Low alk since switching to Gen-X reactor media

[Chin_Lee]

I used ARM before they came out with the large media but like Marc said, it was mush in a few months and my circulating pump was working like a horse to keep up with the additional head pressure created by the back pressure of the mud. I then switched over to Caribsea Florida Crushed Coral media. The media is 2-5mm and for $33 bucks, it will fill my reactor 3 times. I won't post bubble count specs since each reactor is different to achieve individual's needs. But my efllunet pH was 6.7, Alk level on the effluent was above and beyong what my salifert test kit could register. Output rate of approximately 3 drips/sec.
Unfortunately i hate testing soooooo much that I didn't test the CA level in the effluent even once in the last 6 months
Just emptied out my reactor last night after 6 months and refilled with same media and I threw in all of my acro skeletons in there at the bottom to recycle. I did have to wash the media out over and over again for about 3-5 minutes before adding it to the reactor. It had lots of fine dust and some "floaties". But I'm still on my first bag i bought at Xmas time and this will last me till next Xmas.

Did I mention how much I hate changing Ca reactor?

[Delphinus]

Hey Chin - not worried about the substrate leaching phosphate? I'd be interested to see what kind of PO4 the reactor is emitting.

Having said that, I haven't tested my reactor output though because ignorance is bliss!!

[Chin_Lee]

Originally Posted by Delphinus

Hey Chin - not worried about the substrate leaching phosphate? I'd be interested to see what kind of PO4 the reactor is emitting.

Having said that, I haven't tested my reactor output though because ignorance is bliss!!

Currently does any CA media guarantee no leaching of phosphate? Last I read is that ALL calcium media leaches phosphates. If there is "no phosphate" media, I'll switch to that media.
But otherwise, I can't personally see the difference between crushed coral brand A and crushed coral brand B or crushed coral brand C.

I am actually in the planning phase of making a closed loop phoshate remover out of a Phosban reactor for the efluent of a calcium reactor.

[Delphinus]

No but I thought we're using reactor media over just any old coral gravel because that "reactor media" is intended to have fewer phosphates. I dunno if that's just a marketing gimmick though. But that's why I thought you shouldn't throw things like snail shells in your reactor media and so on.

Maybe that's a valid test for comparing various reactor media brands - see what kind of PO4 they emit.

Doesn't Marc basically have a recirc stage for the effluent going through some phosban? Sounds like a decent idea to me anyhow.