Is my Geo 618 maxed out?

[ros_sco]

I have a very heavily stocked 75 gallon SPS tank which I am having trouble keeping up with calcium demand. I have a 200 gallon in the works, tank is on my livingroom floor and the stand is half done. My GEO 618 is running at 6.2 internal pH with freshly calibrated probe, I am running 100 bubbles/min and 120ml ellfluent per minute and my alk is still dropping 1 point every 4 to 5 days. My media is being consumed at a rate of 1 gallon of coarse media every 6 months. I am not sure if I can squeeze anymore performance out of this unit Does anyone have experience running even more bubbles/ min and increase the effluent rate? I was thinking of adding a second chamber, or would it be just as well to get a bigger reactor?

Really, really filled with SPS.

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[ros_sco]

one more try

 

[ari5736]

Beautiful tank. I think I have the same question with my Geo 612 on a 125, with maybe half of the stonies. At full stream and 6.3 ph I have a hard time getting above a kh of 6 without kalk? From your issues it looks like I need something even bigger than 618?

 

[tkeracer619]

It is being pushed pretty hard. Just like my setup. IME its time for a bigger reactor.

You are probably better off getting a new larger reactor that is setup for your 200. Get one that is rated for 500g.

 

[Stanley-Reefer]

At 6.2--how fast are you going through media--what media??? I have a 618 on my 175 and keep the controller keeps it between 6.8 and 6.5

I thought media turned to mush below 6.5?

No probs with ph drop increasing the input to the tank?

I have a pretty high demand too and my Ca/alk are wnl

bad quality pic

 

[tkeracer619]

I have been using the caribsea extra large media. I really like it but there might not be as much surface area as small media. I have been able to drive it down to 6.0 without mush but any lower and it will start to turn to fine sand.

 

[ros_sco]

Thanks. I ended up getting ahold of George and we pretty much decided that I will be needing a bigger reactor. He didn't think a second chamber would boost efficiency much. I am now running 150 ml/min and 110 bpm, internal ph 6.0 and I still have to give it a dosing boost about once a week. I am using a mix of reborn , arm coarse and a what is left of my gen x. My pH has always been on the low side, I don't even check it anymore. Everything seems to be doing fine. I do try to keep my alk at 9 to 10 to drive my pH up a bit.