Calcium Reactor Question

[teds]

Hi,

I'm not sure my question is exactly an "advanced topic", but hopefully an okay place to post. Our setup is a 160g tank (60"x24"x28") + ~75g sump. After months and months of doing the two part dosing thing, we bought a Korallin 1502 to replace the dosing. However it seems after a couple months of it being in place we are still unable to get the dKH consistently much higher than 7.7 or 8.0 (calcium about 390-400). Maybe I should just be satisfied with those values? Currently the C02 is running about 45 BPM and effluent about 60 DPM. I measure the dKH of the effluent at 43 (using a low range Salifert, 1.35ml reagent to color change). Note that I have messed with the thing raising both parameters in sync, but still no appreciable rise, if any, in dKH. So I'm trying to figure out what I'm missing or, more likely, doing wrong. Below are a couple of pics of our aquarium(still a work in progress ). I'm probably asking the impossible without any sort of point of reference, but I'm wondering if it is possible to tell from the pics if the amount of coral is possibly too demanding for the 1502? I wouldn't think so, but not sure what to think at this point.

Thank you for any thoughts or ideas,
Ted S.

 

[Salty Dog]

Ok I too whent thru low readings on both calc,and alk after setting up a new MTC Pro Cal dual chamber reactor ( one of the best on the market). It took maybe 3 months where I didnt need to does on top of the reactor to get my readings up to a good level. It takes time with reactors to start to break down the media and too disperse it into the water colume. Be paitent it will fine

Your tank looks good, Picts are hard to tell if your sps had whitesh tips, test your water and keep alk between 8-10 .

 

[Herefishyfishy]

What is the ph of your efluent?

 

[returnofsid]

I'd double check your effluent Alk levels, with a different Alk test. 43 sounds WAY too high. From what I've read, the Alk levels inside a Ca Rx typically run 28-32 dkh.

 

[teds]

What is the ph of your efluent?

Well...good question. In short, I don't know. I'm not using a PH probe on the reactor and don't have a meter. I use a Salifert test on the tank, but as far as I know that is useless for anything < 7.4. I was thinking the effluent dKH would be a fairly good indicator as to the level of PH in the reactor, i.e. if the dKH was appropriately high, then the PH must be low enough to dissolve media. Umm, not quite an exact science, huh .

I suppose a PH meter would be a good investment eh? I'll see what the internet retailers have available..

thanks for the reply.

 

[teds]

I'd double check your effluent Alk levels, with a different Alk test. 43 sounds WAY too high. From what I've read, the Alk levels inside a Ca Rx typically run 28-32 dkh.

Okay, thanks, good to know. Although I seem to remember testing the kit with the "Salifert testing solution" fairly recently and it was reading correctly, if that is anything?? I'll do some more testing, and grab a new test kit. I needed to run out to Kevin's in the next few days anyway, I'll add a ALK test to the list.

thanks again,

Ted

 

[teds]

Ok I too whent thru low readings on both calc,and alk after setting up a new MTC Pro Cal dual chamber reactor ( one of the best on the market). It took maybe 3 months where I didnt need to does on top of the reactor to get my readings up to a good level. It takes time with reactors to start to break down the media and too disperse it into the water colume. Be paitent it will fine

Your tank looks good, Picts are hard to tell if your sps had whitesh tips, test your water and keep alk between 8-10 .

Thank you. That would definitely be the best answer, "nothing is wrong, I'm just inpatient" . This is probably the answer more often than not. Maybe some day just viewing the tank contents will be the goal, as opposed to finding/creating something to fix or improve upon. The coral itself seems to be healthy, the tips are white and it is growing like crazy.

thanks again,

Ted

 

[returnofsid]

I don't believe that your coral population is too much for this calcium reactor. I've seen much higher coral loads, with the same reactor, with no issues at all. In fact, I have the same calcium reactor. Right now, it's off line, but when it was running, I had a much higher coral load, with no issues at all. My Alk and Ca levels were stable and around 11 and 460, if I remember right.

 

[FreakinReefin]

What is the ph of your efluent?

I don't believe that your coral population is too much for this calcium reactor. I've seen much higher coral loads, with the same reactor, with no issues at all. In fact, I have the same calcium reactor. Right now, it's off line, but when it was running, I had a much higher coral load, with no issues at all. My Alk and Ca levels were stable and around 11 and 460, if I remember right.

I have this same reactor and was originally having the same issues. PH was around 6.5 in the chamber and was just not low enough for the media I am using. I turned my controller to 6.3-6.4ish and now my dKh is 11 with 460-480 calcium. BUT you have to remember, a calcium reactor is meant to maintain your levels, not add to them.

 

[teds]

I don't believe that your coral population is too much for this calcium reactor. I've seen much higher coral loads, with the same reactor, with no issues at all. In fact, I have the same calcium reactor. Right now, it's off line, but when it was running, I had a much higher coral load, with no issues at all. My Alk and Ca levels were stable and around 11 and 460, if I remember right.

Good to know, thanks. I'm was hoping my issue wasn't just that the reactor is too small from the get go. More testing and research....

thanks,
Ted

 

[teds]

I have this same reactor and was originally having the same issues. PH was around 6.5 in the chamber and was just not low enough for the media I am using. I turned my controller to 6.3-6.4ish and now my dKh is 11 with 460-480 calcium. BUT you have to remember, a calcium reactor is meant to maintain your levels, not add to them.

It may be good time to get a PH meter/controller. I hear you on the maintaining as opposed to adding.. In fact, I've dosed the tank up to 10ish a couple of times, only to watch it subsequently drop to 7.7 or 8 over time. The media I'm using is the CaribSea ARM fine..

thanks for the comments,

Ted

 

[Herefishyfishy]

Well...good question. In short, I don't know. I'm not using a PH probe on the reactor and don't have a meter. I use a Salifert test on the tank, but as far as I know that is useless for anything < 7.4. I was thinking the effluent dKH would be a fairly good indicator as to the level of PH in the reactor, i.e. if the dKH was appropriately high, then the PH must be low enough to dissolve media. Umm, not quite an exact science, huh .

I suppose a PH meter would be a good investment eh? I'll see what the internet retailers have available..

thanks for the reply.

There is no way to adjust a CaRx without knowing the Ph inside.
The Ph has to be low enough to dissolve the coral rock (media) To do this, the bubble rate will be gradually raised until the Ph is low enough to do it's job. Thus start with a slow drip rate and gradually raise the bubble rate until you have achieved the right level of acid in the chamber. THEN gradually over days/weeks/months raise the drip rate to meet the tanks Ca and ALK demands. You want to do all this gradually so that you are not crashing the tanks Ph with all the Carbonic acid. It is all called dialing in the reactor.

Start with a Ph monitor or better yet a Ph controller so that it can be set more automatic. With a controller, it will start and stop the CO2 as the Ph necessitates.

One last important consideration: I often see others attempting to to fix a problem with the wrong tool. The low Ca and ALK could be from too much Mg, Phosporus, nutrients, poor oxygenation, etc. Takes a LOT of coral (or coraline algae) to deplete the salts in a system that gets correct water changes.

 

[teds]

There is no way to adjust a CaRx without knowing the Ph inside.
The Ph has to be low enough to dissolve the coral rock (media) To do this, the bubble rate will be gradually raised until the Ph is low enough to do it's job. Thus start with a slow drip rate and gradually raise the bubble rate until you have achieved the right level of acid in the chamber. THEN gradually over days/weeks/months raise the drip rate to meet the tanks Ca and ALK demands. You want to do all this gradually so that you are not crashing the tanks Ph with all the Carbolic acid. It is all called dialing in the reactor.

Start with a Ph monitor or better yet a Ph controller so that it can be set more automatic. With a controller, it will start and stop the CO2 as the Ph necessitates. One last thing, often one trys to fix the problem with the wrong tool. The low Ca and ALK could be from too much Mg, Phosporus, nutrients, poor oxygenation, etc. Takes a LOT of coral (or coraline algae) to deplete the salts in a system that gets correct water changes.

Thanks much, great information. I believe I know where to go from here. I think I'm okay on water changes at about 15% every two weeks and I'll consider the other items you suggest.

I appreciate that you guys take the time to submit help through the forums. I'm pretty much always learning so maybe I can return the favor to another someday.

thanks again,

Ted