KH dops with calcium reactor

[oualid]

Hi,

I started to use a calcium reactor (Deltec) since three weeks ago.
The aquarium is about 148 gallon and is a mix aquarium.
The PH in the reactor is between 6.5 and 6.7.
The PH probe is connected to the Apex.
The drip rate is about 3 drops/s and CO2 bubble count in the reactor is about 1bubble/3s.

Initially, when the calcium reactor was started, I dosed with two parts to rise the KH to about 8dH.
After that the desired value was reached I turned off the doser pump.
Some days later I found out that the KH dropped and so I increased the drip rate and the CO2 bubble count ( 3 drops/s and CO2 bubble count in the reactor is about 1bubble/3s.)
After a couple of days I found out that KH dropped even more, so I started to dose with two parts again to rise the KH.

Do you have any suggestion for the next step?

 

[TX_Punisher]

What’s the kamoer set to ml per min?

 

[Water Dog]

What has your calcium measurements been during this time?

 

[oualid]

What’s the kamoer set to ml per min?

27ml/min

 

[oualid]

What has your calcium measurements been during this time?

Ca 450

 

[PeterC99]

Did you ever get your calcium reactor dialed in? If so, how?

 

[Jekyl]

Alkalinity and calcium have a teeter totter effect on each other.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Alkalinity and calcium have a teeter totter effect on each other.

They dont teeter totter with a calcium reactor.

 

[vetteguy53081]

Calcium reactors may increase alkalinity to excessively high levels if they are not monitored closely. This can be controlled by the addition of calcium chloride from time to time, or by adjusting the flow rate and the rate of carbon dioxide introduced and therefore you may have to adjust either effluent or the amount of air going to regulator for bubble count. A calcium reactor creates the effluent solution by lowering the pH of the water inside the reactor with dissolved CO2 until the calcium carbonate media or old coral pieces dissolve and enrich the water with calcium and alkalinity.
In its most basic form, a calcium reactor is simply a container filled with calcium carbonate (CaCO 3) media over which aquarium water is passed with the addition of carbon dioxide. Adding carbon dioxide lowers the pH of the water, making it acidic, and dissolving the calcium carbonate to provide the aquarium with calcium and alkalinity. Alkalinity itself is a complex term that requires some understanding before proceeding to involve calcium.
The primary reason that we care about alkalinity is that when organisms build calcium carbonate skeletons, they effectively remove calcium and carbonate from the water column. If we had a handy way to measure carbonate, or especially bicarbonate, which corals use as their source of carbonate, we would likely have little interest in alkalinity.
Two controls are used to adjust a calcium reactor. One controls the effluent, or the amount of water flowing through the reactor, and the other controls the amount of CO2 added to the reactor, usually measured by the number of bubbles of CO2 in the bubble counter.
Monitor the tank alkalinity level to ensure that the reactor is supplying enough calcium carbonate to replace that being used by the animals in the tank. An alkalinity test kit may be used to measure these levels (1 mEq/L change in alkalinity is only 20ppm calcium!). For future reference, it is a good idea to keep a logbook of the tank's alkalinity level and any adjustments you have made to it.

Measure and record alkalinity every few days and compare the readings. If the alkalinity level is falling, increase the amount of CO2 so more of the medium is dissolved. Conversely, if the alkalinity level is rising above the level you want, reduce the amount of CO2 so less of the medium is dissolved. After the reactor is set up, check the tank alkalinity levels periodically for a few weeks to take into account the calcium carbonate requirements of any new additions and coral growth in tank. Also, as the medium becomes depleted you may need to re-adjust the reactor, or refill it. If adjustments are required, simply fine-tune the reactor using the steps outlined above.
If the alkalinity level needs boosting, then sodium bicarbonate can be used. One gram will raise the alkalinity by 12 mEq/L (34 dKH) in 1 litre of water (3.2 mEq/L (9 dKH) in 1 gallon of water) and do it SLOWLY

 

[oualid]

I replaced the media inside the reactor with Deltec Aqua Crown Hy Carb Special.
Now I have better result.

/Oualid

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