Low alk, need to balance before dialing in cax

[zenn]

Yup a ca reactor can do that. Do some big water changes and cross your fingers. Once you get it back in line set you effluent rate at about 200ml a minute. Then add 10bpm co2. Watch your tank parameters if they fall dose manually and add another 2bpm. Give this a shot.

Don

so i fired up the reactor again a couple nights ago. Problem now is, the ph in the reactor hasn't gotten below 7. Is it supposed to take days before that will happen?

I've had the bpm at 30. Then I bumped it up to 40 on the second day, and now it's up to 60. Still, the lowest it's gotten is 7.1. Should I continue to bump up the bpm...or just wait a few days...and then do it? I certainly don't want to have excess gas again and have the effluent flow stop like last time.

 

[DonW]

so i fired up the reactor again a couple nights ago. Problem now is, the ph in the reactor hasn't gotten below 7. Is it supposed to take days before that will happen?

I've had the bpm at 30. Then I bumped it up to 40 on the second day, and now it's up to 60. Still, the lowest it's gotten is 7.1. Should I continue to bump up the bpm...or just wait a few days...and then do it? I certainly don't want to have excess gas again and have the effluent flow stop like last time.

What is the effluent rate?

Don

 

[zenn]

it's 50ml/m

 

[DonW]

it's 50ml/m

Something is wrong. I run 350ml min 30bpm @ a ph of 6.5.
Check for co2 leaks. Are you using real co2 tubing.

Don

 

[zenn]

i'm using the black rubber tubing that was provided with the geo reactor.

How long should it take to see the ph drop? Does it take a couple hours, days or should you be able to notice changes farily quickly.

 

[DonW]

i'm using the black rubber tubing that was provided with the geo reactor.

How long should it take to see the ph drop? Does it take a couple hours, days or should you be able to notice changes farily quickly.

Just overnight 8-10 hours at most.

Don

 

[zenn]

Not sure this will help, but I took some pics. I'm really really frustrated with this thing. I'm about ready to pack it up in the box and ship it back.

 

[DonW]

Which of the two bubble counters are you counting?

Don

 

[zenn]

i'm counting the one at the regulator.

 

[zenn]

i'll check for co2 leaks, but i did that 2 days ago and nothing...so i doubt something has changed but you never know i suppose. thanks for all the help don.

 

[DonW]

i'm counting the one at the regulator.

Count them on the one that came with the reactor. Nitice the difference in tube size. The bubble size is probably twice the size in the geo counter, just a guess.

Don

 

[zenn]

they are. For every two bubbles in the regulator bubble counter, there's only 1 in the reactor bubble counter. That's a good point. So WHen i was saying 60bpm...i was actually only getting around 30.

still, i don't want to overpower the reactor with excess gas. Should there be any visible micro bubbles rising in the reactor at any point in time?

 

[DonW]

they are. For every two bubbles in the regulator bubble counter, there's only 1 in the reactor bubble counter. That's a good point. So WHen i was saying 60bpm...i was actually only getting around 30.

still, i don't want to overpower the reactor with excess gas. Should there be any visible micro bubbles rising in the reactor at any point in time?

Depends on the reactor mine looks like soda water. I dont know if you can do that with a Geo. If your locking up the reactor with to much gas the up the effluent rate.


Don

 

[zenn]

Depends on the reactor mine looks like soda water. I dont know if you can do that with a Geo. If your locking up the reactor with to much gas the up the effluent rate.


Don

ok, i'll turn up the effuent rate to 75ml/m. Then up the bubble rate one more time. If the ph isn't reached by tonight, I'll know there's something really wrong. I thought dialing in the reactor would be the tough part, not getting it to operate correctly.

 

[DonW]

ok, i'll turn up the effuent rate to 75ml/m. Then up the bubble rate one more time. If the ph isn't reached by tonight, I'll know there's something really wrong. I thought dialing in the reactor would be the tough part, not getting it to operate correctly.

You cant raise them both at the same time and expect the ph to fall. Raise only the bubble count. If it locks up the reactor then raise the effluent rate. Reactors can be a pain to get dialed it because the feed pumps are all different. Its much much easier if you pull/suck water through the reactor.

Don

 

[zenn]

On your reactor, how much variability do you get on your effluent PH on any given day? Does it remain stable?

 

[DonW]

On your reactor, how much variability do you get on your effluent PH on any given day? Does it remain stable?

It never changes its not supposed to.

Don

 

[zenn]

Ok, i've been reading all evening on what others have done when setting up a cax. This is my new plan of attack.

I purged the reactor and I'm going to start all over again. So I've read that you want to get the reactor to the desired PH first. This should be 6.7. I am going to do this by starting with a low bmp rate and effluent rate. Once you get the PH stable, I'll measure the tank parameters again to see how they've changed. If alk & CA have changed (most likely they've lowered since I'll be using an effluent rate of 50 drips per minute and 30 bpm from the co2). Then what I'll do is up the effluent flow and bpm very slightly. I'll wait a day, test tank parameters and make adjustments again. I'll do this until CA & alk are stable in the display tank.

My only question at this point is, when making adjustments to effluent flow rate and bpm, is it good to do them at the same time? At what rate...ie, if you increase bpm by 10, how much do you increase effluent drip rate?

 

[DonW]

Ok, i've been reading all evening on what others have done when setting up a cax. This is my new plan of attack.

I purged the reactor and I'm going to start all over again. So I've read that you want to get the reactor to the desired PH first. This should be 6.7. I am going to do this by starting with a low bmp rate and effluent rate. Once you get the PH stable, I'll measure the tank parameters again to see how they've changed. If alk & CA have changed (most likely they've lowered since I'll be using an effluent rate of 50 drips per minute and 30 bpm from the co2). Then what I'll do is up the effluent flow and bpm very slightly. I'll wait a day, test tank parameters and make adjustments again. I'll do this until CA & alk are stable in the display tank.

My only question at this point is, when making adjustments to effluent flow rate and bpm, is it good to do them at the same time? At what rate...ie, if you increase bpm by 10, how much do you increase effluent drip rate?

If you start with a real low effluent rate I see feed problems. Effluent stopping for no reason.

Don

 

[zenn]

I know what you mean. I'll watch it. If the flow stops, I don't see any real problems since I'm using a ph contoller that woudl shut off co2 if the ph got too low.

i'm just worried with an effluent rate of 50ml/m, i could overload the system too quickly. I really don't have a huge CA demand. Which again begs the question why i'm using a cax. Reason is, Kalk alone wasn't cutting it. But i didn't have to dose much calcium chloride either, so my CA load is lower.