Let's talk about water quality in an SPS tank.

[JB NY]

Originally posted by CAreefer
6.55 after the dual chamber? Wouldn't that make the first chamber about 6.2? I thought that the ARM media turned to mush at 6.5. I have had the setting as low as 6.65 and that definitely shot up the tank levels. You mention stability in alk and calc, IYO, what are stable levels? no fluctuation, .5 dKH? I think once the reactor is dialed in, it should not fluctuate more than .05 or so.

CAReefer

Sorry I missed your question earlier.

My first chamber is 6.35. That make the effluent 6.55. I have no problems with the media turning to mush.

My alk is at 9.6 dKH, it rarely fluctuates at all. If it does only about 1.0 - 0.5 in a month or so. It's always around 9-10 dKH.

reefdood, My swing is 1.1 degree above the target temp and 0.8 below the target temp. Meaning if I have the target temp at 79 the chiller turns on at 80.1 and the heaters turn on at 78.2.

HTH

[goodfortune]

Following this thread, and getting my tank ready for SPS.

When you talk about phosphates, I've heard that using Kalk and directing it to the intake of your skimmer pump can remove PO4, due to the high localized pH, and also because the skimmer will remove the preciptate particles out of the water column.

However, I don't remember anyone mentioning using Kalk as a tool for removing PO4 in this thread. Is it becuase it does not work in real life, or that you can't get PO4 low enough using this method?

All feedback welcome; thanks!

- Michael

[fishdoc11]

Kalk will bind with PO4 and the PO4 will precipitate. Then it can be removed by the skimmer. I've never heard of adding it so it can go right into the skimmer. Typically kalk is added to the return section of the sump.
Chris

[JB NY]

I think kalk might help a little. I've seen no real proof that it does reduce PO4 though. If anyone has done a study I've not found it.

Anyway, while I think kalk can be helpful in a reef tank, I don't think the primary reason should be the reduction on phosphates.

[Obi-dad]

I also have read about phosphate precipitation with kalkwasser. Anyone know what threads that is in?

[NuclearReefs]

Kalk does precipitate the PO4. I have and still to this day drip my kalk into the air intake on my ETS and never have an issue with po4 unless my RO cartridges get really gunked.

What fishdoc is saying about it binding is correct,,, I guess randy may be a better person to ask on this.. I will start a thread their ..

Nathan

[Scuba Dog]

Im sure the kalk helps some with the phosphates, but the primary reason I use kalk is for Ph reasons...

[NuclearReefs]

you guys wanna follow it ,, this is the link to the thread I started in Randy's Forum

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showth...hreadid=470501


Nathan

[fishdoc11]

Thanks NuclearReefs

So it has been experimentally proven to reduce PO4(which backs up what I have had happen in one of my tanks) but the mechanism is not known. So it may or may not bind PO4:-)

Chris

[NuclearReefs]

Chris.. it looks like more work needs to be put into it. But what randy was saying about the calcification of PO4 making that Gunk that builds up on our pumps etc,,, makes alot of sense..it seems when I dose kalk the way I normally do I have top clean my pumps more.. could this be from the Limewater knocking the orthophosphates out? hmm,,, I'll start this testing after I get moved,,,,,,,,,

Nathan

[Oscar19]

wowo this is some great info keep it comming

Pawel

[coolfishy101]

I have also found it useful to rinse off any new equipment before it enters the tank. There is always the possibility of oils or manufacturing chemicals coating the equipment and causing tanks with perfect conditions to lead to some RTN or bleaching.

[NaH2Ofreak]

NuclearReefs, that is an interesting idea concerning the Iron Oxide based PO4 removers causing the RTN issues in tanks that have no refugium. Has there been an sort of "poll" done on this factor???

Dennis

[BigDaddyIII]

here is a question... many use carbon for chemical filtration

what is the consensus on products such as chem-zorb and phos-zorb?

[JB NY]

Don't know. Never used them. What kind of chemicals are in them?

[ktm]

The tap water in my area have lots of impurities like phosphate,silicates....... etc and I do not have a DI/RO unit to purify it. I change my 10% of my water every week with NSW bought from nearby LFS.

Can I run my kalk reactor with my tank water tee off from the return pump instead of mixing it with my tapwater? I do not have much evaporation issue cos I change my water every week and running my chiller at 26C-26.5C. My use of the kalk is mainly to stablise the ph and alk as i'm also using a calcium reactor.

Can show a pic of ur baffles in ur sump? I'm currently using the filter floss in between 2 baffles to prevent air bubbles from my beckett skimmer flowing to my return pump...........without the filter floss, the air bubbles can still go through the 2 baffles. And I hate to change the dirty filter floss every 2 days.

ktm

[JB NY]

Originally posted by ktm
Can I run my kalk reactor with my tank water tee off from the return pump instead of mixing it with my tapwater? I do not have much evaporation issue cos I change my water every week and running my chiller at 26C-26.5C. My use of the kalk is mainly to stablise the ph and alk as i'm also using a calcium reactor.

The water change should have no effect on evaporation. I change out about 13% weekly and still evaporate about 5 gallons a day.

I don't understand your question about adding kalk. Do you want to just mix kalk with the tank water and add it?

[aquariumclown]

You cannot use tank water (saltwater) for mix with kalk. It will bind to the salt water like cement.

[druluv]

Originally posted by JB NY

I also removed all traces of caulerpa from the tank. After looking into the matter and speaking with people such as Calfo and Borneman I can to the conclusion that caulerpa is just way too toxic to be in a reef tank. So only cheatomorpha for me from now on..

Healthy caulerpa create The toxins that are bad for sps?

[druluv]

Originally posted by JB NY

I also removed all traces of caulerpa from the tank. After looking into the matter and speaking with people such as Calfo and Borneman I can to the conclusion that caulerpa is just way too toxic to be in a reef tank. So only cheatomorpha for me from now on..

Healthy caulerpa create The toxins that are bad for sps?

[JB NY]

Yes.

Some general information

The worst in terms of toxicity is caulerpa racemosa.

Fish that continually eat unnatural amounts of caulerpa will die.

Stony Coral growth is inhibited by noxious emissions of caulerpa when in close proximity.

Caulerpa produce toxic metabolites that can be toxic in small concentrations to urchin larvae within 24 hours, some toxic to fish within 1 hour.

50% of conchs died within 6 days feeding on Caulerpa caulerpenyne at very high levels.

Most of the toxins are located in the tips of young growing plants and reproductive structures. So the more you prune it the higher levels of toxins get released due to the pruning.

If you can find them, check these studies

Meinesz, Alexandre and Simberloff, Daniel. 1999. Killer Algae.
University of Chicago Press, Chicago. pp. 295-304.

Littler, Diane Scullion and Littler, Mark Masterson. 2000. Caribbean Reef Plants.
OffShore Graphics Inc, Washington, D.C. pp. 356-380

Hashimoto Y, Fusetani N, Nozawa K.
Screening of the toxic algae on coral reefs. 569-572.

Anjaneyulu ASR, Prakash CVS, Raju KVS, Mallavadhani UV. 1992.
Isolation of new aromatic derivatives from a marine algal species Caulerpa racemosa.
J Natural Products 55(4): 496-499.

[ssbreef]

This is a very interesting and also a very long thread. I did read about 5 pages deep and didn’t see anything on micro bubbles. My tank parameters are all in check except for the clarity of my water due to micro bubbles from a 802 powerhead that I have in my tank. Could the micro bubbles be causing me any problems with coral coloration? I have tried everything and I can't get good color out of my corals, All of my parameters are in check and very stable and I'm starting to get a little frustrated. Could the micro bubbles be the culprit?

[JB NY]

micro bubbles have no effect IMO. I get them in my tank, I never pay any attention to them.

[vair]

Great thread.

I have recentlly upgraded to a 320g sps tank with about 450g total water volume. After my upgrade I got a bit burned out and got lazy on my water changes, it was a lot of work. Went on month long holidays had some one to feed the tank, check equipment and that was it. I think my skimmer stopped working soon after I left.

After I got back from holidays my tank was pretty messed up, hair algae, cyro and corals not looking super happy and now a couple of months with out water changes!!

So I've got back into it for a couple of weeks and I'm keen lots of water changes, things are looking better. Cyro is basically gone, hair algae is slowing. corals coloring up.

Sorry for rambling on... JB NY here is my question: I read you run 'passive' carbon. I've been doing the same for years and was thinking going more of a 'active' flow through carbon system. Is there a reason you don't? I've read a few opinions that passive can be a waste of time??
Also do you run a fluidized reactor for P04 removal media?

Any one suggest a good carbon system or fluidized reactor?

Dave

[JB NY]

Originally posted by vair
JB NY here is my question: I read you run 'passive' carbon. I've been doing the same for years and was thinking going more of a 'active' flow through carbon system. Is there a reason you don't? I've read a few opinions that passive can be a waste of time??
Also do you run a fluidized reactor for P04 removal media?

Any one suggest a good carbon system or fluidized reactor?

Dave

I run the carbon in a bag in the sump, mainly because it is easier than using a reactor.

I think the carbon run through a reactor is a better way to do it. It;s just a little more work.

I do run PO4 remover in a fluidized reactor. I am currently using the TLF Phosban reactor, but am switching to a Deltec reactor this week. The TLF seems to have problems every few months and would leak, I've gone through two of them so I just broke down and bought the Deltec.