Calcium reactor adjustment help please
- Thread starter twabatman2004
- Start date
twabatman2004
New member
Thanks for the help! It is just a single reactor.
twabatman2004
New member
Yesterday I checked and the tank was 14KH. I did a 10 gallon water change about 3 hours ago and just checked it and it was at 15-16KH. The reactor is the only thing I have changed and have not added any buffers ect to the tank. The effluent calcium level is coming out at 460 and the KH is crazy high. I stopped putting drops in on the test kit at like 20KH. The PH in the reactor chamber is about 6.6-6.8. The tank calcium is still at 380 with the KH as mentioned previously at this time 15-16. PH is normal at 8.1. I do run my refugium on a reverse light cycle but all test were done with main tank lights on. Any insight?
tkeracer619
New member
Turn off the gas to the reactor. Wait till the dkh naturally lowers to 8-10. Your about to nuke your tank.
You do not adjust levels with a reactor. You do that with 2 part. A carx is only to be used to keep it stable.
You need to start by dosing the tank. Bring the reactor online. Turn the water up to a small stream. Slowly turn gas up until you don't need to dose anymore.
You do not adjust levels with a reactor. You do that with 2 part. A carx is only to be used to keep it stable.
You need to start by dosing the tank. Bring the reactor online. Turn the water up to a small stream. Slowly turn gas up until you don't need to dose anymore.
twabatman2004
New member
Crap! Gas turned off untill I can get it back down. I had the co2 at about 2 bubbles a second and the effluent dripping a few drops a second for refference. I had it like this because that was the only way I could get the PH to around 6.6-6.8
twabatman2004
New member
Thats what I did. Then I ran into this KH problem so i completly cut the co2 off. I will start all over tomorrow or whenever the KH comes back down.
Just get a controller and stop with the bubbles per second. That's old school. Set your drip rate to just under a drop a second and start with a controlled ph of 6.5 with arm media. If you have extra coarse media you'll need a ph of 6.3-6.4. Your alk in the effluent should be untestable. Mine is well over 25 dkh.
If you set the effluent stream too fast you'll be ****ing away co2 and you'll have diluted effluent. 45-60 drops per min and tweak ph from there to maintain alk and calcium.
Ca rectors put out a bunch of alk so test daily and adjust ph .2 until you got it dialed in.
Get your alk under controll slowley with water changes and fire the reactor up.
Pm me of you need more help.
If you set the effluent stream too fast you'll be ****ing away co2 and you'll have diluted effluent. 45-60 drops per min and tweak ph from there to maintain alk and calcium.
Ca rectors put out a bunch of alk so test daily and adjust ph .2 until you got it dialed in.
Get your alk under controll slowley with water changes and fire the reactor up.
Pm me of you need more help.
CaRx media will begin to dissolve at a ph of about 7.6, it will dissolve slowly at that PH, and given that you don't have a high demand for alk, you want the media to dissolve slowly. You have two ways of controlling the alk output, the ph in the reactor, which controls the dissolution rate of the media, and the effluent flow, which controls the amount of alk dispensed. Running the ph so low is causing the effluent to be very rich in alk, so you have to have a very slow effluent flow to keep from adding too much alk. Raise the ph and raise the effluent so that it is a broken stream (which it appears you have already done). Once you get that broken stream, you slowly lower the ph to the desired alk output.
I have the same situation, my reactor can put out a lot more than my alk demands, so I have my ph controlled at 7.3 and the effluent flow a broken stream which is about 6-8 drops per second. I do not change the effluent flow, just the ph in the reactor. I use ReBorn media, which is large media and it dissolves just fine at a higher than normal PH.
Don't make it harder than it has to be. Many of us here have done it this way for years, and it is the easiest way to let the reactor function. Too slow of an effluent stream will only clog the effluent valve, you don't want that, it is a pain to deal with. As your alk demand increases, just lower the ph a point at a time until the alk consumption is in line with the reactor output. What you are doing now is the same thing as trying to keep a car at 20 mph and any time it drops below that, you are flooring the accelerator just to increase the mph slightly, which shoots the car past 20 mph and the engine has to be stopped to allow the car to slow back down. Keep the accelerator pressed just enough to keep the car at a steady 20 mph. Quit flooring it.
Smile and enjoy the tank instead of working so hard to keep the reactor in line with demand.
I have the same situation, my reactor can put out a lot more than my alk demands, so I have my ph controlled at 7.3 and the effluent flow a broken stream which is about 6-8 drops per second. I do not change the effluent flow, just the ph in the reactor. I use ReBorn media, which is large media and it dissolves just fine at a higher than normal PH.
Don't make it harder than it has to be. Many of us here have done it this way for years, and it is the easiest way to let the reactor function. Too slow of an effluent stream will only clog the effluent valve, you don't want that, it is a pain to deal with. As your alk demand increases, just lower the ph a point at a time until the alk consumption is in line with the reactor output. What you are doing now is the same thing as trying to keep a car at 20 mph and any time it drops below that, you are flooring the accelerator just to increase the mph slightly, which shoots the car past 20 mph and the engine has to be stopped to allow the car to slow back down. Keep the accelerator pressed just enough to keep the car at a steady 20 mph. Quit flooring it.
Smile and enjoy the tank instead of working so hard to keep the reactor in line with demand.
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twabatman2004
New member
CaRx media will begin to dissolve at a ph of about 7.6, it will dissolve slowly at that PH, and given that you don't have a high demand for alk, you want the media to dissolve slowly. You have two ways of controlling the alk output, the ph in the reactor, which controls the dissolution rate of the media, and the effluent flow, which controls the amount of alk dispensed. Running the ph so low is causing the effluent to be very rich in alk, so you have to have a very slow effluent flow to keep from adding too much alk. Raise the ph and raise the effluent so that it is a broken stream (which it appears you have already done). Once you get that broken stream, you slowly lower the ph to the desired alk output.
I have the same situation, my reactor can put out a lot more than my alk demands, so I have my ph controlled at 7.3 and the effluent flow a broken stream which is about 6-8 drops per second. I do not change the effluent flow, just the ph in the reactor. I use ReBorn media, which is large media and it dissolves just fine at a higher than normal PH.
Don't make it harder than it has to be. Many of us here have done it this way for years, and it is the easiest way to let the reactor function. Too slow of an effluent stream will only clog the effluent valve, you don't want that, it is a pain to deal with. As your alk demand increases, just lower the ph a point at a time until the alk consumption is in line with the reactor output. What you are doing now is the same thing as trying to keep a car at 20 mph and any time it drops below that, you are flooring the accelerator just to increase the mph slightly, which shoots the car past 20 mph and the engine has to be stopped to allow the car to slow back down. Keep the accelerator pressed just enough to keep the car at a steady 20 mph. Quit flooring it.
Smile and enjoy the tank instead of working so hard to keep the reactor in line with demand.
pretty dang good anology haha! I will check kh daily and start over when it comes back down. I will keep yall posted when I start over. Thanks for all the help! It is much appreciated! Is thete a controller I could get thas best for me? Simple isbetter
I have never heard of a controller failing, probes yes, the actual controller, no. I have used the Milwaukee since about 2004/5 area and it has been solid. There are many brands available, PinPoint makes a good one, so does Tunze but honestly, unless you just want an expensive one, the Milwaukee is fine. You can also use a reef controller like the Apex, ReefAngel etc as well. I prefer standalone equipment, but that is just me and my quirky attitude. Do what fits the budget, it is a simple device.
Do what fits the budget, it is a simple device.twabatman2004
New member
I finally got the KH back down to 9ish. I turned on the reactor the other night and now my KH has crept back up to 11 or so. I need to turn down the effluent correct because it is supplying the tank with too much akalinity? Just trying to make sure I understand whats going on and why.
tkeracer619
New member
Less gas.
twabatman2004
New member
I would say PH in the reactor is 7.0-7.2. Its tough to match the color on the card. I got a controller. I just have to get the money to order a new probe. the effluent rate is roughly 1.5-2 drops a second. It was about 2-3 drops a second untill i noticed the KH was starting to creep up, so I cut it down thinking this is what I was supposed to do.
twabatman2004
New member
If I turn the gas down, the PH will rise to blue on my PH chart which is over 7.4. The media won't even be breaking down being that high will it?
The liquid ph tests are not very accurate and the reactor media will still dissolve at a ph of 7.6 or less, but more slowly. You want to slow down the dissolution rate.
twabatman2004
New member
Will the PH being that high still have the media (ARM) breaking down? Sorry for the stupid questions. Just trying to learn the in's and out's of this thing.
twabatman2004
New member
Perfect. So as the tank demand (corals grow) grows, i will slowly decrease the PH and up effluent rate to keep up with the tank demand correct?
