help with ca reactor

Spread baking soda on a cookie sheet, and put in the oven for 1 hour at 350, then let it cool for 30 minutes before adding it to RO/DI water.

Baked baking soda only raises alk, and it raises ph as well.
 
Casey,

It really sounds like your water chemistry was not balanced when you started out. <u>Before </u>bringing the reactor on-line, you should have CA/Alk/ and Magnesium at the levels you want them at then start the reactor. I really think you should not dose anything during the middle of trying to get the reactor tweaked in but that's my <u>non-expert</u> opinion. I've only recently started using a reactor but I would suggest that you shut off the Co2(unplug solenoid valve) and just keep water circulating through the reactor as is. I would then stop dosing a few days so that your levels stabilize to where they want to be, retest Ca/Alk/Mg, bring these in balance and at the levels you want them to be using the 2-part, restart the C02/effluent at the rates you were at previously(20 bpm co2'80 dpm eff), wait 24hrs, recheck/adjust and repeat until you are happy. jmo

Cheers,
 
Agreed.. even two-part isn't really appropriate for raising alk/ca by significant levels, it's more of a maintenance solution.
 
if i take the reactor offline my ca/alk will plumitt very quickly. I have seachems buffer both reef builder and the reef buffer so i may use one of those depending on readings i get from testing. I will post results as i have been so busy at work i have not tested lately. results pending for ca/alk/mg
 
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