Tunning my Knopp C Cal Reactor help

[Vancouverman]

Hello:

I have a 120 gallon tank with a 40 gallon sump. I have a knopp C reactor and need a little help tuning it. I have a efluent of
PH 6.5-6.7 , Alk was off the chart with a salifert test kit and Calcium was 450 comming from the reactor. Does this sound ok? My drip rate is about 3 drops every 2 seconds with about 20-30 bubbles per minute. I am useing ARM media.
Will running this bring my Calcium up from 270 to acceptible range? I used Instant Ocean and if ended up with a really low Cal. I even bought a new test kit because I thought it was too low.
Should I build the cal numbers with reefbuilder Cal and Alk supplements first then try to maintain or just wait to see if the tank will catch up with just the reactor? Its not that heavily stocked with sps but does have a 30 head frogspawn and some other big LPS.

Thanks
Jay

[dragon_slayer]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=10119834#post10119834 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by Vancouverman
Hello:

I have a 120 gallon tank with a 40 gallon sump. I have a knopp C reactor and need a little help tuning it. I have a efluent of
PH 6.5-6.7 , Alk was off the chart with a salifert test kit and Calcium was 450 comming from the reactor. Does this sound ok?

a Salifert kit will test dKH up to 64 with no problems so it isn't going to be off the charts you just need to use a low resolution test and do the math, it'll take more then a single syringe of regent to get the color change. Ca of the reactor effluent is a useless number and it's only purpose is to waste your test kit, don't test the reactor, save those for your tank when needed.

...............Will running this bring my Calcium up from 270 to acceptible range?

Never use a reactor to boost tank levels, they are intended to match the tanks demands, not to adjust your levels, use the appropriate additive/buffer to do that ONLY after the reactor is adjusted to Match the tanks demands. if you add this and that while setting up the reactor you'll be constantly fighting yourself and never get it adjusted right.

kc

[RichConley]

Buy a new Alk kit. The salifert Alk kits are known to read incorrect at this point.


Both Elos and Tropic Marin are cheap, and accurate.