Calcium reactor problems

[fireresq42]

I built a Calcium reactor that seems to be working fine mechanically it has 2 8" by 30" chambers with a mag 5 driving it also a PH monitor hooked up to a shut off on the tank..

The liquid coming out of the reactor is testing at over 850 for calcium and about 5.8 to6.2 on alk.. My PH is steady at about 7.9.. I have the C02 turned all the way down about 1 bubble every 15 to 20 sec. and the drip to the tank is about the same.. My calcium in the tank last night was about 850 and the Alk. was 5.5.. NOT GOOD!! I have since turn off the reactor and started correcting the balance with B-Ionics..

Please help!! any suggestions?

[beerguy]

What is the pH of the reactor effluent?

[Mr James]

The calcium reactor is a buffer, not a booster. What were the params before you added the Ca reactor?? Also, what are the params of your tank water, not the output from the reactor?? Last, I would adjust your drip rate (this is not your bubble count) to more than what your bubble count is. I have a constant drip coming out of my reactor, like 1 drip every second, but my bubble count is 1 bubble every 7 - 8 seconds.

[fireresq42]

Beerguy,
I didn't check that yet.. What should it be??

[fireresq42]

mr james,

The params before the reactor were about 400 cal. and about 8.5-9 alk.. Now after running the reactor for about a week they are >850 cal. and about 4.5-5 alk.. I know the reactor is really big for a 120 that is why I have the drip turned down.. If I add more C02 would that boost the alk.?

Does the ARM media need to be rinced befor use?

should I have run the reactor for more then an hour in a bucket before I put it on the tank?

[Mr James]

I am by no means an expert, but I do run a calcium reactor. If you add more CO2 to the reactor, it will lower your pH in the reactor and turn the media to mush. It could also affect the pH in your tank negatively. This is a push and pull type of set up, that's for sure. I found that the Ca reactors shouldn't raise calcium or alkalinity, rather, it should act as a buffer. Sounds like in your case, it may have boosted your Ca and Alk, which I find hard to understand. In order to raise your calcium, one would use a product such as B-Ionic. Same goes for Alkalinity. As for lowering calcium, which I had to do in my case (I was a 500+ for a month or two) was to let the corals consume it. I don't understand what cause the spike?!?

I would not rinse the ARM media. I didn't. I had Andy at MyReefCreations.com make my dual Ca reactor. He put a valve in line between the two chambers so I could test the water at any given time, especially to check what the pH was at within the reactor. This way I know how to adjust my bubble count. I never measure the effluent (the drip that comes out of the reactor). Randy Holmes-Farley has an awesome article on Alkalinity and Calcium and how to adjust your reactor them to get them in sync. Try a search in the chemistry forum to find out more about Ca and Alk and how they interact. I recently started to care about Magnesium levels. I now dose and test for Magnesium. I hope others chime in and we can get to the bottom of this.

[fireresq42]

What should the ph in the reactor be?

[Mr James]

I try to stay between 7.6 - 7.9. Sometimes it dips down to 7.4 or 5, but then comes back. I hate swings and i don't know why it happens. I may end up trading in my pH moonitor for a controller.

I better check those numbers, I am second-guessing myself now as to what they should be. I will do a search and get back to you.

[dgbnyc]

This article might be a good for you to review. My guess is you will answer many questions by reading it. In the future I might suggest before posting a question you do a 'search' on the topic you wish to explore. I make this suggestion not to scold you but rather to speed and ease correcting any problematic situations.
Hope the article helps,

http://www.reefkeeping.com/issues/2002-05/sh/feature/

[Mr James]

I used to suggest the same thing too, "Do a search." But I try not to do that anymore. I belive you should ask and do a search as well. I feel that as long as this board exists, people should be encouraged to ask questions, regardless if has been asked a million times.

[dgbnyc]

Mr. James,
I 100% agree, ask and search.
As is I happen to know this reefer and honestly he is a bit 'Lazy'
Some might call him sloppy or even a big thick headed butt head. As for me I think he is simply a lazy reefer and spoiled. With all this said I still think he is a good guy and to be truthful his reef kicks butt!

[Mr James]

Wow, I hope you two know each other.