PH in a Calcium Reactor

[elecbzerk]

I am wondering what PH others keep their reactors at. I have my controller turn on the solenoid at 6.8 and off at 7.2, but haven't seen the media level go down at all. The reactor has been set up since September. All responses are appreciated.

 

[boxer385]

my p.h is set at 6.5 to 6.8 and the controller will turn on the co2 most media will disslove at those levels anything lower than that will turn the media into mush.

 

[plancton]

I just installed my GEO reactor with reef fanatic ph controller, and I set it up according to instructions, the solenoid turns on at 7.50 and off at 7.52, according to the recommendation on the instructions, although its my first time with a calcium reactor, and I see now that you have them in much lower levels. What do you recommend?, its a 220 gal whole system.

 

[tufacody]

6.7 is where I run A.R.M. on a LifeReef

 

[boxer385]

I just installed my GEO reactor with reef fanatic ph controller, and I set it up according to instructions, the solenoid turns on at 7.50 and off at 7.52, according to the recommendation on the instructions, although its my first time with a calcium reactor, and I see now that you have them in much lower levels. What do you recommend?, its a 220 gal whole system.

i use gen-x and like i said 6.5 for my i'm using a aquariumplant regulator no ore counting bubbles, i have mine zero in within a week.

 

[timmyb770]

I run ARM media and my low is 6.5 and my high is 6.9, how are your alk levels and stuff in your tank?? because its probly not disolving much at that PH

 

[plancton]

I just changed the settings, since the reactor is new I'm dialing in, new settings are from 6.73 to 6.85, I will probably need to lower the ph to 6.5, but will try it before I do so. I'm using GENX mexia.

parameters befores turning on the reactor, are: salinity 1.024, ph 8.2, calcium 420 mg/l, alk 10 dkh

 

[bergzy]

I just installed my GEO reactor with reef fanatic ph controller, and I set it up according to instructions, the solenoid turns on at 7.50 and off at 7.52, according to the recommendation on the instructions, although its my first time with a calcium reactor, and I see now that you have them in much lower levels. What do you recommend?, its a 220 gal whole system.

i also have a geo with a reef fanatic pH controller.

the beauty of the reef fanatic is that it has awesome pH control to 0.01.

thus, i set my pH controller to open the solenoid at 6.62 and turns off at 6.60. when it turns off at 6.60...i get a lag of co2 and the pH drops to 6.58 at the most.

i would venture to say that a ca reactor is the most complicated piece of reef equipment to use. i wish it would be renamed to an alk reactor...as you should adjust the effluent drip rate to co2 bubble count to get the proper alk reading. this in turn should be dripped to how much your system uses in alk...not ca. anyone tweaking their ca reactor to elevate their calcium without regard to alk...is just brewing a tank of future trouble.

 

[plancton]

I was thinking the same, in order to calibrate it I´m going to check for alkalinity, mantaining alkalinity at certain level should mantain calcium as well.

What is your Bubble count and drip rate?, Mine is about 120 bubbles per minute, and 40 drops per minute. But I´m just dialing in.

 

[arredondojason]

I use a milwake PH controller with a octopus calcium reactor and not sure what my regulator is but it has a silanoid as well and my controller is set at 6.5 for the low and 6.7 for the high and I run Gen X media in mine as well and love the stuff.
My effluent runs into my AquaC skimmer to blow off excsess CO2 to prevent PH swings.

 

[SaltyGoat]

I have an MRC 2 (Dual chamber) with a pinpoint controller in the first chamber. I run it at 6.4-6.5 and have gone through the large media in the first tower in about 6 months. The small media in the second tower has only gone down an inch or so since it acts mainly as a buffer.

My parameters are stable (salinity 1.025, ph 8.1, calcium 410 mg/l, alk 10 dkh, Mg 1450 ppm) and the growth is great on a heavily SPS stocked 180.