Calcium reactor help!!

icedgxe · Jan 17, 2012

So things in my tank have been going well but I have noticed things just don't grow that fast for me so I decided to take a look at my levels. My Cal. was around 370-380 and my alk is at around 5.5-6. The tank is a 125g. I run a geo 612 reactor with ARM extra coarse media. I have my ph controller cutting on at 6.7 and off and 6.6. I run an effluent drip rate at about 3 drops per second. It's a bit before a steady stream. After checking the levels I decided to check the alk coming out of the reactor and it was around 9-10. This leads me to believe that my media is not being dissolved. I always get mixed answers regarding lowering drip rate to increase the effluent alk, or lowering ph to raise effluent alk. The way I understand it is that since I am running a ph controller that in order to keep up with alk demand I need to set the ph low enough in the reactor to dissolve the media and increase the effluent drip rate to keep up with demands. What should I do? Lower the ph in the reactor? Slow the effluent drip rate? Toss the reactor and go to two part haha. (I am considering this.) Any help will be greatly appreciated.

p.s.- To test to make sure my alk test kit was not bad I tested a fresh batch of aquavitro salinity and it tested at 8 where it should be.

kuyatwo · Jan 17, 2012

You need your tanks ca and alk at levels they are suppose to be ca reactor is suppose to keep levels where they are at. Get levels where you want them then start ca reactor then test 48 hours later than adjust

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

icedgxe · Jan 17, 2012

I am already rasing them via alk buffer and turbo cal. The reactor can't maintain levels if the effleunt coming out of the reactor is only 9-10. It should be much higher coming out correct?

swannyson7 · Jan 17, 2012

Correct. Alk of your effluent should be in the neighborhood of 25 or greater.

icedgxe · Jan 17, 2012

So do you think I should lower the ph in the reactor or slow the effluent drip rate?

swannyson7 · Jan 17, 2012

I would lower the pH in the reactor, but do it slowly. If you lower it too much, your reactor media will turn to "mud" and you'll have to replace it.

icedgxe · Jan 17, 2012

Thanks. I need to get the Co2 refilled it is getting low and I will lower the ph to turn on at 6.6 and off at 6.5 and monitor the number and see how they go. Thanks for your quick response. Another question...have you or maybe anyone else tried the tropic eden media?

AZDesertRat · Jan 18, 2012

What is your CO2 bubble rate?
Where is your CO2 probe mounted?
I am not a fan of having the probe inside the chamber myself. I use a Lee's large specimen container like the LFS uses to bag fish and hang it on the side of my sump or a baffle so the effluent drips into it then overflows into the sump. My pH probe is suspended over that.

My reactor is an off brand and I use AquaMedic Hydrocarbonat large media. The bubble count is right at 60 BPM and the effluent drip rate is about 45-50. I set the pH to come on at 6.8 and off at 6.6.

Even though you don't have a Geo reactor you might read through Georges instructions since they apply to most any reactor:
CR612

They are a pretty good guide on how to set up a reactor properly.