Having problem with reactor not seeming to do much at moment/ being unstable.
Just set up my calcium reactor with Carbon Doser and a secondary chamber. Using Apex and pH probe to control via trying to maintain a steady pH. Instructions for reactor and a lot of recommendations I saw say to try and keep the on/off of the CO2 to a minimum and "dial in" the bubble rate.
I started at manufacturer recommended CO2 and effluent rate (15ml/min and 1bubble every 3 sec at about 10psi) - but the pH moves so quickly up and down it was turning the CO2 regulator on/off every few minutes. I've dialed down the injection rate to almost as low as I can and reduced effluent rate. Right now I'm running 10ml/min with about 1 bubble every 10 sec at 5psi.
It takes about 10 min for pH to drop and another half hour for it to raise up again; currently controlling 6.35 to 6.55 pH. At the higher rates it was only a few minutes for pH to swing between on and off.
Effluent out after secondary chamber is currently about 16dKH and 7.4 pH. Using Arm extra coarse in reactor and coarse media in secondary chamber. Tank is around 8.1 pH and 8.2 dKH.
Does it take a while for the reactor to get "up to speed" and going? I was kind of expecting to dial in the bubble rate to 6.4 without it constantly cycling the regulator except maybe a few times in day and was thinking it would take some time to even drop to 6.4 in reactor. Based on BRS info I was expecting effluent to be about 30dkH and with online calculator to replace my 2 part I should be around 15ml/min with the assumed effluent dkH.
Eveything just seems very off right now. I haven't cut back on my two part at all yet since the reactor doesn't seem to be doing much at moment and I don't want to have any large alk swings.
Reactor has been running/ circulating about 24 hours but I've only turned CO2 on about 10 hours ago.
Does it just need time to get up and going to have less pH swing and more dKH effluent?
Just set up my calcium reactor with Carbon Doser and a secondary chamber. Using Apex and pH probe to control via trying to maintain a steady pH. Instructions for reactor and a lot of recommendations I saw say to try and keep the on/off of the CO2 to a minimum and "dial in" the bubble rate.
I started at manufacturer recommended CO2 and effluent rate (15ml/min and 1bubble every 3 sec at about 10psi) - but the pH moves so quickly up and down it was turning the CO2 regulator on/off every few minutes. I've dialed down the injection rate to almost as low as I can and reduced effluent rate. Right now I'm running 10ml/min with about 1 bubble every 10 sec at 5psi.
It takes about 10 min for pH to drop and another half hour for it to raise up again; currently controlling 6.35 to 6.55 pH. At the higher rates it was only a few minutes for pH to swing between on and off.
Effluent out after secondary chamber is currently about 16dKH and 7.4 pH. Using Arm extra coarse in reactor and coarse media in secondary chamber. Tank is around 8.1 pH and 8.2 dKH.
Does it take a while for the reactor to get "up to speed" and going? I was kind of expecting to dial in the bubble rate to 6.4 without it constantly cycling the regulator except maybe a few times in day and was thinking it would take some time to even drop to 6.4 in reactor. Based on BRS info I was expecting effluent to be about 30dkH and with online calculator to replace my 2 part I should be around 15ml/min with the assumed effluent dkH.
Eveything just seems very off right now. I haven't cut back on my two part at all yet since the reactor doesn't seem to be doing much at moment and I don't want to have any large alk swings.
Reactor has been running/ circulating about 24 hours but I've only turned CO2 on about 10 hours ago.
Does it just need time to get up and going to have less pH swing and more dKH effluent?