Taking DOWN calcium reactor : USELESS

[Shirak]

What come

About 5 months ago I have 3 pH probe I should get hanna pH tester

Well if you have a pH 7 calibration solution packet you could warm it to tank temperature and put the probe in it and see if it reads 7.0

 

[Smite]

What come

About 5 months ago I have 3 pH probe I should get hanna pH tester

So is your ph probe in the calcium reactor dry or out of water right now? What prompted me to ask eariler was your phc probe was still reading a low ph value. Most times when mine are dry or unplugged i get a really low reading in the 4's.

Your first step needs to be re-calibrating your probe. Get yourself a 7 and 10 calibration packet and follow your apex prompts. Float your packets in the sump to get them to tank temp since you want them around 77F.

After I calibrate I like to put them back in the 7, and confirm it reads very close to 7. Then I repeat for 10. If its really close your probe can be assumed good.

If you still read low ph, because yours is very low, do the steps i said earlier with the airstone and bucket and let us know what you find.

 

[hyeclass]

So is your ph probe in the calcium reactor dry or out of water right now? What prompted me to ask eariler was your phc probe was still reading a low ph value. Most times when mine are dry or unplugged i get a really low reading in the 4's.

Your first step needs to be re-calibrating your probe. Get yourself a 7 and 10 calibration packet and follow your apex prompts. Float your packets in the sump to get them to tank temp since you want them around 77F.

After I calibrate I like to put them back in the 7, and confirm it reads very close to 7. Then I repeat for 10. If its really close your probe can be assumed good.

If you still read low ph, because yours is very low, do the steps i said earlier with the airstone and bucket and let us know what you find.

How many times a year your calibrated your pH also when do you replace your pH probe every 3yrs

 

[hyeclass]

Marine depot don't have the calibration packet

 

[hyeclass]

So is your ph probe in the calcium reactor dry or out of water right now? What prompted me to ask eariler was your phc probe was still reading a low ph value. Most times when mine are dry or unplugged i get a really low reading in the 4's.

Your first step needs to be re-calibrating your probe. Get yourself a 7 and 10 calibration packet and follow your apex prompts. Float your packets in the sump to get them to tank temp since you want them around 77F.

After I calibrate I like to put them back in the 7, and confirm it reads very close to 7. Then I repeat for 10. If its really close your probe can be assumed good.

If you still read low ph, because yours is very low, do the steps i said earlier with the airstone and bucket and let us know what you find.

How about the 53 or i should just get the 7/11

 

[SliceGolfer]

@hyeclass Why are you so focused on pH when Alk stability is so crucial to maintaining your reef? My top three parameters are Temp, Salinity, Alk. Everything else is fine tuning. PH isn’t in the top five.

 

[hyeclass]

Well if you have a pH 7 calibration solution packet you could warm it to tank temperature and put the probe in it and see if it reads 7.0

2 probes gives a different reading

 

[hyeclass]

@hyeclass Why are you so focused on pH when Alk stability is so crucial to maintaining your reef? My top three parameters are Temp, Salinity, Alk. Everything else is fine tuning. PH isn’t in the top five.

Everything started due to having low pH i was running a stable alk i noticed my pH is very low so I started dosing kalkwasser now my alk is 11 it use to be 15 when I dos it so I did a 40 gal water change now it's 11 you think u should do a water change again on Tuesday 30 gal this time or

I think it was Friday when I did a water change

 

[hyeclass]

@hyeclass Why are you so focused on pH when Alk stability is so crucial to maintaining your reef? My top three parameters are Temp, Salinity, Alk. Everything else is fine tuning. PH isn’t in the top five.

I had to take down my calcium reactor, I wash the coral bones with rodi water put am away

Not sure if it was the wise think to do once I am thinking everything is stabilized and have more sps I'll hook it back up

 

[Smite]

How many times a year your calibrated your pH also when do you replace your pH probe every 3yrs

I’m not as good as I should be. If I suspect something or I see a change first thing I’ll do is recalibrate and then verify. Usually 2x a year for calcium reactor and only once I suspect or see something odd with display. But it should be every few months: I replace my probes once they don’t joe calibration. So once they don’t rad close to 7 or 10 when placed back into packets.Marine depot don't have the calibration packet

Marine depot does have both 7 and 10 I just checked. Made by pinpoint. I say use bulkreefsupply. Cheaper and you don’t have to buy packs. They are under a buck each. If you plan to set up your ractor soon double up on #7. Display you should be calibrating with 7 and 10 and co2 reactor you should be calibrating with 4 and 7.

How about the 53 or i should just get the 7/11

2 probes gives a different reading

That would make sense if you calibrated you’re 2 probes per their specific use. your phc probe should have been calibrated with solutions #4and #7 because you are trying to pinpoint a level between those numbers at 6.6 in your calcium reactor. If you place that in your tank where the level is outside those number you reading will be off or false.
So tank probe is cal with solutions #7 and #10 because you want accuracy around 8. Calcium reactor use solutions #4 and #7 because you want accuracy around 6.6


Not sure why but you'll have to click to expand to see my answers

 

[hyeclass]

That would make sense if you calibrated you’re 2 probes per their specific use. your phc probe should have been calibrated with solutions #4and #7 because you are trying to pinpoint a level between those numbers at 6.6 in your calcium reactor. If you place that in your tank where the level is outside those number you reading will be off or false.
So tank probe is cal with solutions #7 and #10 because you want accuracy around 8. Calcium reactor use solutions #4 and #7 because you want accuracy around 6.6

How offen do you calibrate the probes ? Would you happen to know

 

[hyeclass]

I am using redsea reefer 525xl 140 gal tank
Which fish would you keep

1 yellow tang
1 gem tang
1 blue tang
1 salfin tang
1 powder blue
2 purple tang
1 kole tang
1 Melanurus Wrasse
2 Wrasse ?? not sure which once
1 Angelfish
1 Yellow Longnose Butterflyfish
4 designer clownfish
3 Ruby Red Dragone
1 Flame Hawkfish

 

[Smite]

How offen do you calibrate the probes ? Would you happen to know

Sorry my original response got messed up by trying to answer each question with a quote.

I'm not as good as I should be. I calibrate my reactors ph probe 2x a year. To be honest I only calibrate my display when I suspect something is off and see a change or drop in the readings.

 

[Smite]

@hyeclass Why are you so focused on pH when Alk stability is so crucial to maintaining your reef? My top three parameters are Temp, Salinity, Alk. Everything else is fine tuning. PH isn’t in the top five.

I agree with you, OP main concerns should remain stability in the big 3, temp, sg...but with the values OP is seeing I want to help him confirm those are false. If not, help him correct the issue since that low of level would be harmful to maintaining his reef

 

[hyeclass]

I agree with you, OP main concerns should remain stability in the big 3, temp, sg...but with the values OP is seeing I want to help him confirm those are false. If not, help him correct the issue since that low of level would be harmful to maintaining his reef

As you sow the previous pic of the dkh, it's reading 11 i did water change 40 gal which was on Friday should I do another 40 Tuesday

 

[hyeclass]

Updated dkh

 

[hyeclass]

@hyeclass Why are you so focused on pH when Alk stability is so crucial to maintaining your reef? My top three parameters are Temp, Salinity, Alk. Everything else is fine tuning. PH isn’t in the top five.

I am checking dkh everyday it went down, how many gallons should I do a water change 30 or 40

 

[Smite]

Keep dong what you’ve been doing. If 40g didn’t effect your existing coral before it won’t now. Do another 40g.

I was thinking about your tank earlier, if it were my tank and my plan was to wait 3 moths before adding more coral I would get my DKH down to 10.5-10 for now. No need to waste money in all these water changes.
From there I would let the tank and it’s corals settle and let the dkh come down on its own by consumption. I think this wil give you a better idea of your tanks health and consumption rate. It will also give you a true read on where your nutrients settle.

Go to weekly water changes and testing alk several times a week and form your maintenance routine during that time.

It looks like most of the remaining corals are lps where 10-11 dkh is pretty normal with elevated nutrients so there’s really no risk there IMO. Doing these constant water changes are also dropping your nutrients so keep that in mind if you do decide to continue on to 8.5 dkh by water change.
I’m sure either method will work out fine but just a thought I wanted to mention.

 

[hyeclass]

Keep dong what you’ve been doing. If 40g didn’t effect your existing coral before it won’t now. Do another 40g.

I was thinking about your tank earlier, if it were my tank and my plan was to wait 3 moths before adding more coral I would get my DKH down to 10.5-10 for now. No need to waste money in all these water changes.
From there I would let the tank and it’s corals settle and let the dkh come down on its own by consumption. I think this wil give you a better idea of your tanks health and consumption rate. It will also give you a true read on where your nutrients settle.

Go to weekly water changes and testing alk several times a week and form your maintenance routine during that time.

It looks like most of the remaining corals are lps where 10-11 dkh is pretty normal with elevated nutrients so there’s really no risk there IMO. Doing these constant water changes are also dropping your nutrients so keep that in mind if you do decide to continue on to 8.5 dkh by water change.
I’m sure either method will work out fine but just a thought I wanted to mention.

Every week I am doing a water change 30 gallons due to nitrate lvl
I was thinking to get a different salt mix it has low alk 7.7 on redsea

 

[MakerofThings]

I have nothing to add.. But this thread is astounding.