New Calcium Reactor Tuning

[Snowxcross]

Hey there -

So i've had the Vertex Calcium Reactor for over a year, running steady and stable parameters. The pump went on the Vertex, they're out of business now, it's a custom pump so i'm out of water on this reactor. So what i did was purchase (recommended by BRS), a CR-100 Reef Octo reactor.

Currently, my parameters are the following:

Alk - 7.94
Cal - 599
Mag - 1291

Prior to the new reactor i was stable at:

Alk - 8.7
Cal - 465
Mag - 1398

There is a lot less media in this reactor obviously because it's smaller. I'm using the Kamoer pump (pull method, not push), with the speed set to 18ml. Now this was the same setting as on the vertex, and the PH inside the reactor is the same as well at 6.5.

What i need help on is tuning this new reactor (effluent/kamoer or PH) to raise my ALK slightly, lower my Calcium, and raise my Mag. I did layer some mag media inside the reactor, as i had a chamber for it on the vertex as well. I also have liquid forms of ALK and MAG, if that's something i need to dose slightly to attain where i was before.

Thoughts on adjustments?

Thanks!
Artie

 

[Brew12]

Hey there -

So i've had the Vertex Calcium Reactor for over a year, running steady and stable parameters. The pump went on the Vertex, they're out of business now, it's a custom pump so i'm out of water on this reactor. So what i did was purchase (recommended by BRS), a CR-100 Reef Octo reactor.

Currently, my parameters are the following:

Alk - 7.94
Cal - 599
Mag - 1291

Prior to the new reactor i was stable at:

Alk - 8.7
Cal - 465
Mag - 1398

There is a lot less media in this reactor obviously because it's smaller. I'm using the Kamoer pump (pull method, not push), with the speed set to 18ml. Now this was the same setting as on the vertex, and the PH inside the reactor is the same as well at 6.5.

What i need help on is tuning this new reactor (effluent/kamoer or PH) to raise my ALK slightly, lower my Calcium, and raise my Mag. I did layer some mag media inside the reactor, as i had a chamber for it on the vertex as well. I also have liquid forms of ALK and MAG, if that's something i need to dose slightly to attain where i was before.

Thoughts on adjustments?

Thanks!
Artie

Using only a calcium reactor you cannot raise alk and lower calcium at the same time. If you are sure it isn't a testing error you can set the calcium reactor to provide less alk and calc than you need to to drop calcium while using something like soda ash to raise alkalinity.

 

[Snowxcross]

Using only a calcium reactor you cannot raise alk and lower calcium at the same time. If you are sure it isn't a testing error you can set the calcium reactor to provide less alk and calc than you need to to drop calcium while using something like soda ash to raise alkalinity.

Right, i'm currently relying on trident parameters, i'll test with Hannah tonight to make sure they're similar. Thank you.

 

[McDam]

Matching pH and effluent flow to your old reactor for the new reactor, will not be that straight forward. What you should be trying to match is dkh of the effluent and effluent flow. Because the reactor is smaller, less media, and less circulation, the effluent dkh will probably be less potent at the same reactor pH in the new reactor compared to the old one. Hence the reason for the low alk. The high calcium could vary well be that the stress of "change" has caused the consumption rate to decrease. As above, varify your levels and don't make any drastic changes. 1) Make Small change 2) wait a day 3)Test and repeat 1-3 until things stabilize.

 

[Snowxcross]

Matching pH and effluent flow to your old reactor for the new reactor, will not be that straight forward. What you should be trying to match is dkh of the effluent and effluent flow. Because the reactor is smaller, less media, and less circulation, the effluent dkh will probably be less potent at the same reactor pH in the new reactor compared to the old one. Hence the reason for the low alk. The high calcium could vary well be that the stress of "change" has caused the consumption rate to decrease. As above, varify your levels and don't make any drastic changes. 1) Make Small change 2) wait a day 3)Test and repeat 1-3 until things stabilize.

Sure, slow changes... And i know my tank is going to eat up the calcium, so i'm not too worried there, but i'm pretty concerned on the Mag and wondering your thoughts on bringing that back up. Thanks.

 

[DeepBlueSeaV1]

I really can't get past the idea that a pump goes on a CaRx and you need to replace the entire thing... There wasn't a way to mod a pump to work?

 

[Snowxcross]

I really can't get past the idea that a pump goes on a CaRx and you need to replace the entire thing... There wasn't a way to mod a pump to work?

Ya man, vertex uses a Sicce pump that they custom out specific for there reactors... trust me, i've talked to all the people. You can only get the pumps from Vertex, and well, they're done.

 

[Brew12]

Sure, slow changes... And i know my tank is going to eat up the calcium, so i'm not too worried there, but i'm pretty concerned on the Mag and wondering your thoughts on bringing that back up. Thanks.

I feel mag is very forgiving. I would manually dose mag separately although since you already added the mag media you may want to hold off and see how it trends.

 

[McDam]

Sure, slow changes... And i know my tank is going to eat up the calcium, so i'm not too worried there, but i'm pretty concerned on the Mag and wondering your thoughts on bringing that back up. Thanks.

1200+ for magnesium is acceptable and should be just fine. It should start to come up as the reactor sets in, but you can easily supplement with a powder or the liquid mag supplements you have with little to no risk getting it back to the 1400 range. sometimes it takes quite a bit to get it back up. Magnesium dosing is pretty flexible. Some brands will even tell you how much to add to get back to the desired range.

 

[Brew12]

If you aren't familiar with it, this calculator is invaluable for dosing the big 3 additives.

Reef Chemistry Calculator

 

[Snowxcross]

1200+ for magnesium is acceptable and should be just fine. It should start to come up as the reactor sets in, but you can easily supplement with a powder or the liquid mag supplements you have with little to no risk getting it back to the 1400 range. sometimes it takes quite a bit to get it back up. Magnesium dosing is pretty flexible. Some brands will even tell you how much to add to get back to the desired range.

Thank you

 

[Snowxcross]

If you aren't familiar with it, this calculator is invaluable for dosing the big 3 additives.

Reef Chemistry Calculator

Thank you!