GEO Calcium Reactor 618 - Help!

[sgarron]

I have my ATO running through a kalk reactor. With the kalk reactor and Ca reactor running my ph is stable at 8.05 to 8.15.

 

[scott058]

This thing is strting to give me a headache, I am going to wait a day or two for my ph to go back up and try it again

 

[tbone28]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12149111#post12149111 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by scott058
should the valve on the co2 tank be all the way open? For the time being I unplugged the solenoid. My ph dropped to 7.91. I don't think I am doing something right here. How does everybody combat ph drop?

there's a few things:

1) drip the effluent into your skimmer's intake
2) drip the effluent into a cup with an airstone in it, and let effluent flow back over the cup
3) drip effluent into your fuge - this is what I do.

Basically, you want to give the CO2 some time to blow off before it hits your return pump

 

[scott058]

When the ph goes back to normal I will try that. Thanks tbone28
What about the co2 valve itself? Does it need to be fully open then control the flow via the needle valve?

 

[tbone28]

you don't want or need to open the co2 valve fully. normally, a couple of turns, then control via needle valve.

To be honest, a pH of 7.9 isn't bad. I've read of many very nice tanks at that pH.

 

[jdieck]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12149539#post12149539 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by scott058
When the ph goes back to normal I will try that. Thanks tbone28
What about the co2 valve itself? Does it need to be fully open then control the flow via the needle valve?

The cilynder valve should be fully open to avoid the full cylinder pressure on the valve stem packing, the regulator center knob if it has one has to be set so the ouput pressure is at20 to 25 psi and the needle valve to adjust your bubble rate to the desired PH in the reactor.
As a reference the higher the effluent flow and the lower the PH in the reactor, the lower the PH in your tank may be.

I would not recommend an air stone for the effluent as it increases the effluent PH too far and precipitates the calcium and alkalinity in it but using the overflowing cup and dripping the effluent into the skimmer input will help.
Besides improving aeration skimmer input there are other things you can do to improve that PH by improving the use of CO2 by the reactor:
a) Increase the size of the recirculation pump: Every pass of the flow trough the lenght of the media is one lenght of contact time, the more passes trough the media the increased the contact time and the better the CO2 is utilized. If the water recirculates 10 times is like having a virtual reactor bed 10 times longer than the physical lenght. 20 turns= 20 times longer = twice contact time for the CO2 to work it's magic.

b) Add a second chamber with small media: As the effluent flow is very slow upflowing slowly trough fine aragonite media will help completely saturate the effluent with calcium and alkalinity while helping stabilize the ratios of carbonic acid and bicarbonate while allowing for full conversion of the CO2. THe higher the saturation the less effluent will be needed thus the less the tendency for tank PH drop.

c) Less effluent at lower PH: You can add the same amount of alkalinity to your tank in different ways. You can have twice the effluent with half the alkalinity at a higher PH or you can have half the effluent with twice the alkalinity at a lower effluent PH.
In my experience less effluent flow at the maximum alkalinity saturation with the minimum PH has less tendency to lower the tank PH. THe explanation could be that a lower effluent increases the interaction time inside the chamber using more of the CO2 added and fully saturating the effluent with less carry over of dissolved CO2 directly in the effluent.
In other words if your effluent alkalinity is below 25 dKh reduce the effluent flow and the effluent PH so your effluent alkalinity increases to the 30 to 35 dKh level.

d) Use outside air to feed the skimmer: Many houses specially new well sealed ones have an increased amount of CO2 in the air which will tend to drop the tank PH, having an ouside air source for the skimmer will help clean air interact with the tank water de-gasing the CO2

e) Reverse lighting cycle: If you hae a refugium or a frag tank reverse lighting will help reduce the nightly drop of PH keeping lower up and down swings.

f) As mentioned above use Limewater for evaporation replacement if posible uring the night or lower PH period.

 

[dwiseman]

Since my last post on the 8th where I turned off the solenoid until my dKh dropped to around 9 here are the readings I am getting.

3/12 = 11.8 dKH
3/18 = 9.6 dKH
Started the solenoid and adjusted bubble rate to around 30 bpm
3/20 = 10 dKH

Will take a measurement today to see what alkalinity is. Am I following the right protocol?

 

[dwiseman]

Took a measurment

9.6 dKH
480 Calcium

 

[scott058]

Thanks Jdieck, I'll give some of those ideas a try

 

[pnyxxpress]

Excellent thread! I just got my Geo 618 setup. I haven't even attempted to dial it in yet. I'm just letting water circulate thru it, without co2. The tank just completed its cycle about 2 weeks ago and really doesn't have load on it.

Is it safe to say I can follow the same guidelines on my tank as mentioned previously in this thread.

Thanks

 

[jdieck]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12150727#post12150727 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by dwiseman
Took a measurment

9.6 dKH
480 Calcium

Not bad, just keep an eye on it as it seems your consumption is rather low (0.4 dKh/day) and the reactor can easily shoot it up above the bare minimum. See hou it goes.

 

[jdieck]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12152557#post12152557 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by pnyxxpress

Is it safe to say I can follow the same guidelines on my tank as mentioned previously in this thread.

Thanks

Yes you can follow the same procedure, just note that with very little consumption it might be difficult to adjust the reactor for very little addition but you will not know if the reactor can be adjusted to that until you try.
If adjusting the rector for low output becomes difficult, you could use a higher output but put te solenoid on a timer to operate the reactor only half time and during lights on period.

 

[sgarron]

3 week update.

DKH - 10
Ca 470

I'm guessing my Ca went up due to water changes, and I finally got my Mag up to 1450. My freshly mixed water for changes has a Ca of 480.

 

[jdieck]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12153102#post12153102 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by sgarron
3 week update.

DKH - 10
Ca 470

Looking good.

 

[pnyxxpress]

Well I have been running now for 2 days. The first day was with no co2. Used the controller as a monitor to compare my reading with my test kit. Both are pretty close in comparison. Second day co2 set at 50 bpm. Effluent is almost a stearm drops are like a string of beads. It's been set like this for 18 hours.

Problem is I still haven't reach the set point of 6.40. The best so far is 6.83. My bpm is higher than most and my flow is less. Is this normal or am I missing something?

Thanks

 

[jdieck]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12169983#post12169983 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by pnyxxpress
Well I have been running now for 2 days. The first day was with no co2. Used the controller as a monitor to compare my reading with my test kit. Both are pretty close in comparison. Second day co2 set at 50 bpm. Effluent is almost a stearm drops are like a string of beads. It's been set like this for 18 hours.

Problem is I still haven't reach the set point of 6.40. The best so far is 6.83. My bpm is higher than most and my flow is less. Is this normal or am I missing something?

Thanks

They both seem high for a start up oint. try measuring the effluent flow with a measuring cup and a stop watch. Almost a stream could be somewhere between 50 and 75 ml/min For a start point I usually recommend 30. As for the bubble rate I recommend 10 to 20 bpm.

 

[DAKOOP]

Getting ready to set up my 618. My question is about PH controllers. The 618 came as a package with the Milwaukee controller. I also have a PH probe for my AquaController Jr.
Which probe/controller would be better in the reactor and which in the tank???

 

[pnyxxpress]

I used a measuring cup as you suggested. I'm set at 50ml of flow and I did 3 seperate checks on the bpm. Average BPM is 60. My ph is down to 6.72 in te reactor and calcium in the tank is over 500. So I have shut down the co2 for now.

I'm going to change my flow to a slow drip and wait for my calcium to drop back down before playing anymore.

I'm targeting 6.40 in the reactor. Is 6.40 too low. Still not sure why I can't get my reactor down to the set point. Thanks for your help and keep the ideas coming.

Thanks

 

[jdieck]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12176993#post12176993 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by DAKOOP
Getting ready to set up my 618. My question is about PH controllers. The 618 came as a package with the Milwaukee controller. I also have a PH probe for my AquaController Jr.
Which probe/controller would be better in the reactor and which in the tank???

I would use the Milwaukee for the reactor.

 

[jdieck]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12177346#post12177346 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by pnyxxpress
I used a measuring cup as you suggested. I'm set at 50ml of flow and I did 3 seperate checks on the bpm. Average BPM is 60. My ph is down to 6.72 in te reactor and calcium in the tank is over 500. So I have shut down the co2 for now.

I'm going to change my flow to a slow drip and wait for my calcium to drop back down before playing anymore.

I'm targeting 6.40 in the reactor. Is 6.40 too low. Still not sure why I can't get my reactor down to the set point. Thanks for your help and keep the ideas coming.

Thanks

Seems that the reactor was adding too much, insure your PH controller is reading properly and next pass try dropping the PH to only 6.8 and check alkalinity in your tank to keep it constant.
Set the reactor to keep constant alkalinity not calcium.