Calcium reactor help?

[spankey]

I set up a calcium reactor a week ago. Its been running in reactor around 6.5 PH. I have my CO2 coming out of the bubble guage at 1 drop forming at about every 5 seconds. My output is about 36 drops per minute... My tank is 75gallons with a 30g fuge....

My PH is holding around 7.9 night and 8.1 night. My DKH is around 7-8....

I was testing my calcium everyday and it was around 450-460. Today I tested the tank and its off the chart. Over 500. I use salifert for testing. New kits too.

What would anyone recomend doing to bring this down. Should I slow the output down but then it would drop the PH in the reactor down.....

Thanks
Spankey

 

[Henry Bowman]

Sounds like your reactor is producing more than the tank needs. With the Ca that high, your Dkh is a little low. The reactor should be running the alk a little higher, I'd think

I'd take the reactor offline and wait for the Ca to come down. Then get the tank balanced with a 2 part additive where you want it and start the reactor again. When you restart it you could keep the Co2 rate the same (approx) and run the effluent a little faster say 45-50 drops per min.

It'd be interesting to see what Jdiek has to say. He browses the Chemistry forum and has an on line calculator here http://home.comcast.net/~jdieck1/reactor.html that can help.

My 2 cents.

 

[Big Boy69]

Taggin along, just started running mine about 1.5 weeks ago.

 

[spankey]

Thanks. I actually raised my alk and turned down my Co2. Today the calcium is around 500 and the DKH was 7. I raised the DKH so hopefully it will stabalize...

My buddy however is the oposite? His calcium was 460 but his alk spiked to 15dkh??? Whats up with that, anyone?????

 

[Henry Bowman]

I'm not real sure of the math at the moment but your buddy is close to having a Ca snowstorm (precipitation of Ca out of solution) in his tank. If he is running a reactor, he needs to cut back the Co2 pretty quick.

As for your tank, I'm glad you are getting it into a reasonable level. Keep testing (I know it's a Pain in the Ar$$).

As an aside, if you use the calculator it asks for the alk reading for the effluent. You will notice that all the calculations revolve around alkalinity. An interesting statement that I saw in a thread is that the reactors we use are really better viewed as alkalinity reactors with Ca being a beneficial by product. I am probably being too basic but.... consider this. A reactor will always add Ca and Alk in a balanced manner. If your tank is not at targeted levels when you start it, the reactor will NOT bring it into balance. You have to do that with supplements.

FWIW.

 

[spankey]

Great info and makes Perfect Sense!!! Thanks.

I will take mine offline and balance my tank and then restart it!

Spankey

 

[spankey]

Yesterday I turned down my Co2 bubble rate to about 1 bubble every 8 seconds.. This morning the tank tested 450 calcium and 7.6 DKH on the alk side... My PH was at 8.1 in the morning so I am sure it is around 8.3 in the afternoon...

I will keep my eye on the tank and see if it is starting to balance out.

The PH in the calcium reactor with this bubble rate is at 6.72

So the Co2 at the gauges is around 1 bubble every 8 seconds

the drip rate in the tank is 32 drops a minute....

Thanks again for your help and time!

Spankey

 

[Henry Bowman]

I know you said you have new test kits. Who are they made by? Your tank seems to have a pretty high consumption and or the kits are not giving real accurate readings.... You need to watch the tank closely, seems like the numbers are moving pretty quick. Hopefully it will stabilize where it is.

On the other side, if it does not stabilize, you should in fact shut off the Co2 (leave the water running through the reactor) and get the tank balanced with a 2 part as opposed to continuously trying to adjust the reactor. It's like a see-saw with rubber in the middle. It will be very hard to adjust the reactor to make a correction and then adjust it to maintain optimum levels. (this process violates the inner tinkerer that most reefkeepers are afflicted with) ;-)

Good Luck and I'm glad I could help !

 

[Big Boy69]

I'm the guy Sal's talking about.
I turned my bubble co2 count down to 12 per minute and I have 38-40 out going drops per minute. The ph in my reactor was at 6.75 when I left for work this morning. I added Calcium last night to balance out the alk/calc. I recheck my levels tonight when I get home. If It's not looking good, I'll take my reactor off line and get balanced the best I can with 2 part and restart the reactor.

 

[Big Boy69]

^^

 

[Henry Bowman]

I think you are on the right track. Just use a 2 part additive to get the tank into line and test, test, test to ensure the reactor is holding the tank steady.