Ca reactor question

[reeferhabit]

I can not seem to adjust my ca reactor to get my ca around 420 and alk around 10.

The ca reactor is setup so the controller turns on the co2 when the ph of the effluent rises above 7 and turns off the co2 when ph drops to 6.7.

With this setup my ca is 500 and my alk is 13

I would change the range so the co2 turns on at a ph of 7.4 and off at 7 but from what I read crushed coral does not dissolve as well unless the ph is less than 6.9.

Any thoughts?

 

[tkeracer619]

reduce the effluent flow. keep the co2 the same.

A CaRx should be used to keep the system stable. Don't adjust it with the reactor. Get the system stable and the adjust by adding 2 part or turning off the co2 until it hits your kh target.

 

[tkeracer619]

I didn't click twice! I swear

 

[reeferhabit]

Do I just turn down the valve dripping into the effluent cup?

 

[tkeracer619]

yes.

Make a small adjustment

 

[125mph]

Yes turn down the effluency.. Mine is dripping in.

 

[reeferhabit]

I adjusted the drip to about 1 drip per second. Previously it was closer to 3 drips per second. I will retest this evening.

 

[125mph]

It could take a few days to see a difference depending on your system consumtion rate.

 

[reeferhabit]

Now I'm even more baffled.
I retested today (2 days after my last post) and my alk and ca is even higher after I slowed down the effluent drip.
Alk: 15
Ca: 510

I have turned off my co2 tank but I need to find the solution to keeping my alk balanced.
Any thoughts?

 

[reeferhabit]

Now I'm even more baffled.
I retested today (2 days after my last post) and my alk and ca is even higher after I slowed down the effluent drip.
Alk: 15
Ca: 510

I have turned off my co2 tank but I need to find the solution to keeping my alk balanced.
Any thoughts?

 

[James77]

What is the alkalinity of the effluent coming out? If you reduced the effluent but not the co2, it may be dissolving more media since the ph will be lower.

 

[James77]

I would just start from scratch, and start off low with the reactor. Let the system fall to where you want, adjust either accordingly. Then start up the reactor at a conservative setting and slowly adjust it and correct the parameters over some time n

 

[dahenley]

read these 2.
they arnt real long, and they will help you out.
its just a guide, but it defiantly helped me get mine going, and once i got it doing, i havent changed it yet!

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-05/sh/feature/index.php

http://kb.marinedepot.com/article.aspx?id=11087&utm_source=MarineDepot.com+Newsletter&utm_campaign=0d09c399ce-How_to_Set_up_a_Calcium_Reactor10_1_2010&utm_medium=email&mc_cid=0d09c399ce&mc_eid=acbdd5a6ee

 

[dahenley]

also, note that in those articles, you cant control the Calcium, you have to watch the ALK.
but, if you set your ALK, it will maintain that and the calcium at that level. (it wont ever raise the Cal, and not raise the ALK. Its all explained in those articles)

 

[dahenley]

also, note that in those articles, you cant control the Calcium, you have to watch the ALK.
but, if you set your ALK, it will maintain that and the calcium at that level. (it wont ever raise the Cal, and not raise the ALK. Its all explained in those articles)

 

[reeferhabit]

Thanks for the articles, but did not seem to address two of my questions.

Since I have a controller I thought the bubble rate was not as important. For exampl, I can set the bubble rate faster than normal and if it dropped the ph too low the controller would shut off the co2...right?

My second question, what is the purpose of the second outlet and what is the recommended drip rate? The first outlet is being used as the effluent with a drip rate of 40/min per instructions.

If I turnback the co2 to slow down the bubble rate it will increase the ph in the effluent drip to rise above 7

 

[dahenley]

what reactor do you have?

 

[dahenley]

i have this reactor.

Question,
1) do you have a PH port "in" your 1st chamber?
2) is your reactor a Single chamber or dual (does it have 1 tube or 2?)

Since I have a controller I thought the bubble rate was not as important. For exampl, I can set the bubble rate faster than normal and if it dropped the ph too low the controller would shut off the co2...right?

bubble rate has some bearing. but it depends on yrou effluent rate. if your bubble rate is high and your effluent rate is slow, then yes, the controller will shut it down as needed, but it also takes x amount of time for the water to absorb the CO2 and drop the PH. (if can dump a lot,a nd when the controller says its 6.7, and shuts off the CO2, it can still drop to 6.5 or lower because of the time it takes to absorbe the CO2.) if its too slow, then it wont be able to absorb enough CO2 to drop to your desiered level. so its just a balancing act. (also, you can cavitate your circulation pump. lol)

My second question, what is the purpose of the second outlet and what is the recommended drip rate? The first outlet is being used as the effluent with a drip rate of 40/min per instructions

usually most CA reactors have a a PH port in the lid of the 1st chamber. this lets you control the 1st chamber and do what your doing. then, you take the effluent line and run it to the bottom of the 2nd chamber. the 2nd chamber "buffers" the water. it absorbs any excess CO2 and helps raise the PH of the water going back to the tank/sump. its not necessary, but when your demand gets higher and your effluent goes up, it may have the ability to lower your tank PH and then it will help.

maybe that will help more?

 

[dahenley]

also, what size tank do you have and how many corals do you have? and what kind?

 

[reeferhabit]

I have a koralin c1502.
Its a single chamber and the ph probe is in a cup where the effluent drips into.
My tank is a 125g with 8 lps and 2 sps.
The guys at the lfs said to try keeping the ph range 6.9-7.2 in the effluent cup. Currently it's 6.7-7.