R/O D/I water treatment

[Quicksilver1972]

I been posting my topics in the wrong forum, sorry everyone, here is my question, if I install R/O D/I water treatment, will I need a CA reactor to replenish calcium for my corals?

 

[spaulr]

If you have corals or Live rock and want to see them grow then the definite answer is yes. You need to be adding some sort of Calcium additive to the water. You could also use a Kalk reactor - cheaper than the CA reactors. Coraline algaes and corals suck the calcium out of the water to grow no matter what type of water you are using.

With just fish, I don't think you need to add CA, but I could be wrong about that one....

 

[spaulr]

edit...

 

[Quicksilver1972]

Thank you for the reply Spaulr, I have never herd of a Kualk reactor how does it work?

 

[spaulr]

Here's a good thread.

http://www.reefs.org/phpBB2/viewtopic.p ... lk+reactor

Some people use both, but most use either a Calcium reactor or a Kalkwasser reactor. Here is another link that explains what Kalkwasser is. My explanantion would be sketchy at best .

http://www.simplifiedreefkeeping.com/faq/17.htm

 

[ChrisRD]

Unless you have a large reef or one that has very high Ca/Alk demand (ie. lots of stony corals) a balanced 2-part additive like B-Ionic is a simple, safe and very effective way to supplement Ca/Alk.

Dosing kalkwasser is another effective (and cheap) balanced method to supplement Ca/Alk but beware of the pH raising effect. If you add too much too quickly to your system you can have seriously problems.

Kalkwasser (aka lime water) is made by mixing calcium hydroxide (lime) with freshwater. Many people use ordinary pickling lime that you can buy in the grocery store for this (very cheap).

A kalk "reactor" simply automates the mixing process. It basically consists of a chamber you load with lime/kalk powder. Freshwater is dose into the chamber and a pump or stirring device aggitates the mixture. The freshwater being introduced into the sealed chamber forces limewater out the other end and into the tank.

HTH

 

[Quicksilver1972]

This is our set-up,
46g bow front
All Glass

61 lbs LR
30lbs Substrate/sand

Skilter for up to 55g
Odyssea 250 powerhead
Odyssea CF Lighting
300 watt submergiable heater

Zoanthids
Green Mushrooms
Toadstool Leather

4 Turbo snails
4 sand snails
1 Bumblebee snail

1 Firefish
2 Purple Firefish
2 Oscel.. Clowns
2 Yellow Clown Goby's
1 Blue Hippo Tang
2 Skunk Cleaner Shrimp

Plus some hitchikers. still not sure what we all have yet. Been up and running for 2 1/2 months.

We Have no Stony corals., as of yet. We are just asking more questions and trying to learn more before we go any further, but thank you for the replies and all of the advice.