Calcium Reactor Users

[JohnL]

I was speaking with a very knowledgeable aquarist recently who told me that I was making a mistake by running CO2 24 hours a day and that I should only run it when my lights are on.

For those of you using a calcium reactor, do you run CO2 through the reactor 24/7 or do you use a timer or pH controller?
--
Thanks - John

[Larry M]

24/7, John. I did a little research on this a while back and most of what I read said a "normal" system should blow off most of the excess c02. Of course I didn't believe it, so I went through numerous tests including disconnecting the reactor for a while, which had little to no effect on ph levels. (I'm assuming he is referring to a potential problem with ph levels)
By normal I mean a system with sufficient water movement and gas exchange to get rid of the c02.
Anyway, my 2 cents worth.

------------------
Larry M

My Personal Site, Northern Reef (http://www.homestead.com/larry_reef/index.html)

[JohnL]

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>(I'm assuming he is referring to a potential problem with ph levels)<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Yes, Larry, he is. He feels that the pH in the tank might be significantly lower than the pH in the sump. I measured it during the day and there was only a 0.01 difference but he feels that it might be greater once the lights are out.

[Larry M]

John--None of the experimenting I've done with my ph meter would lead me to believe so. For starters, I don't believe ph varies that much from one location to the next due to the high rates of circulation in our tanks. There may be a localized difference where a reactor or skimmer discharges into the sump, but not much, and not for long. Maybe someone with more of a scientific background can confirm this.
MIKE? Richardson? Kirby? Anyone?


------------------
Larry M

My Personal Site, Northern Reef (http://www.homestead.com/larry_reef/index.html)

[Brittlestar]

Hi, Guys,
Here's what I have figured out in the process of setting up my calcium reactor that has been running for about 4 months now:

1. I was also fearful at first of low pH so I purchased a CO2 regulator with a solenoid & plugged it into my lights timer so my CO2 would only flow during lights-on (12 hrs/day). After 3-4 weeks of tweaking and tuning the reactor, I had gotten the alkalinity to around 9 dKH & calcium to about 380-390. I finally just ran the CO2 24/7. I felt a little more confident that the tank would be ok once my alk was running over 9 dKH. I thought that the additional alkalinity would prevent pH swing problems from occurring. It seems that my thinking was correct.

My alk is now 11.5 & my calcium is now 450. None of my tank inhabitants appears stressed or unhappy. I have no pH meter, but my pH test kit (Salifert) hasn't read below 8.0 yet that I have seen. I really don't test much anymore.

2. The potential for driving down pH results form the pH of the reactor effluent being around 6.5. One way to raise the effluent pH is to run the effluent through a post-reactor chamber of aragonite before letting it into the sump. I haven't personally done this yet but I'm currently setting up a 1" pvc tube with adapters to 1/4" barb ends that I will fill with aragonite & install in the effluent line of my reactor. This will allow any remaining dissolved CO2 to react with the aragonite in the tube & raise the effluent pH.

A simpler version of this that I've heard of is to fill a bowl with aragonite & put the end of the effluent tube at the bottom of the bowl. As the effluent flows throught the aragonite in the bowl, it reacts & pH rises, prior to getting into the sump.

Not scientific, I know, but this is what I've learned so far. Good luck,
Brittlestar

[This message has been edited by Brittlestar (edited 12-12-1999).]

[Reef Junkie]

Gentlemen,
I wanted to take this time to fill you in on what's going on in John's tank. A little history first...
John is a very patient aquarist that takes his time and does a lot of research before diving into any project for his reef. He came to me a short while ago with a problem. Apparently one of his corals was receding and I went to his house to check it out. It was receding and Brown Jelly started to form on the skeleton. He followed some recommedations, dipped the coral and broke off the infected skeleton.
As of today the coral isn't in as bad of shape as it was, but it's not healthy. As time went on he started to notice more stoney corals starting to recede. Mind you, his tank is kept in an impeccable state and he,like most of us, keeps his eyes on it everyday. I was a bit baffled to wonder why his corals where dying? Good circulation, lighting and water parameters. What could it be? To tell you the truth, I'm not totally sure why this is happening, but the Calcium Reactor is a start. Deduction and this is the first part. Hopefully the last. His setup is a bit different then most of the setups I've heard of or seen. He has his sump and equipment located in the basement, but the piping goes from one side of the house to the other. A good 20 ft or so. What might be happening?
His tank pH might be dropping too low in the wee hours. The ph reading in the sump is probably higher because of the skimmer, turbulance and other variences. Excess Co2 returning to an unlit tank at 3 am will do nothing but lower pH. Of course a high alk will prevent a sudden drop, but it still maybe dropping too low. As Larry mentioned a swing in pH shouldn't be a problem, but a normal situation this isn't. Personally, I'd like for some more input on this myself. It's only been a couple of days since he's had the Cal reactor on with the lights and off at the end of the day. I had a similar problem with this in the past. As of a result, I currently run a cal reactor on with my lights only. Which is 10 hours of the day. I've had it running this way for about a year. My Cal is 500 DKH 11 pH 8.2 morn 8.3-8.4 day, but I also use a refugium on 24/7. I probably left something out, but John or someone will be sure to remind me.
Later,
Bill

------------------
http://www.homestead.com/reefjunkie/highenergy.html

[Heinrich]

Simple solution, run your efluent over some more aragonite, or have a bit of macroalgae in the sump at rdp, it will gladly use excess co2 and you don't waste any of this precious co2.
93! Heinrich

[Reef Junkie]

Hienrich,
How goes it? We're working on getting a Refugium in or next to his sump...I think. I currently run my effluent directly into my Refugim. Works great.
Later,
Bill

------------------
http://www.homestead.com/reefjunkie/highenergy.html