I just made an interesting discovery that will undoubtably solve my alk/Ca issues: Today I came home and the reef was at pH 8.18, the bubble counter was hopping along as usual, but the reactor was only at pH 8.02. This has been an on-going issue and I finally decided enough was enough. I started checking the entire CO2 delivery system:
Bottle full? check!
Bubbles flowing? check!
CO2 emitting from tube? no!
(but I did the classic moron move and removed the line close to the reactor and sprayed water all over myself.)
hmmmm...is it the one-way valve? no!
Is there a clog? no!
Why hasn't the bubble counter plug blown off? It would have to right?
What the heck is going on?
So now I am down to just a small amount of tubing coming out of the bubble counter, yet I don't feel any CO2 on my tongue...
Plug it with my thumb? yes!
What happens? A tiny needle-like stream shoots out of the base of the tube near where it connects to the bubble counter. Ahaaaaahhhh!! And I solved the puzzling puddle of SW on my walk-around...the damn thing has been leaking through a super small pinhole all along...and this is CO2 compatible tubing.
Problem solved I am stoked...now things should be working much better. pH in the reactor dropped immediately and I am back in business. I hope to report on my alkalinity testing some time this week.