Calc Reactor pH swings

Acuario · Oct 12, 2019

What are your thoughts about how much daily or weekly pH swing is acceptable in your calcium reactor? This is pretty much what I get in the graphic below, about .1 pH variation per day. Is this typical? Is your reactor more steady?

Randy Holmes-Farley · Oct 12, 2019

How are you controlling it?
Have you ever tracked alk during the day or night? That’s what matters.

Acuario · Oct 12, 2019

I have a regulator on the CO2. I run about 45 ml/min. of effluent with a pinch valve and 12 lbs of CO2 pressure. I think the solenoid is always running. I haven't really figured out how to do the Neptune Apex for it. My corals seem to be happy. I just wondered if the variation is normal or not. Or if I should do more.

Acuario · Oct 13, 2019

Here is some regular testing I did back in June, with a .07 dKH swing over the week. Effluent rate was consistent.

pdxmonkeyboy · Oct 13, 2019

I am sure you have heard of this method but its rock solid stable and you can use pretty much any regulator.

Use your apex ph reading in the reactor to turn the solonoid on and off. Pull effluent through the reactor with a komoer (sp?) Peristaltic pump. They are like $200.

I adjusted the regulator so that it was fast enough to affect a change in the reactor ph but not so fast that once the apex shut the solonoid off the ph doesnt keep dropping.

I dont think it matters much how much the ph in the reactor oscilates every hour. If the flow is steady and the oscilations are not too great then it is dissolving media at a pretty constant rate.

My alk is soooo steady using this method. I hope that helps.

Acuario · Oct 13, 2019

Hi Brian,
I have heard of this method, but I've never been real clear on how to achieve it. Can you kindly provide your Apex code for the solenoid, or a couple of more pointers? I'd probably understand best by an example. Thanks!

pdxmonkeyboy · Oct 14, 2019

Ummmmm i am one of those types that spent all the time to set it up properly then forgets how i did it.

Im tagging @SuncrestReef he is our.local apex guru, great guy, and actually has been writing articles here you should check out. Click the articles tab.

As i recall it was super easy, click on an outlet, set it to ph control and then move the sliders to the PH you want. Then plug your solonoid valve into that apex outlet. Honestly, if.you have an apex you should ABSOLUTLY be running it this way.

What is nice is that it decouples flow through rate with the PH. Your apex will always keep the ph where it needs to be and you dont have to worry about changes in co2 pressure, when it drops the apex will keep it open longer.

The really nice thing is that you have the kamoer just slowly spinning away. I have mine dripping right int the skimmer inlet ( this helps raise PH). Test your alk... if it is lowering, then just turn dow the kamoer like 5ml/hour. Dropping? Then speed it up a little.

Thats it. The apex wil manage the co2 to ensure you are in the proper PH range. If you are running the kamoer to fast for your liking, just set the PH lower.

Make sense?

SuncrestReef · Oct 14, 2019

Thanks for the props @Brian Bieger. I don't use a calcium reactor, so I can't give exact guidance. But from what I've seen in the Neptune forums most people use their Apex pH probe (or a 2nd pH probe attached to a PM1 module) in the calcium reactor and set it to open or close an Apex-controlled solenoid on the CO2 tank to keep the pH between 6.7 - 6.8:

Fallback OFF
If pH > 6.8 Then ON
If pH < 6.7 Then OFF

There are a lot of tips in the Neptune Community Forums, for example: https://forum.neptunesystems.com/sh...lcium-reactor-setup&highlight=calcium+reactor