Calcium Reactor Effluent

[shaywood]

Lately my alkalinity has been dropping faster than my calcium reactor can keep up.  I checked my alk on the effluent and it's 12.2. What is a normal reading?

[obrien.david.j]

I don't measure the effluent Alk.  I control to the pH inside the CaReactor, to control the melt rate of the media inside.  If you've got that control, you could try lowering the pH.

(my reactor isn't setup as a constant bubble supply.  instead, Apex turns on/off the CO2 solenoid based on the pH inside the reactor.   If your system is setup with a constant CO2 bubble rate, you could just increase the bubble count)

BTW, I find my CaReactor can't keep up.  My coral mass is now Large.   At @goldenbasketreef recommendation, I supplement with Kalk water.  In my case, my ATO water goes through my Kalk reactor - which I do only at night.  Balances out the pH swings as well.

 

And in case you're wondering, I'm using ReBorn media in the reactor, and control reactor pH to 6.3-6.5, with a 5 minute minimum On time for the gas.  Results in pH between 6.3-6.38

 

[UPSCALES]

The effluent should be way higher, depending on drip rate mine is usually around 30 coming out of the reactor.

if only 12 try increasing co2 or slowing effluent .

different brand and type of media’s dissolve at different ph

[shaywood]

Thanks.  I have the CA reactor pH set at 6.5, but don't really trust the probe reading.  I used my tank pH probe to verify some effluent and the pH reads 6.89.  The probe calibrates fine, but I'm always off between the tank and CA reactor probe.  Maybe I'll try a new probe.  

[UPSCALES]

Or adjust to 6.4 and see

[shaywood]

That too. 

[goldenbasketreef]

My suggestion to use coarse Reborn media since the melting point is at higher PH value of 6.8-7.0, this way your system PH may not be affected much.

Other calcium reactor media are more dense and hard so will require PH 6.5 or below to melt properly.

I got my Reborn media from Upscale.

[shaywood]

Thanks for the input everyone. I use a carbon doser and increased the bubbles per second and psi. I think the tank is about empty. alkalinity started going back up. And probably more important, turned down the CA reactor pH. 

Edited August 26 by shaywood

[Stephen Sturges]

I use Reborn media, seems to be a lot easier to melt that past media I have tried so do not have drive the reactor Ph so low.   I monitor my reactor Ph but in most cases I hit my Kdh limit on my Neptune trident before I ever hit something like 6.5 in the reactor.   I do have a Carbondoser bubble counter now which solved my inconsistent CO2 flow issues which I had a lot of issues with.  So nice not to mess with needle valve anymore.