Arm calcium reactor media help

[mpekoske]

New to calcium reactors but using ARM course media in a korralin calcium reactor... have the ph set between 6.30-6.45 and effluent drip rate about 1 per second bubble rate at about 1 every 4 seconds... my alk levels are still dropping. Not sure what I’m doing wrong, do I need to slow drip rate? Increase bubble count? Or lower ph in the reactor to get a stronger effluent? Sorry for the dumb question but any help would be appreciated

 

[jda]

Tune it by hand and drop the pH probe and controller. It can take some time, but well worth it.

There is a paper in my signature with semi-instructions with most of what you need to know to tune it.

 

[minus9]

Tuning CaRx this is pretty much how I run mine. I know ARM has a lower melting rate compared to reborn, so you're probably safe at your current reactor pH or maybe slightly higher?

 

[mpekoske]

Tune it by hand and drop the pH probe and controller. It can take some time, but well worth it.

There is a paper in my signature with semi-instructions with most of what you need to know to tune it.

So I’m going to try your way and see if I can get it to work... set drip rate to 40 per min and bubble rate to 10 per min... when I do that it is showing the ph in the reactor around 6.35... is that ok if it is that low or even goes lower?

 

[jda]

You need to wait overnight and test the effluent dKh. The pH in the reactor is meaningless to me... no idea if it is correct and the pH probe is by-far the weakest link in this chain.

 

[jda]

I strongly encourage you to learn how a CaRx works inside and out... even if you want to use a pH controller. This way, you know how to fix it when it messes up.

It is not hard, but people can be overwhelmed at first. All of a sudden, you will get it.

 

[mpekoske]

I strongly encourage you to learn how a CaRx works inside and out... even if you want to use a pH controller. This way, you know how to fix it when it messes up.

It is not hard, but people can be overwhelmed at first. All of a sudden, you will get it.

Thank you I appreciate the help... I’ll ignore ph and check the effluent tomorrow

 

[metzer]

if the effluent is too strong (high), i tune my pH on the CaRX. You can do other things as well. I have ARM and my pH is set to 6.8.

 

[Bj’s Reef]

Did you get your calcium reactor dialed in?

 

[metzer]

Still fiddling

 

[metzer]

 

[metzer]

Thought i had it figured out but it creeped up on me so back to tinkering.

I just realized i think you were asking the other guy and i hijacked the post (sorry).

 

[sawdonkey]

Still fiddling

It looks like your letting your apex turn your Refulator on/off based on Ph. I’d stop doing that and only use ph as a gage for if things are stable and to turn your regulator off I’d something goes wrong.

It looks to me like you need to increase your effluent drip rate because your PH is getting so low. Either that or your effluent rate is fluctuating. How are you feeding your reactor? Of a manifold? Dedicated pump? Or a peristaltic pump? The first two can easily clog and slow your drip rate....lowering your PH. I was unable to get my reactor dialed in until I got a peristaltic pump. Then it was easy. If the flow isn’t constant, you’ll never get it dialed.

 

[metzer]

Thanks for the input.

I had a kamoer, did something stupid (dropped in the water), then had litermeter pump running, and got a kameor fx-stp back (new one)...all about in a three week period. So i have been making an adjustment to the flow rate a little bit after 24-36 hours. Running about 60mls, bubble rate of one every 8 seconds psi of 8 (small bubbles). Yes, if i keep cycling apex outlet like that i will probably shorten the life very quickly.

 

[sawdonkey]

Yes, if i keep cycling apex outlet like that i will probably shorten the life very quickly.

Maybe, but more importantly, you’ll never figure out where your reactor naturally stabilizes.

 

[mpekoske]

Thought i had it figured out but it creeped up on me so back to tinkering.

I just realized i think you were asking the other guy and i hijacked the post (sorry).

No worries glad you posted on here as I think my regulator is bad (bought used) so have a carbon doser coming today