Calcium reactor cant keep up via APEX-whats up

[Reefnjunkie]

for the last year nearly 2 I have been using my APEX to controller my Calcium Reactor via an inline probe that tested the effluent. My setting was roughly turn on solenoid around 6.55 off at 6.4

I currently have a 150 set up that is a temp tank while I get my 400 build done. My tank is 90% SPS and here is the problem-I can not keep my KH at the level that I have for the last 3 years and that is around 10.5-I used to and it was solid as a rock but things grow and demands increase and I cant keep up-It is possible isn't it, running just the reactor, not having to add a Kalk drip etc...?

I have added or switched to a new reactorwhich is now the GEO 618 with a panworld pump, and I run the carab sea course media. I used to run the arm which is a small flake like media but I had to keep the effluent so low (6.4ish) and on for such a long time the media was melting-I had no choice, If I raised the effluent ph I was not able to keep up with the rate the SPS was absorbing the KH (or whatever the process is)-If I did this I could not keep it stable

I currently have the flow from the reactor wide open so its a steady stream and the effluent is running at around 6.51 and at that setting (on 24/7) for the last 2 days my KH is at 9.24 which is up from 8.22 over 2 days of again being on 24/7

Unless I was to set my controller to turn open my solenoid around 6.5 and off at 6.45 I dont see how I am able to utilize the APEX to control the solenoid-by setting it that way I am just going to fry the solenoid is my guess.


If there is anyone reading this that has a tank that is at least 150 gallons (preferrably larger) that is SPS dominant, running a calcium reactor via a controller-please tell me what you are doing, I would love to go back to the days where the controller kept things rock solid stable with regards to my KH:cry:

 

[VegasRick]

Have you calibrated your pH probe recently? My effluent only runs at just the point where it goes from a fast drip to a steady stream.

 

[Reefnjunkie]

Have you calibrated your pH probe recently? My effluent only runs at just the point where it goes from a fast drip to a steady stream.

yea probes calibrated, I checked that as well-It may be that I just need to run the reactor on 24/7 to keep up with demand-

Current reading this morning is 9.8, so it is gradually increaing and effluent reading at a steady stream is 6.44, so it actually dropped a bit from the 6.51 it was at

I am hoping to hear from someone with a large system full of SPS using a reactor controlled via the APEX

I am starting to think its the new media I am using since it is coarse it is just new. Once the tanbk gets to the 10.5 range I will set the APEX at >6.5 on and <6.41 off and see if it can maintain that level-I have done this over the last few weeks and it does not keep up, and dropping the settings to on at >6.4 and off at <6.3 (roughly) I am afraid the media will melt and plug the reactor-I have had that happen when using the A.R.M. from CarabSea.

I'll see what tonights readings are-

 

[VegasRick]

Hmm well I have a large system 500g, sps dominated controlled with an APEX. But I also have a large reactor also my sps haven't grown in as the tank is not quite a year old. But even when I had a small system (100g) my reactor ran 24/7. Different media may require different settings.

 

[Reefnjunkie]

Hmm well I have a large system 500g, sps dominated controlled with an APEX. But I also have a large reactor also my sps haven't grown in as the tank is not quite a year old. But even when I had a small system (100g) my reactor ran 24/7. Different media may require different settings.

So what was/is the APEX controlling if the reactor(solenoid) is on24/7? When I say its on 24/7 I mean the solenoid on the CO2 is open 24/7, in the past I had it set similar to above (6.5 on, 6.4 off) and it switched on/off depending on the PH of the effluent and it kept the tanks KH at 10.5-now when I use that same setting the KH drops, I am pretty sure its the new media and getting used to it, the GEO is rated for at least a 250 gallon and presently I have the 150 gallon tank.

What type of media are you using and I assume you are not using the APEX to control the solenoid if it is running 24/7, does that make sense?

I appreciate you chiming in-Thanks!

 

[VegasRick]

I am using the TLF media. I use the APEX to control the solenoid, it stays on the 1/2 to 3/4 of the time. I have mine set to go on at 7.0 and off at 6.5. I had a narrower range but it kept driving my dkh to high I like to keep it around 10dkh. When the tank grows in more I might change it back to the narrower range. I also use kw in my top off. The reactor is a DIY that is holds close to 5 gallons. On a smaller system/reactor my solenoid stayed open all the time so its probably not too unusual.

 

[VegasRick]

OK so heres a thought, I have run ca reactors for over 15 years, many different brands, different media, different size tanks, all sps dominated and I have never had to run my effluent wide open. I wonder if maybe your effluent is not getting enough time in the reactor to pick up the maximum ca/alk it can.

Also is you increase your bubble rate the solenoid should shut off

 

[Reefnjunkie]

OK so heres a thought, I have run ca reactors for over 15 years, many different brands, different media, different size tanks, all sps dominated and I have never had to run my effluent wide open. I wonder if maybe your effluent is not getting enough time in the reactor to pick up the maximum ca/alk it can.

Also is you increase your bubble rate the solenoid should shut off

I have been using reactors over the last 3 years and this is a first for me-I am really thinking its the media-this stuff is the size of lava rock that people use in their yards for decoration, about the size of a nickel but round.

I used to have my effluent at a fast drip, just before it turned into a stream and that was not keeping up with the demand, thats when I increased the flow and of course I had to increase the bubble count to keep the burn at the right amount to melt the media.

This is the media I currently use;
CaribSea ARM Reactor Media - Extra Coarse, 1 Gal - English


is this what you are using-I assume TLF is two little fishies
Two Little Fishies ReBorn Coarse Aragonite Calcium Reactor Media

So do you know what the effluent is on your reactor (roughly even) if you had the solenoid open and it just contiuned to burn the media?

I made a slight adjustment to the bubble count (increasing it) and my effluent is presently 6.36, a little lower than I want andI just measured my effluent and its 10.08, this moring it was 9.8

I'd like to believe I am not a noob when it comes to reactors as they are not overly complicated. I am close enough to the number I want and am afraid if I set my controller to say 6.5 on and 6.4 off, I will end up dropping like I did last week-

Very interested in what your effluent is if the solenoid was left on-everything I have always read and understand is we want to target an effluent in the 6.40 area-so all things being equal (except for the volume of SPS) I should be able to (like you) set a high and a low range via my controller and keep up with the absorbtion-You said if you ran yours closer say 6.5 on and 6.4 off it drove up your dkh (sorry I keep typing KH) so you run it a 7.0 and 6.5 respectively.

Do you have a pic of you tank anywhere-I did not think mine was really that full-and for the most part there is not any real large pieces just a lot of SPS;

You gotta love this hobby-LOL

I think I shoud swap out the media tonight, it was not anything I bought but what the fellow I bought the reactor from was using-it was the extra coarse but has to be about 30lbs

here is the reactor;

here is my temp 150 tank, which IMO I should be able to maintain the 10+dkh level via a controlled reactor-its not that full (again IMO);

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[Reefnjunkie]

Fwiw

I got back to the level I wanted 10.2 and set the controller on at >6.51 and off at <6.41
my KH dropped to 9.9 overnight so back to square one

very frustrating-only thing I can imagine is it is the media.

not a happy camper

 

[Reefnjunkie]

Figured I may as well post up what I figured-It was the media as I posted awhile back-odd as it seems, I put in the new media and all is well again, except for the few colonies I had to frag up due to the swings and the STN that resulted.

Thanks for the input Vegas!