Turning off calcium reactor at night

[RaymondsWorlddd]

I have a calcium reactor running. Im wanting to have it offline during the night and have kalkwasser to help with my ph swings. I currently have the co2 stop during the night. The recirculating pump continues throughout the night.

My questions is regarding the effluent. Should I also turn that off? Should I decrease the rate? Leave the rate the same?

Or is there a better way to have the carx “off”?

 

[jda]

If you turn the pump off, you could have anoxic conditions and make hydrogen sulfide gas, which can be toxic. Don't do that.

I am sure that you know, but it is not efficient to stop your CaRx daily.

Do you know the reason for your low pH. It is usually from too much airborne co2 in your home. Having a poorly tuned CaRx can also lower it - this is common with the use of a pH regulator. Both are easy to fix. In Cali, you should be able to air out your home regularly, which is a HUGE deal.

I run a CaRx where I melt 50lbs of media every 3-6 months and the reactor barely moves my tank pH .05. I do, however, keep fresh air in the house and don't use any kind of pH control and my CaRx is tuned well to not allow any extra co2 into the tank.

 

[PeterC99]

What media are you using in your Calcium Reactor?

 

[RaymondsWorlddd]

If you turn the pump off, you could have anoxic conditions and make hydrogen sulfide gas, which can be toxic. Don't do that.

I am sure that you know, but it is not efficient to stop your CaRx daily.

Do you know the reason for your low pH. It is usually from too much airborne co2 in your home. Having a poorly tuned CaRx can also lower it - this is common with the use of a pH regulator. Both are easy to fix. In Cali, you should be able to air out your home regularly, which is a HUGE deal.

I run a CaRx where I melt 50lbs of media every 3-6 months and the reactor barely moves my tank pH .05. I do, however, keep fresh air in the house and don't use any kind of pH control and my CaRx is tuned well to not allow any extra co2 into the tank.

When you say pump, do you mean the feeding pump or the circulating pump? The circulating pump stays on 24/7. I’m asking if I should do anything with the feeding pump.

I do keep my door open during the day, but it’s closed at night. I’m in an apartment that doesn’t actually have a window to keep open. Only a balcony door (and it’s not a sliding door).

I have to reactor going at 20mL/min during the day and was thinking of cutting it to 5mL/during the night.

I’m using reborn. PH set to 6.5

 

[jda]

Drop the co2 regulator, tune it by hand and let it run 24/7. There are instructions in my signature. That will help a lot. You will find millions of posts about low pH and troubles with a co2 probe, but the people who learned to tune theirs (it takes a minute) are always happy.

Put a box fan in that door for 15-20 minutes a day during the nice time if air will not come in on it's own. It will make a huge difference. Force some air in if you need to.

If you stop the feed pump, your CaRx will go anoxic and the bacteria will make hydrogen sulfide. I don't know if overnight is enough to do this, but I would not risk it.

 

[RaymondsWorlddd]

Drop the co2 regulator, tune it by hand and let it run 24/7. There are instructions in my signature. That will help a lot. You will find millions of posts about low pH and troubles with a co2 probe, but the people who learned to tune theirs (it takes a minute) are always happy.

Put a box fan in that door for 15-20 minutes a day during the nice time if air will not come in on it's own. It will make a huge difference. Force some air in if you need to.

If you stop the feed pump, your CaRx will go anoxic and the bacteria will make hydrogen sulfide. I don't know if overnight is enough to do this, but I would not risk it.

I have a Carbon Doser electronic regulator controlled by a profilux on the tank so I don’t know if the tuning of the co2 is necessary in this situation. But I do have a fan near my door that I will definitely turn on during the day to see if that helps.
As far as the feeding pump, I will leave the rate the same at 20mL/min 24/7 and stop the co2 regulator at night

 

[jda]

Air should help a bit. You are likely going to need to ditch the regulator and just tune the thing by hand to see a complete gain. Not everybody wants to learn and do this initially. If you get fed up enough, then hollar... many can help you.

 

[Saltyanimals]

Have you tried to just simplify and decide if you even need the CaRX since you're doing kalk. Maybe switch to maximizing Kalk as your primary provider of balanced alk and Ca until you reach a point where you need to boost beyond a limitation. Then use the CaRX to provide that boost. Sounds like you need CaRX part time anyways with your desire to turn off at night. You don't have to take the CaRX offline just turn it way down and let it take the backseat until you need it. Keeping it way down will minimize the pH impact.

I went down a rabbit hole trying to balance tuning both a CaRX and NaOH provider and get a reasonable pH while fighting the pH depression from biopellets and a tight home. It's a mess.

 

[RaymondsWorlddd]

Have you tried to just simplify and decide if you even need the CaRX since you're doing kalk. Maybe switch to maximizing Kalk as your primary provider of balanced alk and Ca until you reach a point where you need to boost beyond a limitation. Then use the CaRX to provide that boost. Sounds like you need CaRX part time anyways with your desire to turn off at night. You don't have to take the CaRX offline just turn it way down and let it take the backseat until you need it. Keeping it way down will minimize the pH impact.

I went down a rabbit hole trying to balance tuning both a CaRX and NaOH provider and get a reasonable pH while fighting the pH depression from biopellets and a tight home. It's a mess.

Originally I wanted to only use a calcium reactor. I like the set it and forget it idea. But then pH became an issue which is why I’m adding kalk at night. I like the trace elements I get from the calcium reactor. Do you think having a rate of 10mL/min go through the carx is okay? And then I’ll up the kalk?

 

[Saltyanimals]

Originally I wanted to only use a calcium reactor. I like the set it and forget it idea. But then pH became an issue which is why I’m adding kalk at night. I like the trace elements I get from the calcium reactor. Do you think having a rate of 10mL/min go through the carx is okay? And then I’ll up the kalk?

I don't think it's necessarily the volume that anyone can say is right or wrong. 10 ml/min into a tank, but what is the concentration (effluent dKH) into your tank size. Rhetorical for the moment. I'm currently running 10 ml/min since I'm running it as a secondary source so yes start there.

I'm also using reborn and my calibrated CaRX pH also measures high 6.4x. I only use the probe as a monitor as @jda echoed. You're doing great if you're able to keep the CaRX stable at 10 ml/min and see your pH in 6.5s for 24-48 hrs without touching it. For me, this is very little CaRX contribution for my tank which is perfect bc it's secondary anyways. Tune your Kalk next. You'll eventually get to a point where you've topped out Kalk. This is where you'll then increase your 10 ml/min to something higher and should still be in that magic ratio because you started on the low end.

 

[RaymondsWorlddd]

I don't think it's necessarily the volume that anyone can say is right or wrong. 10 ml/min into a tank, but what is the concentration (effluent dKH) into your tank size. Rhetorical for the moment. I'm currently running 10 ml/min since I'm running it as a secondary source so yes start there.

I'm also using reborn and my calibrated CaRX pH also measures high 6.4x. I only use the probe as a monitor as @jda echoed. You're doing great if you're able to keep the CaRX stable at 10 ml/min and see your pH in 6.5s for 24-48 hrs without touching it. For me, this is very little CaRX contribution for my tank which is perfect bc it's secondary anyways. Tune your Kalk next. You'll eventually get to a point where you've topped out Kalk. This is where you'll then increase your 10 ml/min to something higher and should still be in that magic ratio because you started on the low end.

With the Carbon Doser and profilux, I never touch anything with the carx other than the effluent rate. I was more worried that a rate of 10mL/min was too slow of a rate passing through the carx that it would cause problems with the media in there.
I like what you’re saying. I will leave the rate constant at 10mL/min and have the co2 shut off during the night. I’ll adjust my kalk as needed to maintain my levels.

 

[zoomonster]

You really didn't say what you are calling PH swings. As I'm sure you know some is normal. My tank with CaRx typically averages 8.3 and house is pretty closed up. I do also run a fuge/sump light at night that helps. I also use a secondary media reactor filled with calcium media that the effluent runs through which helps dissipate CO2. The fact I run my lights 7:30am - 10pm also probably factors in.

 

[Saltyanimals]

With the Carbon Doser and profilux, I never touch anything with the carx other than the effluent rate. I was more worried that a rate of 10mL/min was too slow of a rate passing through the carx that it would cause problems with the media in there.
I like what you’re saying. I will leave the rate constant at 10mL/min and have the co2 shut off during the night. I’ll adjust my kalk as needed to maintain my levels.

I wouldn’t even turn the co2 off at night and just let it run. I notice any changes to my carx takes awhile to show in my tank. If you shut it off, it’ll spend the morning getting back to the proper pH melting point. 6.5 on reborn is fine in my tank. Not turning to mush so I would leave it alone to establish a consistent and predictable 24x7 known baseline coming out of the carx. Your carx ph will also give you a baseline. Any deviation to this baseline will let you know your carx line is clogged

 

[Saltyanimals]

You really didn't say what you are calling PH swings. As I'm sure you know some is normal. My tank with CaRx typically averages 8.3 and house is pretty closed up. I do also run a fuge/sump light at night that helps. I also use a secondary media reactor filled with calcium media that the effluent runs through which helps dissipate CO2. The fact I run my lights 7:30am - 10pm also probably factors in.

Man what I would give to have that graph. =). I’m doing a dance when I hit 8.15 on my pH diurnal cycle. There was a BRS investigate on the secondary chamber that netted very little ROI so I didn’t go there. The CaRX pH tax is actually very low at the moment since I dose very little effluent volume. I’m doing reverse light on a good size fuge which produces plenty of chaeto. The main culprit is bacterial action from the carbon dosing (biopellets for me). Scrubbers are a complete waste of time and money. I’m not even trying to hit those dream numbers. NaOH contributes 0.2 ph daily otherwise I’m back to pH tank doo doo.

 

[zoomonster]

Man what I would give to have that graph. =). I’m doing a dance when I hit 8.15 on my pH diurnal cycle. There was a BRS investigate on the secondary chamber that netted very little ROI so I didn’t go there. The CaRX pH tax is actually very low at the moment since I dose very little effluent volume. I’m doing reverse light on a good size fuge which produces plenty of chaeto. The main culprit is bacterial action from the carbon dosing (biopellets for me). Scrubbers are a complete waste of time and money. I’m not even trying to hit those dream numbers. NaOH contributes 0.2 ph daily otherwise I’m back to pH tank doo doo.

Forgot about bio pellets... I'm running a reactor and never really thought about it affecting PH. The secondary chamber on the CaRx was basically a freebie. Had an unused Nextreef MR-1 and just hooked it up with John Guest fittings and leftover line from RODI and a valve I had to control effluent. Running 6.6-6.8 PH on reactor and pretty light on effluent release right now.

 

[RaymondsWorlddd]

My pH swings are usually about 7.8-8.1. I would like to stay about 8. Turning off the co2 at night increases the pH in the chamber from 6.5 to about 6.9 and goes back to 6.5 within an hour of the co2 turning back on.
My sump is limited in space so I tried creating a diy chaeto reactor with an Aquamaxx reactor and it didn’t work out, but I’m currently trying it again lol. I really want that opposite light schedule.
I tried using a co2 scrubber and it definitely worked but it was getting pricey.

edit: I also chose to turn off the co2 at night because the tank is close to my bedroom and I could not sleep well with hearing the chopping of the co2 bubbles all night

 

[Saltyanimals]

Sounds like you have a real reason to turn it off since you need to sleep. That would trump everything else. The 6.9 CaRX should still melt Reborn just at a lessor rate. You may not notice a big change in tank pH from this, but test it. I would warn that Co2 solenoids have been known to fail with regular on/off. Just make sure your ON state is balanced so it wouldn't be a disaster if this happens. Your graphs and alerts on it with tell you. Good luck.