SPS Growth Pics

[XXX]

8-22-01

8-02-02

12-03-01

9-10-02

 

[esmithiii]

Very nice!

Ernie

 

[Anonymous]

Nice pics. Nice growth too. What do you use to maintain calcium and alkalinity?

Louey

 

[Anonymous]

If you check out his sight he uses a calcium reactor.

 

[thinhvu]

really nice! What is the name of the 2nd SPS.

 

[XXX]

Thanks to all for the kind words. I use a Korallin 1501 with a Geo 2nd stage. I keep the alk cranked up in the 14dKH area and calcium in the 475 range.

The second coral is a montipora sp. The tank pics on my site are several months old so things look quite a bit different now. I will have some updated pics there soon.

 

[clk2609]

wow, really nice sps you have there. looked at your website and set-up. see you are using calc reactor. question is: you are replenishing evaportated water with kalk, why? do you add anymore supplements in addition to the calc reactor?

asking because i added a knopC reactor about 3 months ago and am keeping the effluent pH at 6.6 in aquarium: calcium staying around 375ppm, alk around 12, pH 7.9-8.2 ......seems i still have to dose B-ionic to keep calcium levels up, do you think i should just increase the CO2 and drip rate or just keep dosing B-ionic? i dose about 1/4 of B-ionic with the reactor rather than full doses without the reactor.

please reply if you have time, thanks
chris

 

[XXX]

Chris,

Have you been able to boost your calcium to the 400-450 range with the B-ionic? If not try to get it to that range. If it will not hold after that then you need to push the reactor a little harder. I think increasing yur effluent only might raise the calcium, but it has been so long since I read anything about it I can not be sure I am remembering correctly. A search wil net you plenty of info.

I use kalk water for nightime replenishing for pH reasons. I have my reactor cranked so high that even with kalk and nightime refugium lighting my pH dips into the 7.78-7.82 range. I don't use any other supplements.

 

[esmithiii]

Kalk will also cause phosphates to precipitate out. All in all, everyone who I have heard of using both Ca reactor and kalkwasser seem to have incredible results. I just can't afford a calcium reactor at this point.

Ernie

 

[houstonreef]

Steve,


How much did you pay for Calc Reactor from GEO.

 

[clk2609]

i went ahead and boosted my effluent and will not add B-ionic for 3 days, then measure calcium, alk again to see if i can increase calcium without supplements. so you don't even use magnesium for your sps? just read that Mg helped out much more but apparently in your case your sps' are doing great. i will let you know the results, thanks for the reply
chris

 

[esmithiii]

As for dosing suppliments, I don't dose anything that I can't test for. You should check your Mg levels before dosing, IMO.

Personally I like Kalkwasser over B-ionic.

Ernie

 

[clk2609]

will do, thanks for the recommendation about Mg
chris

 

[XXX]

Chris,

It may or not be necessary to achieve your increase in calcium with an additive. I prefer Turbo Calcium over the two part additives. I would use the B-ionic to try to get to the higher range and then let the reactor take over.

Houstonreef,

Only my second stage is from Geo. My reactor in a Korallin. I saw the Geo at MACNA though and it is a very nice unit.