Is your Ca reactor not producing enough

[Chin_Lee]

Will
I had that problem with my reactor when I first started out. It has the capacity to be filled with three gallon jars of ARM but initially, I wanted to replace frequently so I had only put one gallon into the reactor. I had the effluent pH close to 6.4 and my alk/cal kept going down. Eventually I had to put three gallons of media in, and kept pH efluent at around 6.7 to maintain my alk/cal. The output is a steady stream out of a 1/4" tube and my bubble count is about 90-100 bph.

[bnhreef]

Hey Chin,

Are you sure you're only adding 90 -100 bubbles per HOUR of CO2?????

Brad

[Chin_Lee]

Originally Posted by bnhreef

Hey Chin,

Are you sure you're only adding 90 -100 bubbles per HOUR of CO2?????

Brad

No i'm not adding 90-100 bph. I am adding 90-100 bubbles per minute.

[Gools]

I find my reactor is keeping my calcium at 425, but my Alk won't go up. Alk stays at around 7, which is fine but I want it up around the 10 mark. Was debating wether to add some extension chambers to make them tall, to hold more media, to see if it would help

[kari]

Gools,
try using some baked baking soda to bring up the alk.

[bnhreef]

Sorry Chin,

I just thought you were doing something that I should be doing.

By the way guys, Kari makes the best Ca reactors this side of the Rockies.

Thanks again, Kari.

Brad

[Gools]

Kari
I did do that, works for a few days then comes right back down. I also made my own 2 part, and dosed the Alk part, and had the same results. It's not something I losing sleep over, but I would love to get it up to 10, when I had it there before, corals grew like weeds.

[Willito]

Originally Posted by Chin_Lee

Will
I had that problem with my reactor when I first started out. It has the capacity to be filled with three gallon jars of ARM but initially, I wanted to replace frequently so I had only put one gallon into the reactor. I had the effluent pH close to 6.4 and my alk/cal kept going down. Eventually I had to put three gallons of media in, and kept pH efluent at around 6.7 to maintain my alk/cal. The output is a steady stream out of a 1/4" tube and my bubble count is about 90-100 bph.

I figured after 3 months of running this thing would be stable by now but something is still not right. I measured my effluent and it's at 600ppm Ca. Not bad, but I think the drip rate is the reason why my levels are as low as they are. With a tank full of SPS and the drip rate it's current at, there is just not enought to feed the corals. I will double up of the drops/minute and increase the bubbles a tad and re-test the water in few days. Hope that the solution because I don't want to end up running a kalk reactor.

[Delphinus]

Will, don't even bother measuring effluent in drips per minute. I have mine at a fairly steady stream. Measure more in ml per minute maybe. I would indeed step up your rate at least 1.5x or even double, and adjust the bubble rate so that the effluent is pH is 6.7, and see where things are at after that.

[Chin_Lee]

Originally Posted by Willito

I figured after 3 months of running this thing would be stable by now but something is still not right. I measured my effluent and it's at 600ppm Ca. Not bad, but I think the drip rate is the reason why my levels are as low as they are. With a tank full of SPS and the drip rate it's current at, there is just not enought to feed the corals. I will double up of the drops/minute and increase the bubbles a tad and re-test the water in few days. Hope that the solution because I don't want to end up running a kalk reactor.

Will
i just measured my effluent rate at 200 ml/minute. very steady flow - not anywhere near a drip of any rate. hope that helps you out.
BTW i also have the effluent fall into the body of water near my skimmer pump intake. this ensures as much of th co2 is removed and its more oxygen rich before going back into my display tank.