Alternative Reactor Media

[DonW]

Ok Don lets play!!!!!!!! Whats the calcium on that puppy??


Mike

Dont know, Ive been pondering this for awhile now. Maybe some sort of pressurized vessel 20+ gallons. Using RO water as the source and this would also be the top off water. The theory is that using tank water as the source is a bit decieving with a normal reactor since you probably already have a dkh of 8 and a ca of 380. Since ro water already has a low ph, less co2 is used. Also there is no salt so it easy to get the water to become fully carbonated/saturated.
Make sense?

Don

 

[scottw]

Schuran media is a GREAT way to go. Allows the water to get through, doesn’t trap the CO2 gas. I love it. I would use it in any reactor out there, while I have a Jetstream I used this media in my MRC. And it’s cheap to boot.

This was my Deltec.. HATE THE MEDIA.

And my shameless plug to show off my daughter. I mean Media

 

[scottw]

Do you have to have a Deltec reactor to use it, or can it be used in other fluidized reactors?

you can use that media in ANY and ALL fluidized reactors, but its a pain in the you know what to get it clean at first. I dont like the media, and its so small it will get out and go into your sump. And the cost is WAY too high.. WAY to high..

As a matter of fact I have 2 20kg bags now from when I had my deltec, it does me no good, if you like it I will trade you corals or something for all of it, if you want to try some Nikki just let me know and I will bring some Sat for a frag of something. Just let me know.

scott

 

[NaH2O]

Thanks, Scott - I'd take you up on the offer......if I had corals ready to be fragged (since they are frags themselves), or a Calcium reactor to put it in . Working on both of those things .

 

[Boomer]

Guys

Have you see these ?

Calcium Carbonate for CaCO3/CO2 Reactors: More Than Meets the Eye
http://web.archive.org/web/20010210...twork.com/fish2/aqfm/1997/aug/bio/default.asp

Greg Hillers analysis of limestone media for CaCO3/CO2 reactors
http://www.aquariumfish.com/aquariumfish/detail.aspx?aid=1995&cid=124&search=


Calcium Reactor Substrate -- Phosphate Levels
by Greg Hiller
http://www.advancedaquarist.com/issues/april2003/short.htm

A Guide to Using Calcium Reactors
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-05/sh/feature/index.htm

 

[mojoreef]

Sure have boomer thus the search for a better source. Or did I miss something??


Mike

 

[scottw]

Thanks, Scott - I'd take you up on the offer......if I had corals ready to be fragged (since they are frags themselves), or a Calcium reactor to put it in . Working on both of those things .

hehe, well just let me know when you do and I will give you some to try for free and when you have BIG corals you can slide me a piece

 

[Boomer]

Or did I miss something??

Yah, find a mine where they mine pure calcite (Calcium Carbonate). Get some and get it crushed to proper grain size. OR just go to a chemical supply hosue and just buy some If you have lots of money to throw around then buy ACS certified, 99.99 % pure. Tell the wife you have to sell her car first :lol:

2.5 kg $258.39

Assay 99.95-100.05% Insoluble in dilute HCl 0.01%
Chloride 0.001% Fluoride 0.0015%
Sulfate 0.005% Ammonium 0.003%
Barium 0.01% Magnesium 0.01%
Potassium 0.01% Sodium 0.01%
Strontium 0.1% Heavy Metals (as Pb) 0.001%
Iron 0.002%

 

[mojoreef]

Yea I know that but whats the difference between what we have access to now?? Most reactor media is just bought either directly from a mine of through a clearing house right?? From the conversations I have had so far you can get it in any size particle you want. All sorts of different grades to.



Mike

 

[Angelscrx]

Schuran media is a GREAT way to go. Allows the water to get through, doesn’t trap the CO2 gas. I love it. I would use it in any reactor out there, while I have a Jetstream I used this media in my MRC. And it’s cheap to boot.

This was my Deltec.. HATE THE MEDIA.

And my shameless plug to show off my daughter. I mean Media

Beautiful little girl EA!

great thread and great read all. Thanks

 

[scottw]

Beautiful little girl EA!

great thread and great read all. Thanks

Thank you angelscrx

 

[Boomer]

Most reactor media is just bought either directly from a mine of through a clearing house right?? From the conversations I have had so far you can get it in any size particle you want. All sorts of different grades to.

I could not agree more but you will not find really good pure clean grades, without paying. We are just getting the left over garbage Not all aragonite is the same, as I'm sure you already know. If you have ever looked at assays of aragonite material or even limestone the do-doo is all over the place. Most depends on what animal made it to begin with. Just for the heck of it have you tried puka shells. In the olden day when we had tests done on puka shells they always came out on top. Years ago you could get it in bags. I see CaribSea has them. I have yet heard anyone trying it in a reactor...........just thinkin'

Real puka shells are from Hawaii and are a small round shell with a center hole found on hawaiian beaches

 

[gbr]

Here's what the supposed Caribsea puka looks like. Judging by Boomers description this is not real puka...but the dreaded Aruban Puka. Had a bag in the garage as I bought it about 6 months ago thinking the same thing, cheap ARM alternative. Notice the nice gray "rock" and lack of puka. Most of it looks like coral/snail remains that were scooped right off the beach. I would bet Caribsea gets ARM by grinding this or similar shell up, whether they say so or not. If I hadn't just filled my reactor I would be willing to try this just to let everyone know how it goes...check back in 3 months.

no, the penny didn't come in the bag... :lol:

 

[mojoreef]

Just for the heck of it have you tried puka shells. In the olden day when we had tests done on puka shells they always came out on top. Years ago you could get it in bags.

Hmm thats funny I would have thought that they would be higher in P then normal limestone?? Arent gastropod shells always higher in P because they use it to bind the CaCo3??


MIke

 

[DonW]

Here's what the supposed Caribsea puka looks like. Judging by Boomers description this is not real puka...but the dreaded Aruban Puka. Had a bag in the garage as I bought it about 6 months ago thinking the same thing, cheap ARM alternative. Notice the nice gray "rock" and lack of puka. Most of it looks like coral/snail remains that were scooped right off the beach. I would bet Caribsea gets ARM by grinding this or similar shell up, whether they say so or not. If I hadn't just filled my reactor I would be willing to try this just to let everyone know how it goes...check back in 3 months.

no, the penny didn't come in the bag... :lol:

Ive tried that stuff in my reactor. The P was very high. I'd probably stay away. But I really dont think were going to come up with a great diy media. I'm sure there has got to be a better way to disolve what we already have.

Don

 

[Boomer]

Yah, that stuff is NOT real puka shells. It is just a collecting of garbage.

Puka, IIRC are not gastropods. Limestone ! some of that is right of the chart. But then again so is some crushed coral. The amount of P in limestone is going to be dependent on what it was originally and its geologic event. Limestone and some so called "shells", "coral" (which are fossils) have little if any aragonite, as the geologic process removes most of it, as aragonite is altered to calcite and Sr does not fit into the calcite lattice. The issue of P in carbonates is which animal/plant it was. Natural geologic forming aragonite sands, formed from a nucleus and wave actions accompanied by bacterial surface activity should have the lowest P, as in Bahama Banks sand

 

[gbr]

So if "Southdown" was not so fine or could be somehow cheaply and purely bound into larger clumps, it might be a cheap alternative? Assuming we could get it here.

 

[Boomer]

Jut to correct myself True puka shells are gastropods, most are Conus sp

 

[Rico]

Boomer,

What is your thought on the SeaChem Grey Coast Calcite as a suppliment in CA reactors?

http://www.seachem.com/products/product_pages/GrayCoast.html

Just to toss something else into this discussion. I am running a DIY fluidized reactor and have added a small amount of the SeaChem Grey Coast Calcite to help keep the MG up. My reactor PH is typically 6.25, with tank CA at 400-420 and ALK at 3.4 Meq. The MG is 1050 ~ 1100.

Rick

 

[Boomer]

I have seen that stuff before but never thought of its use in a reactor. First issue is would this be true "magnesium calcite" . This stuff is the most soluble of the carbonates. Quite often it is the stuff the precips out on carbonate gravel as surface precip. This stuff is not true "magnesium calcite" IMHO, as you rarely find rock deposits of it as geologic events alter it.

I have tried to beat this into people heads on our chem forum, even Randy. They can't get it out of their head and the same for SeaChem Magnesium maybe, that Magnesium Calcite IS NOT Dolomite ( which is often gray). And I will bet an arm and a leg this SeaChem stuff is Dolomite/Dolostone or a variant and not Magnesium Calcite. Why ? It is not found in big quantities, it is a surface coating most of the time. There are some deposits from ooides and some shells that are made of magnesium calcite (meaning sitting on the ocean floor not rocks yet. And then there are speleothem formations (caves). Some dolomites, limestone's etc. have magnesium calcite in them if not fully altered


However, the do say this

However, magnesium calcite, such as our Gray Coastâ„¢, has been shown to have a higher buffer capacity than even aragonite, making it an ideal choice for marine aquaria.

Which does make it sound like the real stuff. But since so many people equate Magnesium Calcite = Dolomite....I wonder if they are being honest. I would like to see an XRD on it, the only true proof An ssay does not tell you it is magnesium calcite.

But for us it is to high in Mg.

If anyone is really interested in the true carbonate world in terms of the chemistry of limestone, aragonite, magnesium calcite, dolomite , etc..The single best ref in the world is

Carbonate Sedimentology by Tucker

and it is sitting on my lap :lol: