Korallin Calcium Reactor

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<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6536105#post6536105 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Codeman00
The flow is still unstable as ever.
Click to expand...

As mentioned above the check valve could also very well be a factor, if it opens intermitently the CO2 feed can cause small variations in pressure inside the reactor and the CO2 bubble count will not be as stable as it could be. I think the ideal situation is to have a check valve that opens with very little pressure but there are not many available. Try the Dnearle and see if it works better. That is also the one I am using.
 
jdieck,

Ok I tested levels again tonight (24 Hrs after adjusting only the CO2 rate) and here are levels:
Alk (effluent) : was 18.8 now 23.6
Alk (tank) : was 10.9 now 10.9
Ca (tank) : was 360 now 345
PH of effluent : was 6.76 now 6.61
 
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afishfanatic. Its almost impossible that your alkalinity would remain constant and your calcium decrease unless your magnesium is low. Low magnesium will make it impossible to raise your calcium level over 400ppm for any period of time. Check it quick (with a salifert test preferrably) and get that magnesium up to a normal level. Let me know if I was right.
 
Holy crap...WAY TOO LOW!! That's your problem. You have to keep that magnesium up otherwise calcium cant be held in solution...water changes will help, but it will lower over time. It needs to be 1250-1350ppm. Shoot for 1300 and use this calculator....put your system gallons in, your level now, what you want your level to be, and what you are going to use to raise it. The calculator will tell how much to add...and how to add it. Follow the directions.

http://home.comcast.net/~jdieck1/chem_calc3.html

By the way, I use Kent Marine Tech M. Works for me anyway. Make sure you buy more than you need right now..because you're magnesium will drop ever so slowly in the future...it cant be helped.

Get this magnesium up and your problem will magically disappear.

You might want to read this article too just for future reference...
http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2004-05/rhf/index.php
 
Thanks Codeman,


I CANNOT believe I did not check the Mag. I just happen to have a 32 oz bottle of B-ionic Magnesium and the chart recommends over 2 bottles of it! WOW! I just dosed half the bottle and will retest and dose again tomorrow. Man am I embarrased. Thanks for the help. There is no telling how long I would have been pulling my hair out trying to figure it out. I will keep you updated.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6542532#post6542532 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by afishfanatic
Thanks Codeman,


I CANNOT believe I did not check the Mag. I just happen to have a 32 oz bottle of B-ionic Magnesium and the chart recommends over 2 bottles of it! WOW! I just dosed half the bottle and will retest and dose again tomorrow. Man am I embarrased. Thanks for the help. There is no telling how long I would have been pulling my hair out trying to figure it out. I will keep you updated.
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Congratulations! The good news is that your adjustments to the reactor seem to be coping with the required alaklinity. Once you adjust the Magnesium (Try no more than 100 ppm per day) adjust your Calcium (With Calcium Chloride or turbo Calcium) and you are done. Keep the same rates of O2 and effluent in the reactor monitor your alkalinity and PH and remember do not use the reactor to increase levels just to maintain.
 
OK after adding the whole bottle yesterday, I just tested the Mag again. The level went from 1110 to 1155. I ordered some Tech M like that Codeman uses and it will arrive early next week. Until then, has anyone actually used epsom salts to raise Mag? Are there impurities that would not be good for the tank? Thanks again guys!
 
I don't have experience with the B-ionic..so Im not sure whats going on there. There are some bad points about using Espom salts...I don't remember what they were, but I do remember reading one of Randy's articles in the chem forum. It seemed way to difficult...enough that I ordered some Tech M instead. Pay attention to the note on the reef chem calculator about the possible 2 different potentcies of the Tech M.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6548113#post6548113 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by afishfanatic
OK after adding the whole bottle yesterday, I just tested the Mag again. The level went from 1110 to 1155. I ordered some Tech M like that Codeman uses and it will arrive early next week. Until then, has anyone actually used epsom salts to raise Mag? Are there impurities that would not be good for the tank? Thanks again guys!
Click to expand...

Epspm Salts are safe to use just note that because a lot of the salt is in reality water (Hexahydrate) you may need to use a hefty quantity.
Some people is concerned that excessive use of Epsom Salts (Magnesium Sulphate Hexaydrate) will increase the amount of Sufate Ion in proportion to the Ions of Sodium and Chloride but if you have been using Baking soda (which adds Sodium) and Calcium Chloride (Turbo Calcium) which adds Chloride the added on Sulphate will just become a welcomed rebalancing act.
In any case if you do regular water changes the Sulphate issue is non existant.
Get the salts from your favoritye pharmacy. It is good to use just dissolve as much as you can in RO/Di water before adding it to the aquarium.
 
I dealt with this [low mag] problem a couple years ago. Salifert sells magnesium in a crystal/powder form that is great stuff- it did the trick for my tank.
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6536981#post6536981 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by jdieck
As mentioned above the check valve could also very well be a factor, if it opens intermitently the CO2 feed can cause small variations in pressure inside the reactor and the CO2 bubble count will not be as stable as it could be. I think the ideal situation is to have a check valve that opens with very little pressure but there are not many available. Try the Dnearle and see if it works better. That is also the one I am using.
Click to expand...

Update: Well, my plan was to use a peristaltic pump as a reactor feed. After 3 days, tech support of Automated Aquarium systems finally called me back. He told me that the adjustable DC version of their pump could only be run at a 50% duty cycle even though that wasnt listed on their website. Even the AC versions would only have a lifespan of one year, and their output wasn't variable. For $100 per pump, I'm not sure I can go that route now.

I ordered me a Dennerle check valve that mikeatjac recommended and that jdiek uses. I'll let you know if it works or not. It should be here in a couple of days. Keep the tips coming...If anyone has fixed this drip slowing in the past, please shed some light on how you did it if you can.
 
This has been an awesome post. So I'm all set, it seems. The question (or problem) is that that in order to reach 25 dKh in my effluent I need to lower the ph down to 6.4. I don't know what kind of media I have since I bought my reactor used. The media was in an unmarked plastic ziploc. Other than that my alk in the tank seems to have stabalized at 9.3. I'm having pretty large swings in my tank ph and it's quite low so this weekend I'm setting up a kalk reactor to help with that.

Mainly I just wanted to get feedback on the low effluent ph...any concerns or comments?
 
<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=6595568#post6595568 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by builderguy
This has been an awesome post. So I'm all set, it seems. The question (or problem) is that that in order to reach 25 dKh in my effluent I need to lower the ph down to 6.4. I don't know what kind of media I have since I bought my reactor used. The media was in an unmarked plastic ziploc. Other than that my alk in the tank seems to have stabalized at 9.3. I'm having pretty large swings in my tank ph and it's quite low so this weekend I'm setting up a kalk reactor to help with that.

Mainly I just wanted to get feedback on the low effluent ph...any concerns or comments?
Click to expand...

Builderguy,

From what I've read, media is only good for about 6 months...do you know how long that media has been used or if it was used when you bought it? You might want to invest in some new stuff just to be sure. If you run your media at too low of pH, it will turn to mush..so it's best to know what you have and how long you've had it.
 
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