Dripping your Calcium Reactor effluent into a refugeum.

[Ed Hahn]

I know its a common practice to drip Your Calcium reactor effluent near or into your protien skimmer to remove excessive CO2.

Has anyone considered dripping CO2 into a refugeum? You have plants that thrive on CO2 if dosed correctly in Freshwater. What are pros and cons of doing this with Saltwater refugeum?

Thanks in Advance,
Ed

 

[returnofsid]

In Freshwater planted tanks, one concern about CO2 is how drastically and quickly it can alter pH. I think that's the entire reason for removing Co2, in SW, before it can have that effect. That's all I know...lol.

 

[trido]

IMO if your Ca. consumption doesnt have your reactor maxed out then you could likely drip anywhere you want provided your not dropping the Ph on the entire system too low.
I also agree that dripping into the refuge would likely be beneficial to the macroalge. If my fuge wasnt so high above the reactor Id try it for you. I think it is worth an experiment.

 

[treehugger]

I have mine dripping in the skimmer chamber of my sump but it flows right into my refugium. Since I started dripping it there my chaeto has gone crazy. More then doubling in size in three weeks. I haven't really noticed to much of a ph drop or swing either. The monitor next to my return pump usually reads around 8.1 in the am and 8.28 in the pm when lights are on (the effluent is ph 6.4)

 

[Maxx]

I do it on my system. It drips into the first chamber of my sump, which is occupied by my skimmer. But my skimmer is gravity fed from my overflows so no mixing of water. I had the reactor running before I got chaeto in the sump, so I cant exactly give a heads up asbout increased chaeto growth...

I used to drip straight into the refugium, however this required me adding a lengthy piece of rigid airline tubing to make the reach. This was exposed to my refugium lighting which caused algae to grow inside the rigid tubing clogging it. This in turn wound up shutting down my reactor, so I removed rigid tubing and just went with the effluent dripping into the first chamber and not exposed to light.

Nick

 

[tkmak]

I do it on my system. It drips into the first chamber of my sump, which is occupied by my skimmer. But my skimmer is gravity fed from my overflows so no mixing of water. I had the reactor running before I got chaeto in the sump, so I cant exactly give a heads up asbout increased chaeto growth...

I used to drip straight into the refugium, however this required me adding a lengthy piece of rigid airline tubing to make the reach. This was exposed to my refugium lighting which caused algae to grow inside the rigid tubing clogging it. This in turn wound up shutting down my reactor, so I removed rigid tubing and just went with the effluent dripping into the first chamber and not exposed to light.

Nick

Maybe somebody will say I too have it all wrong, but my Ca Rx drips right into my refugium's return pump chamber. I have the effluent's rate at about 25 drops/min on a total water vol of about 70gallons and I don't see my pH dropping even a hair.

My thoughts on why my pH doesn't change? I think it's because my refug return is near to the tank's water level and creates good surface agitation/gas exchange. I also have a double chambered Ca Rx (self made, based on DJ88's design).

My chaeto also grew like nuts, thought it was due to overfeeding/high nitrates. I ran out of CO2 for about a week and it all just about died off, got all lime green and swishy. Just a few sprigs left, got more CO2 and the stuff is growing back again strong.

 

[Maxx]

I have mine set up like I do for a couple of reasons:

1...the effluent hits the first chamber of my sump and is exposed to the Skimmer effluent and also to the water that doesnt go through the skimmer, so there is significant surface agitation, which should, (in theory), help off gas any excess co2.

2...the feed pump for my Phosban reactor is in the first chamber of the sump as well, so it should have first crack at scrounging up any phosphates released from the media in my calcium reactor.

3...Finally, the Cheatomorphia in my sump gets to scavange any leftover phosphates or co2. This should benefit it, while reducing the level of nutrients that make into my system.

Nick