times per year.
Certainly they're not right for everyone, but once you get to the point of daily dosing in large amounts, I think there is a good case to be made for convenience.
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Posted By: Nick801
Date Posted: August 06 2010 at 12:05pm
When I set up my 120 =) I actually bought the calcium reactor before I even bought a skimmer  I dont how people put up with manually dosing every day------------- http://www.reefinsanity.com" rel="nofollow - www.ReefInsanity.com http://www.facebook.com/ReefInsanity" rel="nofollow - www.Facebook.com/ReefInsanity 801-680-4676 |
Posted By: Mark Peterson
Date Posted: August 06 2010 at 6:51pm
Yes, coralline algae sucks it up. A Carbonate (Calcium) Reactor is definitely a good thing if you want to spend the money on it. I was adding more than 2 liters/week of each solution in my farming operation! I liked adding it myself because I watched and worked in the tanks anyway. Also it was an unnecessary expense that would have taken money out of my pocket.  ------------- Reefkeeping Tips, & quick, easy setup tricks: www.utahreefs.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9244 Pay it forward - become a paid WMAS member 
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bugzme wrote:Posted By: sterling18
Date Posted: August 06 2010 at 6:58pm
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You can also automate the dosing without a reactor. IV Dosing Pump, daily dosing, mixing it in with your top off (maybe?), simple dripping from a bigger container? Depends on your level of involvement. |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: August 07 2010 at 11:59am
Ryan, I know that you are not a nurse but really man have you never gone and cooked for yourself? If Jeff is dosing one cup which has 8 ounces in it and 8 ounces is 240 ml. Because 1 ounce is equal to 30 ml so Sunny in RC is dosing just under a half of cup so Jeff is dosing twice as much as Sunny. Just thought I would throw a little simple math in their for you. I know that it might have come over your head so we might have to have lunch again at JCW in Lehi so I can explain it in more simple terms that you can understand in frys and fry sauce.
EDIT: Sorry Jeff is dosing over a cup so Jeff is doing more than double than Sunny, Ryan. I guess I need to read things better.
Jeff, it's time for you to get a calcium reactor your corals will be so much more happier with your choice as they will always have enough food to go around.
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Posted By: Ryan Thompson
Date Posted: August 07 2010 at 12:25pm
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Well jeffs dosing seems to right in line for the most part. Sonnys tanks is half the size of jeffs and he is doidng half of what jeff doses. So to jeffs original question, yes your tank is eating up that much calcium and alkalinity every day.
Thanks skyler. I actually googled everything after I posted but never came back to post my findings. |
Posted By: bugzme
Date Posted: August 07 2010 at 2:37pm
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Thanks for checking that out for me. I haven't seen sonny's tank yet! I'm dosing with a bubble-magus right now so dosing is 24/7
So Skylar since your good at math, how much will I have to spend at brs to keep this up for a year? ------------- Jeff 125 tank 50 gallon sump T-5 lighting Rum drinker, Carbon User I KNOW ROCKS THAT ARE YOUNGER THEN ME!! I AM A Realist! I write what I think!! |
Posted By: Guests
Date Posted: August 07 2010 at 7:08pm
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Jeff from what you told me on the phone your dosing around $66 a month which is $792 per year. A Ca Reactor is $612 per month and then only the reactor media is $15 a year on most tanks and then $10 for the Co2 refill so you are only spending $25 per year now on the same items you are dosing right now = saving of $767 per year. So you now know why pet stores says Ca Reactors a pain in the a** and need to be changed every day on the bubble count. Just like we talked about I can show you several tanks that you only need to change the bubble count depedning on how many new corals you have or corals that you have taken out of your tank. Ryan it is a dang good thing you are married one cup = 8 ounces which is a first grade math class for most people around Utah. If you didn't have Google you wouldn't have not known how to make your dinner that night.
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Posted By: bugzme
Date Posted: August 07 2010 at 7:12pm
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LMAO! Ryan you going to take that? Hey Ryan will your post some pic's of your tank? ------------- Jeff 125 tank 50 gallon sump T-5 lighting Rum drinker, Carbon User I KNOW ROCKS THAT ARE YOUNGER THEN ME!! I AM A Realist! I write what I think!! |
Posted By: Ryan Thompson
Date Posted: August 08 2010 at 12:40am
Lol it would be an insult if it was coming from someone other than skyler! I am waiting on my new bulbs to get here and then I'm gonna do a full update with before and after pics. I ordered the kz new gen and superblue. ATI just came out with the purple plus and I'm trying to get one shipped to me. It should be very comparable to the fiji purple. |