calcium reactor

[rbarb1111]

i am going to be setting up a calcium reactor on my 30 gallon tank. i also have a 6gallon fuge above the tank. Would it be better to have the reactor output go into the fuge or back to the main tank. I am leaning towards the fuge because i am hoping that excess co2 could be released and used by the algae.
I have no sump.

Any thoughts on this??


Thanks

Richard

 

[loohunter]

i think you are on the right track

 

[Maxx]

Is your refugium on a reverse lighting cycle?

One potential problem I see is excess Co2 in the effluent lowering your pH. If the refugium is the same cycle as the tank, the pH will normally lower at night anyway.

Nick

 

[liveforphysics]

If you connect a secondary buffer chamber to move the effluent through, you wont have any extra CO2 and the drip will come out neutral pH. This is what my Calc reactor design does.

Otherwise, definately drip it into the fuge.

 

[DonW]

i am going to be setting up a calcium reactor on my 30 gallon tank. i also have a 6gallon fuge above the tank. Would it be better to have the reactor output go into the fuge or back to the main tank. I am leaning towards the fuge because i am hoping that excess co2 could be released and used by the algae.
I have no sump.

Any thoughts on this??


Thanks

Richard

A properly adjusted ca reactor will not have any "excess" co2. Water only holds so much c02. If your reactor is purging excess co2, your just using more than it can handle. If you have to drip enough to lower your tanks ph then your reactor alk is to low. You should be able to run your reactor 24/7 with very little effect on the tank ph. Since your using a hang on skimmer. I'd put the drip line right in the suction area of the skimmer intake.

Don

 

[liveforphysics]

I dissagree Don. Every skimmer that has its effluent exit from the reaction chamber and enter the tank inherently has to have its pH at a level which disolves CaCO3, around 6.5ish. The pH is lower of course becasuse its CO2 disolved in the exiting drip (carbonic acid).

Anytime you measure the pH of your drip and its below 7, its because there is CO2 present. You need to perform the pH test quickly though, since its just soda water (carbonic acid) it quickly off gasses its CO2 and you are left with a false pH reading once its 'gone flat'.

Also, haveing the buffer chamber causes the reactor to be capable of disolveing more Ca ions for a given amount of CO2 used. Makeing it not only safer, but more resource efficient and easier to tune.

 

[DonW]

I dissagree Don.

Anytime you measure the pH of your drip and its below 7, its because there is CO2 present. You need to perform the pH test quickly though, since its just soda water (carbonic acid) it quickly off gasses its CO2 and you are left with a false pH reading once its 'gone flat'.

Exactly, "it quickly off gasses its co2" as you said. Thus when properly adjusted to have the ph only low enough to do its job there should be no real change in tank ph. Also the reasoning for putting the effluent line at the skimmer intake. By the time it leaves the skimmer the ph will be right back up. There is absolutly no need for a second chamber. It may help an already ineffective or misadjusted ca reactor with the extra buffering but is by no means necessary.

Don

Don

 

[liveforphysics]

I agree with that. If you run it into the inlet of the skimmer, it would drop CO2 level back to normal in a heart beat. I dont use skimmers, which makes the second chamber quite purposeful for my applications.

A low pH drip into the fuge could potentially increase his rate of nutrient export, but likely wouldnt be as safe as your sugestion of running it into the inlet of the skimmer. Good advice sir.