Lower Alkalinity in effluent than in tank!?!?!?!

[iambenfields]

Hi all,

I'm hoping someone can explain what is happening in my calcium reactor. I have never had one on a tank before but I've been reefing for almost 2 decades and decided to take the plunge into less hands-on time.

I followed instructions to the letter. My reactor is a Korallin 1502 and my Co2 bottle is a generic Amazon one. Miluwakee MA957 regulator so there is nothing out of the ordinary... Other than what its doing.

I am at 10 bubbles per minute and 40-50 drips per minute of effluent. My DKH in the tank is a steady 10.2-10.3 and my effluent is coming out at 6.9!!!

Help would be much appreciated as I dont want to make any sudden changes to DKH or the like.

Many thanks!

 

[GoVols]

Hi all,

I'm hoping someone can explain what is happening in my calcium reactor. I have never had one on a tank before but I've been reefing for almost 2 decades and decided to take the plunge into less hands-on time.

I followed instructions to the letter. My reactor is a Korallin 1502 and my Co2 bottle is a generic Amazon one. Miluwakee MA957 regulator so there is nothing out of the ordinary... Other than what its doing.

I am at 10 bubbles per minute and 40-50 drips per minute of effluent. My DKH in the tank is a steady 10.2-10.3 and my effluent is coming out at 6.9!!!

Help would be much appreciated as I dont want to make any sudden changes to DKH or the like.

Many thanks!

Well,
Welcome to Reef 2 Reef!!

Do you want to bring down your main display's dkh slowly?

Or do you want to know how a cal reactor works?

 

[GoVols]

(lol)
I could understand if you meant your effluent read 6.9 ph, but not dkh...

Which test kit do you use?

I like the Hanna Alk Checker.

 

[bsn_rn_cen]

Welcome to Reef2Reef. Wish I could help, but have never run a Ca reactor. Someone will know though

 

[lapin]

Welcome.

(lol)
I could understand if you meant your effluent read 6.9 ph, but not dkh...

Effluent ph or dkh ?
Inquiring minds want to know

 

[Peter K]

Noob to calcium reactors here too (@GoVols knows this ), but theoretically speaking is it even possible to have a lower dkh as effluent compared to your system dkh? My thinking is that you are recirculating tank water at your display dkh and even with 0 co2 injection the dkh should read the same as your display and with any co2 injection it should read higher right? I may be way off here just thinking out loud.

 

[GoVols]

Welcome.

Effluent ph or dkh ?
Inquiring minds want to know

It's the output coming out of the calcium reactor.

You use Co2 to drop the reactor's ph and it melts the media.
After the media melts, it outputs cal, alk and some skeletal trace elements, but should not have low alk.
The alk should be high to keep the display's alk stable.

Depending on your reef:
Your display might hold the alk at 8.5 dkh, but the reactor's output should be way higher than that to maintain 8.5

 

[GoVols]

Here's Randy talking:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/showthread.php?t=2145967

 

[GoVols]

@iambenfields

Can you buy an Apex and run your cal reactor like this:

It talks about Korallin's too.

 

[iambenfields]

Wow thanks y’all!

So GoVols I am running an Apex - that looks like a great way to set it up a thank you.

It is DKH - I’m using a Hanna checker and my tank water is 10.2 and effluent from port 1 on the Korallin is at 6.9... I can’t understand it! But I must have done something backwards???

 

[iambenfields]

So I just tested it again and it’s at 9.X - I increased the bubble count to about every 4 seconds...

Still quite confused - I can’t understand how the alk could drop if there is C02 in the reactor???

 

[GoVols]

So I just tested it again and it’s at 9.X - I increased the bubble count to about every 4 seconds...

Still quite confused - I can’t understand how the alk could drop if there is C02 in the reactor???

Well,
I'm not sure how a Korallin cal reactor works.

Seems like they have two outputs.

Hope someone comes along that can trouble shoot with you.

Side bar:
Do you go to the Aquatic Critter?

 

[iambenfields]

Yeah - I get the feeling most folks use updated systems. I’ll keep fiddling with it - can’t make sense to my Luddite brain though.

Yes! I do go there - too often for my wife and kids though, only the littlest one will go with me at this point!!! Are you from Nashville?

 

[GoVols]

Yeah - I get the feeling most folks use updated systems. I’ll keep fiddling with it - can’t make sense to my Luddite brain though.

Yes! I do go there - too often for my wife and kids though, only the littlest one will go with me at this point!!! Are you from Nashville?

Murfreesboro

 

[iambenfields]

Nice. You ever head to emerald bay?

 

[GoVols]

Nice. You ever head to emerald bay?

Is it close to down town?

 

[GoVols]

Nice. You ever head to emerald bay?

I just saw their FaceBook.

I bet Chris Begen owns a piece of them too.

Is it a good place to try out?

 

[iambenfields]

Its got some nice livestock... It *is* in what appears to be a mobile home or something like that - the first time I went I considered leaving the car running. But they're chill and know a lot about the hobby.

might have to take a trip out to check out your tank some day

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Noob to calcium reactors here too (@GoVols knows this ), but theoretically speaking is it even possible to have a lower dkh as effluent compared to your system dkh?

Yes.

If you run no CO2 (or an inappropriately low amount), I expect the media will precipitate calcium carbonate and reduce the alkalinity.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

So I just tested it again and it’s at 9.X - I increased the bubble count to about every 4 seconds...

Still quite confused - I can’t understand how the alk could drop if there is C02 in the reactor???

I asked Hanna if their checker works correctly at very low starting pH and they said yes, but I am skeptical.

In any case, if the tank alk is 10 dKH, it would seem as if the reactor is at least maintaining it???