How hard can I push a GEO CR618

[Biglurr54]

I have a Geo CR618 on my heavily stocked system. Recently it has been struggling to keep up with demand. I keep changing the effluent rate but I'm worried it might be reaching a point where the effluent doesnt have enough dwell time in the reaction chamber to fully react with the media.

The CaRX ph is set to 6.55 controlled via apex. My probe is about a year old. I know I should replace it and calibrate it. I have my dosing pump (Masterflex) set to 60ml/min.

To offset the effluent pH I have the effluent travel through a secondary chamber of media to hopefully off gas and raise the pH some.

I am also dosing 1.5g/day of Kalkwasser to supplement and raise pH.

What effluent rate it too much for the reactor? Is there a point where the effluent doesn't have enough dwell time in the chamber to react with the media, resulting in lower effluent numbers?

Am I safe to bump up the effluent to 70ml?

 

[X-37B]

What is the dkh of your effluent?

 

[Biglurr54]

What is the dkh of your effluent?

Never tested it. I would assume it would be outside of the range of my Hanna checker

 

[X-37B]

Never tested it. I would assume it would be outside of the range of my Hanna checker

You can dilute it and test.
I use salifert.
I do not run a ph probe or controller on my system.
My 120 is 95% acros.
Currently I run, I just checked it,
52mlpm and 96 bpm.
Effluent is 22 dkh. My alk is 155-8.6.

 

[X-37B]

My carx is a modified Skims media 6" reactor so similar to your 618 in size. I run coral bones.
My ph runs 7.9-8.1.

 

[Biglurr54]

So mine is hooked up to a 175g display and 60g frag. Both are packed with mature sps.

How do I dilute to test? Time to google.

 

[X-37B]

So mine is hooked up to a 175g display and 60g frag. Both are packed with mature sps.

How do I dilute to test? Time to google.

Just add 5ml tank water and 5ml di and test then x2 for results.

 

[jda]

It will handle output full out without any restriction on effluent and about 10 bubbles a second - a lot. Nearly no tank needs this much output. If it is not keeping up, then your tune is probably not efficient or you need to stop using a pH controller and just set it to run 24/7 uninterrupted.

Basically, if you are restricting the effluent output, then it is not at full tilt. Full tilt needs new media every few weeks and a new 20lb bottle of co2 on nearly the same schedule. This is massive output.

As suggested above, Salifert is good to have on hand for CaRx testing. They have low res mode and it is easy to just keep adding syringes and add them up... or dilute it. It is also super cheap test kit and easy to use.