GEO Calcium Reactor 618 - Help!

[pnyxxpress]

Keep the alkalinity constant. I'll have to get a alkalinity test kit and see where I stand before firing everything back up.

Just for the record can I have too much calcium? I know the target is about 425.

Thanks!

 

[jdieck]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12185500#post12185500 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by pnyxxpress
Keep the alkalinity constant. I'll have to get a alkalinity test kit and see where I stand before firing everything back up.

Just for the record can I have too much calcium? I know the target is about 425.

Thanks!

Yes you can have too mcuh calcium. Usually when using a salt high in calcium and low in alkalinity may switch the balance unless you adjust the new water for water changes before you use it.
This is why when using a balanced additive like Kalk or a calcium reactor it is always better to use a more balanced salt.
Salts that may end up with high calcium and low alkalinity are Tropic Marin pro, Oceanic and Red Sea pro if mixed at 35 ppt.
As mentioned that should not be an issue if you adjust the salt parameters before you use the newly mixed water.

Another situation that arises that can cause high calcium and low alkalinity is those tanks were there is a lot of nitrification going (generally newer tanks or those over stocked). nitrification consumes alkalinity but not calcium so keep that in mind and test for calcium once in a while same as for magnesium.

 

[edandsandy]

jdieck,
heres a update for my tank,
the alkalinity is holding steady at 10
my PH in the reactor is at 6.9/7.0
PH in the tank 8.2/8.3
my calcium is varying, I try to raise it using Kent turbo-calcium.
any advise on why my calcium is dropping?

 

[jdieck]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12188509#post12188509 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by edandsandy
jdieck,
any advise on why my calcium is dropping?

Is your alkalinity dropping also?

 

[edandsandy]

jdieck
no, the alkalinity was holding steady at 9 it started to climb to 10.
As a matter of fact I shook the canister a little yesterday, forming a dust cloud in the canister. Today my DKH is 12 drops or 214.8

 

[jdieck]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12195887#post12195887 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by edandsandy
jdieck
no, the alkalinity was holding steady at 9 it started to climb to 10.
As a matter of fact I shook the canister a little yesterday, forming a dust cloud in the canister. Today my DKH is 12 drops or 214.8

That is a little high but the small particles from the cloud may have skewed the reading.
Do not increase the output of the reactor (remember you want constant alkalinity) make a manual supplementation of calcium only (use turbocalcium or calcium chloride), you can use the calculator to know how much to add.
If you are using a salt with high alkalinity and low calcium (like IO) you may need to adjust the calcium in your new water before making the change, this could be the reason why your alkalinity is high and your calcium low.
Keep an eye on the alkalinity, if it keeps on increasing you may need to shut down the reactor's CO2 for a while.

 

[benf]

Anyone ever correspond with George from Geo? I have sent 4 emails with only one return and when replied, still no reply back...i bought my 618 cause i heard customer service was very good...still waiting to see that!

 

[jdieck]

banf:
The only time, way back, I contacted George was to provide some feedback on a Kalk reactor I purchased from him and he was very responsive. I can imagine he might be going trough some growth pains so keep on trying.
If it is a setting and adjustment issue you have I think I could help.

 

[tbone28]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12196739#post12196739 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by benf
Anyone ever correspond with George from Geo? I have sent 4 emails with only one return and when replied, still no reply back...i bought my 618 cause i heard customer service was very good...still waiting to see that!

I tried emailing him with no response, but I got his cell phone number, and he picked up his phone when I called. I didn't keep the number, but I think I got it from Premium Aquatics. Rather, they offered it to me.

 

[benf]

Thanks for the feedback!

Did u ever notice the instructions say on pg 2 (i think) start at 30BPM and pg3(i believe) he states starting at 90 BPM when using a controller?

 

[jdieck]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12197208#post12197208 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by benf
Thanks for the feedback!

Did u ever notice the instructions say on pg 2 (i think) start at 30BPM and pg3(i believe) he states starting at 90 BPM when using a controller?

90 bpm is to insure that the PH drops until the controller shuts it off. 30 bpm is basically to keep a steady PH. In any case my recomendation with or without a controller is to start low and increase in steps until the alkalinity in the tank no longer drops.
The second part of my recomendation is to adjust the bpm in a way that the controller does not turn on and off too often to reduce wear so 90 bpm although insures thet the PH in the reactor keeps on dropping so the controller actuates it might be too high depending on the setpoint of the controller.

 

[benf]

So far, i have had good luck at ~38BPM and effluent ~65ml giving me a reactor pH 6.5-6.8

 

[pnyxxpress]

DKH 8
Ca 630
Tank PH is 8

Not sure what to do at this point. Guidence please..

I did set the controller as you mentioned. low is 6.60 and high is 7.00. Funny thing the pinpoint controller got to 6.80 but never shut off.

Thanks for sticking with us.

 

[benf]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12199143#post12199143 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by pnyxxpress
DKH 8
Ca 630

Not sure what to do at this point. Guidence please..

I did set the controller as you mentioned. low is 6.60 and high is 7.00. Funny thing the pinpoint controller got to 6.80 but never shut off.

Thanks for sticking with us.

may have missed it, but which test kit are u using for Ca?

 

[pnyxxpress]

salifert for Ca
api for KH

I also forgot to mention I am running a phosban reactor. I hope that's not screwing with anything.

 

[benf]

just for giggles, have u tried another brand Ca kit?

My Elos kits says i am at ~475 and my API says i have ~520...and as of yet to see blue endpoint on my Lamotte.

 

[scott058]

This is a little off subject but does the red light on the reef fanatic selanoid supposed to go off when it hits the low ph setting on the pinpoint monitor? My High setting is 7.20 and low is 6.98 and center is 6.5? Sorta confused Can anyone help me out here
-Scott

 

[tbone28]

Scott, I use the reef fanatic. My light goes off when the controller hits the low pH mark. I hear the solenoid click, and then the light turns off.

 

[scott058]

Tbone> which socket do you have it plugged into and does it matter? The reactor has been running for about 2 days not, everything so far has been all good until I just noticed that the center is lower PH than the low setting. Does that mean I might have a bad solenoid?

 

[jdieck]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12199143#post12199143 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by pnyxxpress
DKH 8
Ca 630
Tank PH is 8

Not sure what to do at this point. Guidence please..

I did set the controller as you mentioned. low is 6.60 and high is 7.00. Funny thing the pinpoint controller got to 6.80 but never shut off.

Thanks for sticking with us.

Two coments:

On your controller. I think it did closed but in any case it is OK as far as it does not go lower than you want it to be.
To improve on teh control point I would recommend to set the range to the minimum (left set dial all the way clockwise) to give you a span of 0.2 rather than 0.4. If you want to control at 6.8 then set the high at 6.9 and the low at 6.7, the CO2 will close at 6.8 and open at 6.9

On your parameters: As the calcium is that high I would shut off the CO2 until it comes down, you need to keep dosing only alkalinity (use some baking soda to maintain it at around 10 dKh) and wait until calcium is back to the 420 to 450 ppm range.
Any Idea on how the calcium got so high? The reactor usually maintains alkalinity and calcium in a balanced way so there could be several explanations I could find for such unbalance and each may require different action. The most typical ones are:

a) Using a salt too high in caclium and low in alkalinity (Like Oceanic) without balancing it before water change: Solution, switch to a more balanced salt and/or always supplement the new mixed water to meet your targets before making a water change. Do not try to increase levels with the reactor (always adjust to maintain), if one parameter needs one time adjustment do it with manual supplementation.

b) The unbalance was there before starting the reactor: Was your calcium already high when starting the reactor? No solution required other than shut off CO2 and wait for the calcium to come down while manually supplementing alkalinity as needed.

c) Manual over supplementation of calcium: If you are using any other supplement in addition to the reactor and it is needed then insure it is a balanced supplement only when you want to add both calcium and alkalinity, otherwise use supplements that act independently whenever only one parameter wants to be changed. Solution same as (b)

d) Testing error: Try to verify the calcium reading with a friend's kit or take a sample to the LFS.