Help with calcium reactor!!!

candcreef · May 26, 2014

Hello all and happy memorial day!! I have a geo 612 calcium reactor with the two little fishies reborn calcium reactor media....I run a milwaukee ph monitor with it....I have been running the ph meter to where it turns on the regulator at 7.0 and shuts off at 6.8....this morning I turned it down so it will kick on at 6.9 and shut off at 6.7....I am having an issue with keeping alk up....calcium is fine but always seems to raise(from 450 to 480)....my questions are....am I setting this right? When does this media begin to turn to mush? Why does my calcium raise but not my alk? Btw...I have a 150 gallon tank with predominately sps (a few colonies, mostly frags) and a bunch of acans and chalices....I just recently adde 3 maxima clams each about 2 1/2 inches big....thx for any and all help in this as it's driving me nuts!!!

Conan

candcreef · May 26, 2014

Bump for some help!!

melev · May 27, 2014

Hi candcreef. Have you tried to measure the alkalinity of the effluent? It should be measuring very high, around 19 dkH to as high as 35 dKH. If it is coming out around 12, you won't see much progress in the alkalinity level.

Media turns to mush when the pH drops in the reactor to about 6.0 or lower. You don't want that to happen, because you'll need to buy more media.

You may want to read over my calcium reactor article: How to set up a Calcium Reactor | Melev's Reef

cdness · May 27, 2014

First off, you should try tune the reactor so the solenoid only has to open and close when issues arrise... Adjust the needle valve to tune in the bubble rate.

Follow what Melev said. His guide is really good and even if not exactly what you need it can help you understand how the reactor works. That is step 1 to getting them working right..

This advice is coming from someone who has a reactor in his garage though so just based on reading... I have every intention on hooking up my reactor before I retire in 30 years...lol.

candcreef · May 27, 2014

melev said:
Hi candcreef. Have you tried to measure the alkalinity of the effluent? It should be measuring very high, around 19 dkH to as high as 35 dKH. If it is coming out around 12, you won't see much progress in the alkalinity level.

Media turns to mush when the pH drops in the reactor to about 6.0 or lower. You don't want that to happen, because you'll need to buy more media.

You may want to read over my calcium reactor article: How to set up a Calcium Reactor | Melev's Reef

Thank you ....I will test the effluent for alk....and your article was very informative.....

candcreef · May 27, 2014

cdness said:
First off, you should try tune the reactor so the solenoid only has to open and close when issues arrise... Adjust the needle valve to tune in the bubble rate.

Follow what Melev said. His guide is really good and even if not exactly what you need it can help you understand how the reactor works. That is step 1 to getting them working right..

This advice is coming from someone who has a reactor in his garage though so just based on reading... I have every intention on hooking up my reactor before I retire in 30 years...lol.

I would imagine in thirty years calc reactors will be obsolete and we will be asking each other how to setup a atom splitting reactor for our tanks!! Lol...thx for the reply...

candcreef · May 27, 2014

Melev....so slowing the effluent rate will raise alk? But not calcium? I'm confused, I thought the calc reactor added equal parts calc and alk to the tank? How does slowing the effluent rate raise alk and speeding it up reduces alk?

melev · May 27, 2014

candcreef said:
Melev....so slowing the effluent rate will raise alk? But not calcium? I'm confused, I thought the calc reactor added equal parts calc and alk to the tank? How does slowing the effluent rate raise alk and speeding it up reduces alk?

Everyone calls them Calcium Reactors, but they are actually Alkalinity Reactors. You'll get Calcium increase but your goal is more about alkalinity.

Yes, slowing the output of the reactor will increase the alkalinity level of the effluent. Alternately, lowering the pH level in the reactor will do the same. I have my effluent coming out as a slow stream (not a drip whatsoever) and keep my pH about 6.4 - 6.8.

If the effluent's Alkalinity level isn't between 19 and 35 dKH, your tank's alkalinity won't rise or stay up where you want it. You should test it. You'll need a lot of drops with your test kit to figure out what it is, but that's totally normal since you are testing something far higher than what we normally need in a reef tank.

candcreef · May 27, 2014

melev said:
Everyone calls them Calcium Reactors, but they are actually Alkalinity Reactors. You'll get Calcium increase but your goal is more about alkalinity.

Yes, slowing the output of the reactor will increase the alkalinity level of the effluent. Alternately, lowering the pH level in the reactor will do the same. I have my effluent coming out as a slow stream (not a drip whatsoever) and keep my pH about 6.4 - 6.8.

If the effluent's Alkalinity level isn't between 19 and 35 dKH, your tank's alkalinity won't rise or stay up where you want it. You should test it. You'll need a lot of drops with your test kit to figure out what it is, but that's totally normal since you are testing something far higher than what we normally need in a reef tank.

Ok...makes sense now....that's why I could never understand it...from now on I'm calling it a alk reactor!! Thx for all your help melev....