Korallin Calcium Reactor
- Thread starter JohnL
- Start date
jdieck
New member
The alkalinity can stay at 12 or even higher for a long time as long as it is no longer increasing.
The PH setting is dependent on the alkalinity behaviour, if alkalinity is going up and how fast it does will give you an idea of how to change the PH and how much.
Say it went up from 9 to 11 in just two days, then the change in PH required mihgt be larger than is the alkalinity went up the same amount but instead it took two weeks to get there.
This increase is what made me suggest a larger PH change.
Having said that, if the alkalinity went down from 11 to 9 that means that the PH needs to be brought down again and the previous 6.6 to 6.9 will be right.
Dinally if the alkalinity increased to 11 when PH was 6.5 to 6.7 and dropped to 9 when the PH was 6.6 to 6.8 then the right setting will be somewhere in between, much like 6.55 to 6.75 unfortunately that PH controller is incapable to do that so if you notice the right point might be in between then you may need to adjust the addition by changing the effluent flow.
Say, in the case above, if alkalinity increases at 6.5/6.7 but decreases at 6.6/6.8 then leave the setting at 6.5/6.7 and slightly reduce the effluent flow.
jdieck
New member
Anything between 7 and 11 is good but remember at this we are not adjusting the reactor to reach the alkalinity you want. We are adjusting it only to prevent the alkalinity going higher or lower regardless if it is 8, 9 or 10. Once it is stable at whatever level, say 9 is maintained without changing then you can add some baking soda to increase it to 10 and because the reactor is already set to maintain, the new level of 10 will be maintained, so do not worry at this point what the level is as far as it does not drop or increases.
Haksar
New member
The trip was great and also managed to get hold of some cheatos which we don't get here through our dear friend an RC member Mr Chingchai.Thanks Ching Chai.
The reactor was acting weird while on my trip with the setting of 6.80 - 7.0 and ALK at 9.But few days later the ph increased to 7.2 to 7.3 levels and ALK went down to 6-7 although my setting was not changed.Not sure why this was happening.Reactor had no air clogs and Co2 BPM and effluent DPM fluctuations.Finally my co2 cylinder dried up and had to connect a new cylinder today.Now the ALK is 8 (evening time) it was 7 in the morning when I connected the cylinder and setting is 6.8-7.0 but worring thing is my ph is increasing instead of decreasing.Any reasons for this.The BPM is 17 and DPM is 25ml.
Please advise.
The reactor was acting weird while on my trip with the setting of 6.80 - 7.0 and ALK at 9.But few days later the ph increased to 7.2 to 7.3 levels and ALK went down to 6-7 although my setting was not changed.Not sure why this was happening.Reactor had no air clogs and Co2 BPM and effluent DPM fluctuations.Finally my co2 cylinder dried up and had to connect a new cylinder today.Now the ALK is 8 (evening time) it was 7 in the morning when I connected the cylinder and setting is 6.8-7.0 but worring thing is my ph is increasing instead of decreasing.Any reasons for this.The BPM is 17 and DPM is 25ml.
Please advise.
jdieck
New member
If you do not change the settings in the regulator or needle valves there is no reason for the reactor additions to change and in the case it does it will be by very little.
Just in case take note of the settings (Controller setting, regulator setting BPM, and effluent flow ml/min) so if you loose the adjustments you can set them back in.
Just in case take note of the settings (Controller setting, regulator setting BPM, and effluent flow ml/min) so if you loose the adjustments you can set them back in.
jdieck
New member
No, the needle valve do not need to be closed as far as the cylinder valve is fully closed before you desconect the regulator.
An I repeat, it is extremely important to insure that the cylinder valve is closed before you atempt to remove the regulator, otherwise there will be high pressure at the connector and the regulator can be shoot like a bullet.
Help guys...I know it has been a long time since someone posted on this thread...so here I am
A lil backgroud on my Tank. I have 125G, heavily SPS dominated tank with few LPS's. Always used Kent Marine Turbo Ca and Super Buffer to keep up my Ca and Alaklinity levels. pH 8.1-8.3.
Hooked up my C-1502 Ca reactor about a week. Media is ARM and feed is using a a small microjet powerhead. Started using dragon Slyr's instrutions and excel chart to note the readings.
First day readinf after 4 hrs of settling in - Tank dKH9, pH 8.15, C02 BPM 15, Effluent DPM 36, Effluent dKH 26, pH 6.7
So good to go......
Second Day - Tank dKH8, pH 8.25, C02 BPM 11, Effluent BPM 54, Effluent dKH 39 pH 6.4
Third Day - Tank dKH7, pH 8.18, C02 BPM 6, Effluent BPM 45, Effluent dKH 29 pH 6.7
Fourth Day - Tank dKH7, pH 8.06, C02 BPM 20, Effluent BPM 80, Effluent dKH 32 pH 6.5
Fifth Day - Tank dKH7, pH 8.07, C02 BPM 18, Effluent BPM 112, Effluent dKH 30 pH 6.5
Sixth Day - Tank dKH7, pH 8.07, C02 BPM 15, Effluent BPM 112, Effluent dKH 28 pH 6.5
Seventh Day - Tank dKH7, pH 7.98, C02 BPM 25, Effluent BPM 112, Effluent dKH 33 pH 6.4
Eight Day - Tank dKH7, pH 7.89, C02 BPM 32, Effluent BPM 125, Effluent dKH 39 pH 6.5
So the pH of my tank keeps on dropping thugh the tank dKH has stabilized pretty much. Last night I saw my tank pH dip to 7.8. This morning I tested the parameters as below:
Today - Tank dKH7, pH 7.89, C02 BPM 32, Effluent BPM 125, Effluent dKH 25 pH 6.5 in the night.
Now something is definetily wrong. Without seeing this post I got a bit panicky this morning. Did all the testing for ca, mg and Kh. everythin in order but my Kh...so upped it to 9dKh using super buffer. After seeing this thread decided to give it another go.
Here I am now with the new readings will test in after 24 hrs....
Tank dKH9, pH 8.17, C02 BPM 16, Effluent BPM 5.5ml (83 drops) Effluent dKH 26 pH 6.6. I am thinking of putting in a controller so that the pH of the effluent doesn not drop beyond 6.5.
Any thoughts on if I am on the right track...any suggestions, anything to increase or decrease.
A lil backgroud on my Tank. I have 125G, heavily SPS dominated tank with few LPS's. Always used Kent Marine Turbo Ca and Super Buffer to keep up my Ca and Alaklinity levels. pH 8.1-8.3.
Hooked up my C-1502 Ca reactor about a week. Media is ARM and feed is using a a small microjet powerhead. Started using dragon Slyr's instrutions and excel chart to note the readings.
First day readinf after 4 hrs of settling in - Tank dKH9, pH 8.15, C02 BPM 15, Effluent DPM 36, Effluent dKH 26, pH 6.7
So good to go......
Second Day - Tank dKH8, pH 8.25, C02 BPM 11, Effluent BPM 54, Effluent dKH 39 pH 6.4
Third Day - Tank dKH7, pH 8.18, C02 BPM 6, Effluent BPM 45, Effluent dKH 29 pH 6.7
Fourth Day - Tank dKH7, pH 8.06, C02 BPM 20, Effluent BPM 80, Effluent dKH 32 pH 6.5
Fifth Day - Tank dKH7, pH 8.07, C02 BPM 18, Effluent BPM 112, Effluent dKH 30 pH 6.5
Sixth Day - Tank dKH7, pH 8.07, C02 BPM 15, Effluent BPM 112, Effluent dKH 28 pH 6.5
Seventh Day - Tank dKH7, pH 7.98, C02 BPM 25, Effluent BPM 112, Effluent dKH 33 pH 6.4
Eight Day - Tank dKH7, pH 7.89, C02 BPM 32, Effluent BPM 125, Effluent dKH 39 pH 6.5
So the pH of my tank keeps on dropping thugh the tank dKH has stabilized pretty much. Last night I saw my tank pH dip to 7.8. This morning I tested the parameters as below:
Today - Tank dKH7, pH 7.89, C02 BPM 32, Effluent BPM 125, Effluent dKH 25 pH 6.5 in the night.
Now something is definetily wrong. Without seeing this post I got a bit panicky this morning. Did all the testing for ca, mg and Kh. everythin in order but my Kh...so upped it to 9dKh using super buffer. After seeing this thread decided to give it another go.
Here I am now with the new readings will test in after 24 hrs....
Tank dKH9, pH 8.17, C02 BPM 16, Effluent BPM 5.5ml (83 drops) Effluent dKH 26 pH 6.6. I am thinking of putting in a controller so that the pH of the effluent doesn not drop beyond 6.5.
Any thoughts on if I am on the right track...any suggestions, anything to increase or decrease.
jdieck
New member
I am assuming that during days one to eight you were changing the settings. I would recommend at least 48 hours before making any adjustment.
By the readings it seems that you may need a lot more effluent.
Try an effluent of 40 ml/min with a PH of 6.6 as a start up point.
Keep in mind that at lower alkalinity in the tank the tank PH will also tend to be lower.
Try looking for means to improve your system aeration, if you can bring air from the outside to run your skimmer and if you have a refugium set the lighting on a reverse cycle.
By the readings it seems that you may need a lot more effluent.
Try an effluent of 40 ml/min with a PH of 6.6 as a start up point.
Keep in mind that at lower alkalinity in the tank the tank PH will also tend to be lower.
Try looking for means to improve your system aeration, if you can bring air from the outside to run your skimmer and if you have a refugium set the lighting on a reverse cycle.
Haksar
New member
Hey Jdieck,
My reactor has been behaving quite steady last few days with setting of ph 6.8-7.0.Alk is 9.So far so good.
After yesterdays WC my ph did not go down below 6.9 and later climbed back to 7.0.It has been the same all day and now I increased the BPM to 22 as before.Since then the controller has switched off.I think it could be the BPM playing funny after few days of controller being off.Since the last four hours the controller has been off so I am assuming everything is back to normal.
My reactor has been behaving quite steady last few days with setting of ph 6.8-7.0.Alk is 9.So far so good.
After yesterdays WC my ph did not go down below 6.9 and later climbed back to 7.0.It has been the same all day and now I increased the BPM to 22 as before.Since then the controller has switched off.I think it could be the BPM playing funny after few days of controller being off.Since the last four hours the controller has been off so I am assuming everything is back to normal.
