Apex CO2 setup question

rickyb

rickyb

Membership Expired
I setup my calcium rector and added to the Apex controller. Wondering if this advance setup is OK? Recommendations?

pH2 Advance setting
Fallback OFF
Set OFF
If Time 10:00 to 18:00 Then ON
If Temp > 82.0 Then OFF
If pH < 7.60 Then OFF
Min Time 030:00 Then OFF
 
Why not run it all day and dial down effluent? Also, for 8 hours your ph may drop pretty low and turn the media to mush. You should be setting the reactor solenoid to something like.
Fallback off
Set off
If pH2 < 6.60 then on
Here is a safety line for your main tank ph
If PH > 7.90 then off
If pH2 > 6.40 then off
Min time 005:00 then off




Sent from pay phone in the airport.
 
I have the reactor dialed in to pH 6.3~ (JetStream) and the effluent to 40ml per min.
This is the recommended setting from them. I have it set to 8 hrs per day because my corals are just starting to grow.

My tank pH runs about 7.9 ~ daily so i will need to adjust your recommendation.
 
I would work on keeping it running all day. Even if you have to dial back the effluent to 5ml per min. What media are you running? 6.3 is pretty low for most media. Also try adding an air stone to the area where the effluent drips into the tank. This will help keep your ph up in the display.


Sent from pay phone in the airport.
 
Run it all the time and set it to 7.1 for now. Less media will melt, so you'll be adding less alk / ca to the water.
 
I'm using large grain 10-15mm. They recommend dropping the pH to 6.2 or lower but I have it set about 6.38. My display tank pH usually hovers around 7.9~ 24hrs with or without the CR running.

Will I get anything out of the CR running it on 7.1?
 
Yes, you'll get a little bit of dissolution. I've done this in the past when I needed it to idle. Then when the tank started drawing hard, I lowered it to 6.8, then 6.5, then 6.3.

I made a mistake a few months ago and installed the CO2 lines backwards. For nearly two months, my calcium reactor was running without any CO2 since it was entering a closed check valve. When I happened to notice the mistake, I immediately looked at the corals thinking "how on earth are they alive"? The low flow rate through the reactor obviously lowered pH within, and that still provided some alk and ca regardless during the 8 weeks. I switched the lines back and the media quickly started melting a bit daily.

I use ReBorn, which are big chunks of former corals. Just refilled it a few days ago. I'm running it at 6.5 now, but your demand is light according to your first post. So raise the pH level for now, and bring it down as the demand rises.

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