Discussion: Alkalinity vs calcium

[Maxima]

I support best coloration result from 9dkh and above with calcium of 360ppm ++ (minmum) is acceptable. Mg of 1200 ~ 1400 will help SPS speed up the skeleton building process -from an article.

If you noticed that there's a new trend in German to keep dkh low at around 6~8dkh and calcium at 360ppm using the ZEROVIT system. The German also have much...much colorful tanks than American or miles ahead of ours.

It seems that everyone will have different result. But I do believe that SPS will have a better chance of coloring up with a lower stocking system and a system without refugium. The German using ZEROVIT do not use Caulpera algae(refugium). I believe the chemical warfare tend to limit the colorations: theory from German SPS keepers.

Max

[Achilles Tang]

Yeah, know about this ZEOVIT system from my HK distributor friend... he has been bugging me to try and introduce to fellow hobbyists here... but for a tank my size.. *gulp*.... perhaps one day, when my quest for brighter colours will lead me there...

[Joe_P]

Yeah, know about this ZEOVIT system from my HK distributor friend... he has been bugging me to try and introduce to fellow hobbyists here... but for a tank my size.. *gulp*.... perhaps one day, when my quest for brighter colours will lead me there...

Ain't these Zeoliite thing already available locally??

Saw some of these at the recent aquarama....

and was tempted to give it a try......

My recent observations with my reef is that SPS are "better coloured" when alk levels are higher.....

Whenever my Acros look dull, I knwo its time to start tweaking with my CO2 feed to my Calcium Reactor....

[Achilles Tang]

Not the same... there are different types of zeolite around.

[pacificbetta]

You guys seem to really like to colour up your corals with $$$......

[Achilles Tang]

Spray paint would be cheap and fast. Very bright colours too...

The attraction of SPS corals is to see a tank full of colours and not just the green or brown of LPS.

[pospeh]

You guys seem to really like to colour up your corals with $$$......

time to bring the good stuff in from deutschland.

[Tanzy]

time to bring the good stuff in from deutschland.

Ja wohl!

[pacificbetta]

*edited for commercial content*

- AT

[Maxima]

What if I kena played out again like the calcium media

Seriously, I do not believe in such systems driven solely by $$$, I belong to the old fashion "natural" school. But if there are enough of such crazy people here, I can place the order as early as today.

Same goes for the miracle mud, I have access to very cheap dirt, but never contempulated shipping it in because I do not believe in it.

I've to say that the ARM Calcium Reactor Media is a extremely good product. I'm waiting for my new 5000 litre capacity Reactor before the purchase of the Media. The main problem with S'pore market is the limited pool of reefer who are serious about this hobby, or brother with the right equipment.

A point to note is that your A.R.M doesn't cost an Arm or Leg, like most other LFS out there.

Max

[pacificbetta]

The main problem with S'pore market is the limited pool of reefer who are serious about this hobby, or brother with the right equipment.

I see it differently. I feel the underlying cause of the situation is that LS are too available to the public. This removes the attachment one should feel for his/her pet. After all, most will not care so long as cheap replacement livestocks are always around the corner.

[joachimsim]

How much is your ARM Calcium Reactor...and where to get?

[Cookiemunster]

Spray paint would be cheap and fast. Very bright colours too...

The attraction of SPS corals is to see a tank full of colours and not just the green or brown of LPS.

hahaha did anyone say spray paint???? Pass your acros to me, I charge only $5 per acro. I'll make it any colour you want, can even simulate RTN or algae.

[pacificbetta]

hahaha did anyone say spray paint???? Pass your acros to me, I charge only $5 per acro. I'll make it any colour you want, can even simulate RTN or algae.

Last time I checked, AT was looking for a purple with yellow polka dot patterns acro, Must come with metallic green polyps.

AT: Heard that? There is one such piece for sale at SK, and it only cost $5 plus a dead skeleton

[Maxima]

The truth is that in this hobby, for every dollar of livestock, you end up with $10~50$ of investment on equipmnt and maintenance(electricity bills!)-> depends on fowler, Mushrooms, LPS, Mix and SPS only. A lot of reefers isn't close...... and I can only conclure that they jump into the hobby without proper education. Look at version-1 of sgreef till date. So many have come and go within months to 1 year.

In the earlier post, a typo.................Actualy I meant that your A.R.M doesn't cost an Arm or Leg , unlikely the inflated prices from other FS.

With regards to calcium media, use only the best! I have tried from coral chips, Auqamedic and Tunze. I think the best is still from A.R.M or Aquacare.

Max

[Chris]

You guys have gone

My Kh used to be around 10 but has pushed it up to 12. Ca still trying to maintain around 420-440ppm. For me kh to stay around 12 is more crucial.

[newdamsel]

Coming back to the point of alk, to boost alk there's 2 ways, using additives or using a calcium reactor. Using additives, would be a good way to boost your alk but like what Tanzy says, we are more interested in boosting carbonates and bicarbonates and not total alk. However, at tank pH of about 8, there are about 98% of bicarbonates while only 2% carbonates. This mixture creates a solution which significantly prevents your tank water to raise above 8 as the bicarb ions readily give up its H+ to counter the OH- increase. However, due to the much much lower carbonate concentration, your tank would not be well protected against pH drops.

Hence in order to result in a better buffering solution against both ups and downs, pH have to be maintained at 8.3. This gives a considerable amount of carbonates and bicarbonates concentration to resist pH swing. So responsible additive manufacturers will have a well mix of these concentrations to help ppl in maintaining their tanks pH and dkh.

However, more often than not, some manufacturers rigged their additives with certain chemicals like borates to boost total alk, as this ions in even very small concentration buffers against pH swing very very well. So after addition, you will find that you might indeed measure with usual test kits that your tank has high alk levels, but maybe underlying, carb and bicarb levels are low... From what i have read, i know seachem uses artificially high concentrations of borates to achieve this.

There is a great debate on the effect of high concentration of borates, in the tank. But i dun wish to comment on that as i personally feel, so long these concentration when deviate from the natural levels to extreme levels, would not be good for the LS.

Hence, knowing what you are adding and in this sense I would think that having a calcium reactor and controlling the quality of your calcium media would be the best solution for now.