Calcium Reactor Questions

[mpcart]

I'm still having trouble keeping my Ca/alk up in my heavily stocked SPS tank. I'm running a GEO 618 that is full of coarse media and is reacently cleaned. pH stays a consistent 6.4 but my Ca stays around 350 and my alk stays around 7-8. Growth is great and I don't have any other issues - its just lower than I want.

How much does "dwell time" in the reactor make a difference. Recently my effluent has been a steady stream (no drips) and the pH has held constant in the reactor. Should I lower the effluent rate for a more concentrated effluent? I thought that if the ph was maintained then that would give me good effluent.

Could the reactor be undersized? Was thinking about upgrading to chadfarmers with almost double the capacity.

Or . . . maybe I have no idea how this thing is supposed to work.

Tank info/pics in my build thread if that helps.

http://reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2267778


-Mike

 

[Tigé21v]

What type of media are you using? Different brands have different ph recommendations, different "melting " points

 

[Pife]

I would dose your calcium up to where you want it. If the reactor is maintaining it at 350 it should maintain it at 420?

 

[Tigé21v]

This may help?
http://reef.diesyst.com/reactor/reactor.html

 

[kegogut]

Isnt Farmer's reactor a 618 also?

 

[smoothdog]

If you are dosing to keep numbers up and then they slowly drop off, I'd be looking at Chad's 818.

 

[mpcart]

Might have to do that.

-Mike

 

[chadfarmer]

I had a 618 about 6-8 years ago. I was running pH at 6 and was melting a few inches of media a month. It's up to u lower pH some, dose up to desired level and it should keep up. Just going to have to add Media often. I went to a 624 then a 818. I always have to learn the hard way.