Calcium Reactor advice

SPS_ · Jul 31, 2018

Currently I going through about 5 gallons each of BRS Pharama grade 2 part every month. I am interested in running a calcium reactor.

Last month I tried a Geo612 reactor, 5lb Co2 tank, with electronic plants regulator and a feed pump with needle valve for effluent. I used a very fast effluent stream and a ph of 6.7 in the reactor with a small secondary chamber with additional aragonite and Mg.

My tank normally runs Ph 7.7-7.9 which I am okay with, however with the previous reactor setup I was at 7.4-7.5 and did see a few corals lose tissue. So I switched the two part back on and turned off the reactor.

Will running a much larger reactor with two large chambers and perstaltic pump alleviate ph suppression?

Thanks!

gcarroll · Jul 31, 2018

How big is your tank? A very fast effluent stream and a ph of 6.7 in the reactor can really depress ph. Sounds like you are overworking the reactor.

skim · Jul 31, 2018

Same here, I believe you ran the effluent way too quickly and Skimmer and water movement could not deal with the excess CO2. Specially if you had another chamber and it did not use up the CO2, that tells the story right there.

SPS_ · Jul 31, 2018

I was thinking of getting a much bigger reactor than the geo612, but maybe calcium reactor may not be best for my tank which is already at a low ph. Maybe I will try a bigger 2 part reservoir.

ZaneTer · Aug 1, 2018

I think you may be missing what the others are trying to say. Going for a larger reactor will not help you. You are currently using too high an effluent rate and to compensate you are introducing a large amount of CO2 to maintain a pH of 6.7
You could probably slow your feed rate right down and drop your pH to 6.65. You do mention though that your tank does run at a very low pH anyway. You should probably look at ways to increase ventilation in your home or at least the cabinet.
You have spent a lot of money buying a good calcium reactor. Dont let that go to waste.

RandyC · Aug 1, 2018

There are a few options. I have run a calcium reactor in a 25 gallon lagoon so if that's possible, we can definitely figure out something for you.

- as @ZaneTer mentioned, increase ventilation to tank. You could add an outside line to skimmer or even add a CO2 scrubber
- dose Kalk to counterbalance the depression of pH from the carx effluent
- Increasing the main calcium reactor size will not help you, but adding a secondary chamber to your main calcium reactor will. the extra contact time of effluent with media will help raise pH of effluent before entering the tank, which will also allow you to drip less effluent as the alk concentration will be higher as well

SPS_ · Aug 1, 2018

Okay that makes sense, thanks for the help.

I thought a larger reactor with more media meant higher concentration of alk per drop? So less drops would be need while supplying more alk. Less drops would lower ph effects even more right?

ZaneTer · Aug 1, 2018

Alkalinity concentration in your effluent stream is purely a product of the pH. To deliver more alk you can lower your pH and/or increase effluent rate.

By using too high an effluent rate all you do is waste CO2 and drop your tank pH. Hope this helps.

Edit - please take a sample of your effluent and let us know the dkh, I suspect yours is quite low.

BantyRooster97 · Aug 2, 2018

What size tank? I run my CaRx PH at 6.9 & my tank around 8, but I push a slow flow through my CaRx with my masterflex pump. ALK is steady at 7.9. There are many ways to adjust and make it work. The second chamber def helps as well.