Ca Reactor HELP

Alabamareef · Mar 27, 2015

So My Ca Reactor, Korallin with ehiem pump, has been up and running for over a year problem free. Last week I changed the media and thought I had everything set but today my Alk and Ca are low. Alk at 5.7 and Ca at 380. Mg at 1440. For the past year my levels have been, Alk 8.6, Ca 420 and Mg 1400. Today I was reading about Co2 saturation and the directions said to turn the C02 to a level where it starts to build up in the reactor then bump up your effluent till you don't have any C02 accumlition and that will be very close to 100% saturation.
Here is the issue. I have the C02 turned up up very high, and the effluent a very small stream like 10% and I'm getting no accumlition within the reactor. I thought something may be wrong with the pump so I took it apart and cleaned it but nothing seemed wrong it was a little dirty. Not sure what to do.....

Randy Holmes-Farley · Mar 28, 2015

Have you measured either pH or alkalinity in the reactor or the effluent?

Alabamareef · Mar 29, 2015

pH inside the reactor is 6.8. The effluent I've not measured, I've not found a way to measure the effluent.

MBG75 · Mar 29, 2015

Is it a 1502 model? That's what I have. Easy reactor to setup. I'd recommend running Carib sea ARM course media.
My effluent is a steady stream of drops. Like a string of pearls.
My vent line is cracked. About 6 drops a minute.

What media are you running?
What is the Alk of your effluent?
What are you feeding the reactor with?

Randy Holmes-Farley · Mar 29, 2015

That's a fairly high pH inside. Lowering it might work better.

I'd measure the alkalinity in the effluent. Perhaps it is not dissolving much because the flow is higher than needed.

Alabamareef · Mar 30, 2015

Whats the best way to measure the effluent inside the reactor. I use a salifert kit

MBG75 · Mar 30, 2015

Use an alk test kit. Fill it with the tank water coming out of the reactor (effluent) and perform alk test

bsstover · Mar 30, 2015

Check the drip from the reactor with an alk kit and you can also collect some of your effluent and use the probe that you're measuring pH inside the reactor with. I have found that you need to increase the dwell time inside of the reactor. Increase the CO2 in the reactor and almost nearly stop the effluent into the tank. This should drop the pH in your reactor to 6.5 or so getting more breakdown of media. Alternatively, you can add buffer (slowly) to your tank to raise the alk or raise Ca with additives. Ideally, the reactor would then "maintain" levels rather than raise. I had trouble initially with my setup but once increasing the dwell time and getting the effluent to a low pH things worked out. Just my two cents.

CastAway · Mar 30, 2015

Tagging along

Alabamareef · Mar 30, 2015

Sorry accidently left on the Kalk Stirrer yesterday and it's nuked my tank. Almost all my SPS are gone and several fish MIA.

Alabamareef · Mar 30, 2015

I've got a few fish missing and my SPS looks dead... Bad mistake on my part. I feel horriable....

Randy Holmes-Farley · Mar 30, 2015

Sorry to hear about the loses.

bsstover · Mar 30, 2015

That's tragic. Sorry about your loss. I had a big loss last year when I had switched lights. Hard to deal with but fresh slate.

Alabamareef · Mar 31, 2015

Thanks I'm trying to be optimistic

Randy Holmes-Farley · Mar 31, 2015

I had several limewater overdoses, but never lost anything. I did have a wipe out while on vacation, however, and it took me a long time to decide whether to set it up again or not, so I understand the emotions.