How to drop Alkalinity and keep it stable?

RuGlu6 · #1 11-10-2008, 05:24 PM

Hi guys,
My Alkalinity is 15, a bit too high. (30 drops with elos test to get water from clear to blue to yellow)
I have tiny calc reactor (Acro-Cal) and running 1 (one) Co2 bubble every 4-6 seconds in a bubble counter, can not make it any less then that with needle valve from J&L.
Increasing the flow through the reactor doesn’t seem to help with Alk drop, but only in Ph increase in the effluent.

Any ideas on how to drop Alkalinity and keep it there stable?
thx

martym · #2 11-10-2008, 05:45 PM

what is the Ph reading in the effluent coming out of the reactor?

untamed · #3 11-10-2008, 07:57 PM

Check your Ca level. If the Ca is also pretty high, just shut the reactor off until things drop back down to more appropriate levels. After that, you have to slow down that reactor to keep things in line.

Ya Dude · #4 11-10-2008, 09:15 PM

maybe you dont even need a reactor yet.

RuGlu6 · #5 11-10-2008, 09:46 PM

Thanks for replies people,
Sorry forgot to mention the obviously needed info.
Cal level is 420ppm
Ph main tank 8.3-8.4
Ph Reactor effluent 6.6 with one bubble every 4-6 seconds, can't make it anything less the that.
Reactor effluent is steady drip but fast enough to not to be able to count drops.
I just switched to Reefers Best salt maybe this will make it better...
I have few SPS and some LPS so there is a need at least for some Calcium.

untamed · #6 11-10-2008, 09:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RuGlu6

Thanks for replies people,
Sorry forgot to mention the obviously needed info.
Cal level is 420ppm
Ph main tank 8.3-8.4
Ph Reactor effluent 6.6 with one bubble every 4-6 seconds, can't make it anything less the that.
Reactor effluent is steady drip but fast enough to not to be able to count drops.
I just switched to Reefers Best salt maybe this will make it better...
I have few SPS and some LPS so there is a need at least for some Calcium.

pH seems high...This doesn't seem to jive with high Ca/Alk. I can't easily explain it, but I would also not worry about it.

Ca is high enough that if you shut down that reactor, you'll see the Alk fall...while the Ca will also fall but much more slowly. I still think that is what you need to do.