Funlap/Balmies girl....thankyou!
P.
Scifi.--
yes you are reading way too much into it.
First off. Once you get the pH probe, ensure it is calibarted...takes a minute at most.
Read the tank Ca and Alk with a good kit.....and use supplements to get it just below the optimal levels.
Set the reactor up, with the probe in the reactor chamber (if its built that way) or in a little (50ml) cup hanging inside your refugium area. ---I like the refugium as a return as plants ned C02 to grow and you will promote health of them in the refuge.
Set the drip rate of the reactor to reasonably slow and measure the volume of the effluent in an hour to figure the rate. I would say 1litre/hr is agood start.
Set the pH controller to activate the CO2 at pH lower than 6.6.
Set the needle valve on the regulator to a steady bubble and watch the pH meter. Ideally it needs to come down very slowly.
let it run.
measure the effluent once its been running for a few hrs at pH 6.6 to ensure its rich in Ca and Alk.
if you want, measure the tank pH as well.
-----now....the reason you want the pH to drop slowly is this...you want it to bubble CO2 almost constantly. The reason for that is if the solenoid ever sticks open, its going to work just the same as if the solenoid was working. If you send blasts of co2 into the reactor to rapidly bring pH down and the solenoid sticks on, then the pH will drop drastically and the tank may be affected.
When running well the CO2 should be on almost constantly.
--- As for aerating, have it drip in an area with decent flow, plus the plants will suck up any excess CO2, in doing so they will grow more rapidly.
Also, if the effluent cup is well out of the water it will lead to aeration as the effluent flows over the outer edge of it.
Also a small fan to blow any excess CO2 from over the top of the water helps.
After a week, measure the tank Ca and Alk. if theey have fallen, increase the flow (this may require adjusting the bubble rate as well). if they have risen, decrease the flow. If its the same, great.
Adjust Ca and Alk to where you want them to be with supplements.
Leave it to run.
and its as simple as that.
Paul.
P.
Scifi.--
yes you are reading way too much into it.
First off. Once you get the pH probe, ensure it is calibarted...takes a minute at most.
Read the tank Ca and Alk with a good kit.....and use supplements to get it just below the optimal levels.
Set the reactor up, with the probe in the reactor chamber (if its built that way) or in a little (50ml) cup hanging inside your refugium area. ---I like the refugium as a return as plants ned C02 to grow and you will promote health of them in the refuge.
Set the drip rate of the reactor to reasonably slow and measure the volume of the effluent in an hour to figure the rate. I would say 1litre/hr is agood start.
Set the pH controller to activate the CO2 at pH lower than 6.6.
Set the needle valve on the regulator to a steady bubble and watch the pH meter. Ideally it needs to come down very slowly.
let it run.
measure the effluent once its been running for a few hrs at pH 6.6 to ensure its rich in Ca and Alk.
if you want, measure the tank pH as well.
-----now....the reason you want the pH to drop slowly is this...you want it to bubble CO2 almost constantly. The reason for that is if the solenoid ever sticks open, its going to work just the same as if the solenoid was working. If you send blasts of co2 into the reactor to rapidly bring pH down and the solenoid sticks on, then the pH will drop drastically and the tank may be affected.
When running well the CO2 should be on almost constantly.
--- As for aerating, have it drip in an area with decent flow, plus the plants will suck up any excess CO2, in doing so they will grow more rapidly.
Also, if the effluent cup is well out of the water it will lead to aeration as the effluent flows over the outer edge of it.
Also a small fan to blow any excess CO2 from over the top of the water helps.
After a week, measure the tank Ca and Alk. if theey have fallen, increase the flow (this may require adjusting the bubble rate as well). if they have risen, decrease the flow. If its the same, great.
Adjust Ca and Alk to where you want them to be with supplements.
Leave it to run.
and its as simple as that.
Paul.
