Calcium reactor issues with low PH

[Oscar Bravo]

Hello
Anyone has good experiences with low PH running your calcium reactor? I have been running mine for about a year with no impact on my ph but recently my ph drop to 7.3. I was thinking I had a leak on my CR. I open the doors of my house and helped a little going up to 7.5. I really don’t know what can be causing it now when I never had an issue.

 

[reeftivo]

have you changed anything in the system?

have you tried re-calibrating the probe?

if not re-calibrate, then see where you are at. It will also help to increase surface agitation in the DT.

i'm guessing probe!

 

[Oscar Bravo]

Yes I have re calibrated the probes because I just couldn't believe that I was getting a low reading. All I did was refilled my co2 tank and adjust my ph in the calcium reactor to 6.7+/-. I do have 3 dogs and 3 cat. Maybe too much carbon inside my house?

 

[Breadman03]

Does the pH drop correlate with the beginning of CoronaQT?

 

[X-37B]

What ph did it run at before the current level?

 

[Oscar Bravo]

Does the pH drop correlate with the beginning of CoronaQT?

I don't know but it has been dropping more since we are home more.

 

[Oscar Bravo]

What ph did it run at before the current level?

My PH was usually running at 7.7 - 7.8. Sometimes it will drop to 7.68 that was the lowest I seen it. Last night when I saw it at 7.3 was alarming.

 

[Florida Sunshine]

A house with a bunch of people breathing inside has more carbon dioxide than an empty house.
This means less oxygen and lower ph.
If you can open the windows for a while or find a way for your skimmer to draw in outside air. More surface agitation will also help.
I would worry more about the reduced oxygen that the ph itself but maybe that is because I don't understand it as well. LOL I get just the basics from Randy.

 

[Oscar Bravo]

Yes, I have open the doors and has helped a little. Probably carbon has increased in my house and not helping. Also I have issues with bacteria bloom recently. My water is a little cloudy and probably reducing my oxygen and not helping.

 

[Breadman03]

It sounds like you've been a little low, but everyone at home is making it an issue for you. I've always had low pH, to the point that I now believe it's an issue, and just installed an Avast kalk stirrer. After 3 days, my pH swings have reduced from about 0.5 to 0.2, but each day averages a bit higher than the last. You might consider one yourself.

 

[Oscar Bravo]

It sounds like you've been a little low, but everyone at home is making it an issue for you. I've always had low pH, to the point that I now believe it's an issue, and just installed an Avast kalk stirrer. After 3 days, my pH swings have reduced from about 0.5 to 0.2, but each day averages a bit higher than the last. You might consider one yourself.

I don't like the idea of using kalk but I might have to start adding it to my ATO.

 

[Breadman03]

I don't like the idea of using kalk but I might have to start adding it to my ATO.

I didn’t really want to run anything beyond my CARX and ARID, but the pH broke me when I could see my minimal stock start sulking when the pH was a little lower than my normal. While my debit card wasn’t very happy, my gigas and BTA’s are looking much better. I was having days where my pH peaked near 7.6, checked with my Apex and a Red Sea test kit.

 

[X-37B]

I don't like the idea of using kalk but I might have to start adding it to my ATO.

I run 1/4 teaspoon per 5 gallons in my ato.
So 1/2 teaspoon in my 10g ato.
The ph is 10+ which helps keep ph up but does not impact alk or cal from my carx.
Might try that before full on kalk.

 

[Oscar Bravo]

I run 1/4 teaspoon per 5 gallons in my ato.
So 1/2 teaspoon in my 10g ato.
The ph is 10+ which helps keep ph up but does not impact alk or cal from my carx.
Might try that before full on kalk.

I might just try that and start low. Only problem is that it can mess up your ato pump. Any way, I was able to get my ph back to 7.7 just by opening the doors all morning. Let see what happens tonight when they are closed. I also have a bacteria bloom right now. That alone can be taking up my oxygen.

 

[Oscar Bravo]

Yeap, its carbon monoxide. My PH took another nose dive last night after I closed all the windows. Probably because there are too many of us in the house.

 

[ksed]

That will do it. Has happened to me.

 

[mtraylor]

From my experience with calcium reactors. Low ph in the aquarium is caused by using improper co2 regulators or setting up the rector improperly by using the slow drip method.

If you are using say a nice freahwater co2 regulator that doesnt have adjustable working pressure and is fixed to say 30 psi. The co2 bubbles that are going into reactor are too big and are an excess causing your ph to be low.

If that is not issue and you may have proper regulator. Change working pressure to say 15psi for real small co2 bubble. Now you have less co2 waste. Make sure effluint is steady effluient flow and work your ph in reactor back from say 7.1 or 7.2 until you reach your desired alk in tank and ph will level out around 8.1 or so. This will allow you to get your value where ever you want it.

That is quick summary

 

[GlassMunky]

Yeap, its carbon monoxide. My PH took another nose dive last night after I closed all the windows. Probably because there are too many of us in the house.

DIoxide.... if it was MONOxide youd probably be dead

 

[GlassMunky]

From my experience with calcium reactors. Low alk in the aquarium is caused by using improper co2 regulators or setting up the rector improperly by using the slow drip method.

If you are using say a nice freahwater co2 regulator that doesnt have adjustable working pressure and is fixed to say 30 psi. The co2 bubbles that are going into reactor are too big and are an excess causing your alk to be low.

If that is not issue and you may have proper regulator. Change working pressure to say 15psi for real small co2 bubble. Make sure effluint is steady effluient flow and work your ph in reactor back from say 7.1 or 7.2 until you reach your desired alk in tank. This will allow you to get your value where ever you want it.

That is quick summary

I think you mean PH not ALK.... the way its written is very confusing

 

[mtraylor]

Yes. Let me go back and correct that a bit. I got carried away on my proof read changes. Lol