CR cannot keep up KH levels in SPS dominated tank

[AlfaRomeo]

Hi Guys, I can no longer maintain my Kh for my tank with the current Aquamedic 1000 CR with a DIY 2nd chamber by Joe. FLow rate is by dosing pump which is 3L/hr and bubble count is 2 bubbles/sec. PH in the reactor chamber is kept at 6.8 but the KH in my tank is dropping everyday.

CR is filled with ARM Media and tank is a 6x2.5x2.5 with 90% SPS and the rest mostly LPS

I am also running a KR for all top-up water..

Any suggestions on if I can improve the performance of the CR? Or do i really need to change the CR to a bigger model?

Thanks for your help and advice.

[tineng]

i also seems to be facing the same problem...for some reasons, my Ca can stay at the 400+ mark but KH can drop from 8 to 6...I dosing kalkwater but the rate of decline for KH seems much faster then CA!

[damsel-in-distress]

Carbonate hardness (kH) and calcium (CA) are inter-related. Usually when one variable appears depleted, the other can usually be the reverse. In both your cases, it seems the calcium reactor is doing its job as the calcium is stablised above 400. My plan of action in both cases, would be to first supplement v. slowly the kH ONLY. Once this has reached above 8, increase your dose drip of kalkwasser to maintain the level. Make sure you are testing kH b4 & after dosing kH supplements to ascertain levels, than after dosing kalk to determine level which wld determine future kalk supplement.

Hope this helps.

[FuEl]

I do notice that sps deplete kH faster than Ca levels. A way to counter this problem would be to increase your bubble rate if possible and increase your drip rate. Test your kH after a few days after each adjustment. If it stops dropping then you have hit the correct drip rate and effluent rate. Slowly increase your kH above 8 from there using kH supplements.

Another thing you might want to try is to scrape off as much coralline algae as you can. Coralline algae takes up massive amounts of calcium and carbonates from your water besides sps.

Checked your Mg levels? Difficulty to raise up kH can be due to low magnesium levels. Aim for a level around 1500ppm.

[FuEl]

i also seems to be facing the same problem...for some reasons, my Ca can stay at the 400+ mark but KH can drop from 8 to 6...I dosing kalkwater but the rate of decline for KH seems much faster then CA!

If you have been dripping kalkwasser for a long time your tank might be suffering from Mg depletion. Long term use of kalkwasser won't replace Mg levels..You'll have to supplement it separately. Mg is one of the most abundant elements in NSW, best to check it once in awhile although I know many people don't.

[tineng]

thanks sis & bro....

I have been using baking soda to adjust the KH to above 8 while maintaining CA at above 400++ using Kalk.....but its very tiring having to do this very 2 days.....with low KH, my PH swing also quite large....7.5-8.2...so not choice, test and adjustment has to be done quite frequently....

PS. Water change does not seems to help much either....

[weisoon]

Alfa

Check your Mg? You are using ARM right? Try adding the Grotech Mag Pro. But then again, some brothers here insisted that with ARM, the Mg can be maintained and nothing else except iodine to be added to the tank.

[tineng]

suspected that it was ionic imbalance, did a water change instead but it didn't help....guess can't avoid liao....must go buy mg test kit already...

[dradttg]

I remember reading that if the amount of CO2 in the tank is not enough dosing Kalk with cause dKH and Ca to drop. That why pple add vinegar.

[weisoon]

Too much CO2 in the tank in fact is bad for the tank.

[AlfaRomeo]

Weisoon, you know of any LFS in singapore carry the Grotech products like the one you mentioned?

In the mean time , started using the Reef Advantage Magnesium from Seachem to bring my MG up from 1200. Targetting a level of 1300 but it seems that the product is not very concentrated? Need a lot of the stuff to even raise it by 10 ppm.

[weisoon]

Will let you know.

[weileong]

I looking for the geotech Mg too.

After I dose 1kg of the seachem reef advantage Mg I still can't raise my Mg to the required level. Last measured was around 1200ppm raised from 900+ppm.

[RockyBoy]

I remember reading that if the amount of CO2 in the tank is not enough dosing Kalk with cause dKH and Ca to drop. That why pple add vinegar.

Yep, been using vinegar with my kalk. No complains...good kH & Ca.

Kalkwasser with vinegar article

[hamannbmw]

Hi rockyboy,

Jus read the article u had posted. I'm using a Kalk Reactor, can i mix 15ml of vinegar in the cylinder

I'm having a low magnesium, calcium, DKH & PH problems... been dosing magnesium like weileong......use up one bottle liao, now another bottle

[scarab]

Hi rockyboy,

Jus read the article u had posted. I'm using a Kalk Reactor, can i mix 15ml of vinegar in the cylinder 

I'm having a low magnesium, calcium, DKH & PH problems... been dosing magnesium like weileong......use up one bottle liao, now another bottle 

Try to use Tropic Marine Mg.

Seachem ones don't work for me. Dosage too high for my liking and it increases very little.

BTW, i thought low Mg tanks have difficulty in buffering Calcium and not kh???

[AlfaRomeo]

Tropic MG has more effect than Seachem's? I added 10 full teaspoons to a cup of water and the mg raised by 10-15ppm only!

[hamannbmw]

Try to use Tropic Marine Mg.

Seachem ones don't work for me. Dosage too high for my liking and it increases very little.

BTW, i thought low Mg tanks have difficulty in buffering Calcium and not kh???

I dun have a problem buffering KH but, it will always drop like nobody business, its like every alternate day i need to buffer it up again.........

Yes, u r right, I do have a big problem buffering calcium.. getting my CR this tuesday ... hope it helps

[scarab]

Tropic MG has more effect than Seachem's? I added 10 full teaspoons to a cup of water and the mg raised by 10-15ppm only!

Correct what

1 spoon raises 5ppm for 30 gallon water. My tank 100 gallons, I use to dose 9 spoons everyday to raise Mg by 15 ppm per day. That was then, my CR can support now. At least you can see the rise when using TM, Seachem I use 2 bottles also no rasa. And I use the large bottles.

[AlfaRomeo]

Scarab, which CR are you using now?

I am trying to overdrive the CR by dropping the Ph in the chamber to 6.7 and maintaining 3 l/hr flowrate. We will see if It improves the situation or i really need a bigger CR at this point of time.

Can anyone recommend me a CR which would be suitable for a 6ft with lots of SPS pls? thanks

[weisoon]

Deltec. PF600S

[dradttg]

My dKH is dropping like nobody business too. I have been dosing Reefez Alkanity (5 teaspoons) on every alternative day but my dKH is still at 7.

But Ca is holding stable above 400ppm without any dosing.

[weileong]

At least you can see the rise when using TM, Seachem I use 2 bottles also no rasa. And I use the large bottles.

Same here

I just switch to TM Mg supplement yesterday, Mg levels at 1120ppm before dosing.

kH drop could be caused by excessive CO2 as well.

[AlfaRomeo]

Excessive CO2? dunt think so in my case. The effluent has been fed directly into my beckette skimmer water inlet and there is plenty of movement on the water surface both in the sump as well as the main tank...

[AlfaRomeo]

I must admit that the Deltec CR looks way cool and is rated for 425 Gallons on heavy stocking and high illumination. I am sure it will do the job comfortably.... hmmmm