I have now been running a ca reactor for 1 week. It has been a bit difficult making the necessary adjustments to the Korallin c-1502.
Measuremnts as of today are:
Tank dkh 14.7
Tank ph 8.11
Tank Ca 480
Effluent measurements are:
Ca 560
Ph 6.94
Dkh 55.3
Dpm 32
Co2 bpm 14
Here are the measurements in the last week
My Ca levels in the tank run from 440 to 500
Ca levels in the effluent run from 480 to 560
My Ph levels in the tank run from 8.05 to 8.16
Ph in the effluent run from 6.75 to 7.33
My dkh levels in the tank run from 9.8 to 14.7
Dkh in the effluent run from 18.5 to 55.3
Co2 has been ranging from 7 bpm to 14 bpm
Effluent dpm from a low of 25 to 92
Here are my concerns:
1. Do I need to worry about these levels?
2. I am confused about which parimeter to try and change ca/alk or dkh? I am also confused about what will happen when I do change the Co2 bpm or the ca/alk dpm, I need help on this!
3. Should I run the reactor 24/7?
Observation of tank:
Everything looks great! I can swear that my sps's have colored up more. Even polyps are poking out of my millies.
So far eveything looks like its liking what is being done with the ca reactor.
Should I continue to do what I am doing or do I need a radical adjustment?
Juan
One thing that my people get confused about is that a Ca reactor is more or less a alk reactor. To tune in a reactor you need to keep track of your alk. dKh is a unit of measurement for alk, just a ppm is a unit of measurement for Ca.
What I found helpful in tune in my reactor is to measure my alk and log it in a notebook each day around the same time. I prefer to make small change and prefer to make them to the bubble count.
To start out you need to turn to reactor Co2 off and let the alk come down. Find an alk that you want to run at, 9dKh is where mine is at. Once you get to that alk turn the Co2 back on. Most reactor call for a effluent rate to start of arounf 60 ml/min. I would use the same bubble count to start as you have now.
For day 2- Measure your alk. If its higher than the day before lower the bubble count on the CO2 a little. If it lower than raise the bubble count on the CO2 a little. Do this while keeping the efflient the same.
I note the bubble count each time I adjust so that I know where it was the time before. Some regulators will drift as the pressure in the tank change.
Repeat day 2 until you can hold your alk stable for a few day in a row. Good luck!
From what your saying it looks like I can run the reactor without running the co2.
By upping the Co2 I will inturn get a higher alk level.
By upping the effluent I will get a higher Ca level.
Is that right?
I am due for a water change next week and I am worried that I will wreck havoc in my tank. I use reef crystals and that mix already has a higher alk level to begin with.
Personally I would start on the low end and work up. If you have sps corals in the tank they will react moor poorly to high alk spikes than to low alk. I agree with Dejavu, you should turn off the co2 until your alk drops to a more desired level. I run at 8dkh. I have a GEO cal reactor and they recommend to start by setting the alk of your effluent to about double the desired tank level. That would mean that you want to get the effluent alk down to around 16dkh-20dkh. You can then slowly adjust upwards as needed. GEO recommends a bubble count of 30bpm as a starting point with a drip rate somewhere between drips and a stream. Increasing the drip rate will drop the Ph within the reactor but it can also raise the alk level of the tank. If your bubble count is to high and the drip rate too low you can melt the media.
Good luck! Go slow and you will have it in no time.
Well guys things are looking better!
Last night I tested and here are the parimeters:
Tank dkh is down to 12.6
Tank Ph has gone up to 8.17
Tank Ca is down to 480
Effluent levels are as follows:
Co2 is dailed down to 6 dpm
Effluent dpm is at 55
Effluent dkh is 35
Effluent Ph is 6.97
Effluent Ca is 520
I plan to do a water chnage on Monday with reef crystals. I will use less salt.Why? Well according to the package the more salt I use the more Ca.Mg and Alk will be added to my system.
I only plan on allowing for a very small change in a lower levels Ca,Mg and Alk with the new water mix. I don't want to shock any of the corals by dropping any levels too quickly. This I feel would have an adverse reaction to them.
I have another quick question for you guys:
Those that use ca reactors have you noticed a drop in nitrates?
