Zeomag + Calcium Reactor question

[Defective_Weeble]

Hey Randy -

As many have found, when running a calcium reactor I've had my magnesium level slip down lower than I want. On the suggestions that I've read, I added some Zeomag to the reactor to help maintain mag levels.

Now here's the strange part: The pH in the reactor is climbing. High. Right now I'm at 8.3 and still climbing while the tank pH is at 7.89. I have recalibrated both probes just to make sure that I was starting from a known baseline. I've had it running for only a few minutes but the pH increase is concerning me.

Is there something in the dolomite that could cause increased pH levels in the reactor, which would then require more co2 to lower the pH back to where it needs to be?

Thanks for your help.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Hey Randy -

As many have found, when running a calcium reactor I've had my magnesium level slip down lower than I want. On the suggestions that I've read, I added some Zeomag to the reactor to help maintain mag levels.

Now here's the strange part: The pH in the reactor is climbing. High. Right now I'm at 8.3 and still climbing while the tank pH is at 7.89. I have recalibrated both probes just to make sure that I was starting from a known baseline. I've had it running for only a few minutes but the pH increase is concerning me.

Is there something in the dolomite that could cause increased pH levels in the reactor, which would then require more co2 to lower the pH back to where it needs to be?

Thanks for your help.

Nothing that I'm aware with dolomite would cause this, except CO2 no longer being added. Is it?

 

[Defective_Weeble]

Nothing that I'm aware with dolomite would cause this, except CO2 no longer being added. Is it?

The CO2 was on, and the pH was still rising. It finally stopped and then started to come back down once it reached 8.45. Interesting phenomenon but I have no idea what caused it.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

The CO2 was on, and the pH was still rising. It finally stopped and then started to come back down once it reached 8.45. Interesting phenomenon but I have no idea what caused it.

Might be a measurement problem, or something other than dolomite in the material that was added. Did you do any effluent alkalinity measurements during the high pH time? I've not heard of anyone observing this before.

 

[Defective_Weeble]

Might be a measurement problem, or something other than dolomite in the material that was added. Did you do any effluent alkalinity measurements during the high pH time? I've not heard of anyone observing this before.

Ah I wish that I'd thought of doing that now but unfortunately I didn't.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Let us know if anything unusual happens with it in the future.

 

[Dr. Reef]

i added zeomag 1000 g of it to my double chamber calrx. its 90% full of calrx media and now on top this zeomag. so ratio of 80(media)/20(zeomag).
as soon as i placed this media in chamber water turned milky and pH inside the chamber went up to 10.1. with slow flow through the calrx tank pH went from 7.9 to 8.13 within few hours. although pH inside the calrx is decreasing and sits at 8.85 and tank at 8.17 and milkiness is going away.
is this normal? Is zeomag rich in pH?

 

[Dr. Reef]

Update. This morning reactor is at pH 6.9 while tank pH is 7.98. Still dropping slowly.

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

I'm not sure what's on these minerals that boosts the pH initially. Perhaps some readily dissolved carbonate minerals.

 

[bubblemytip]

I also used some zeomag today, putting it into a small secondary reaction chamber to my calcium reactor. Thought I had rinsed it well enough beforehand, but it has still raised pH a lot.

pH in tank went from 8.3 to 8.7 and calcium reactor pH has gone from 7-7.3 to 8.2 (not going to adjust CO2 input in response). Doesn't seem to be bothering the corals at all, and my KH is only 9 dKH, so perhaps it's binding CO2 from the system by having a hydroxide powder or carbonate residue of some sort on it.

I have since rinsed the secondary reactor media with some vinegar, which seems to have helped. I imagine things will settle down with it soon based on the above posts.

 

[Feltman]

Ya I just used it for the first time today and almost ordered a new ph probe as a result... I thought no way it's 9.8 in the reactor.... there is no warning on the bag or the bulkreefsupply website.

 

[DrDNA]

Interesting. I added 1kg of zeomag to my calcium reactor today and the pH in the reactor shot up to like 9.4. I really cranked up the bubble rate and can only get it back to like 8.8. Decided to just turn off the CO2 for the night to let whatever is in the zeomag clear itself out so i dont ace my CO2 tank

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Weird.