Need some Reactor advice - Please

T

Tag

Well I finally got all my parts together for my calcium reactor, and its ready to be installed. I have been reading a ton on how to tune it - and I think :? I can handle that...time will tell

But I still need some advice:
My calcium demand is low at this time, I currently only have LPS but I am moving/getting ready to start getting into SPS in the future, and I am also trying to get away from having to buffer my tank ever night to keep my PH up (trying to reduce the swing as much as I can) the reactor should help with this sense it also doses ALK. Please let me know if I got that wrong?

One question I have is - should I run the reactor 24/7, or only at certain times of the day.


Thanks for your help..
Tag
 
same here i am getting ready to start my calcium reactor...i know some people turn co2 off at night to for to help keep the pH up in the tank overnight but you keep the circulation pump running. I plan to to drip kalkwasser through an auto top-off or if you are worried about your ph you can run your effluent water through a second chamber with media that will help ph...
 
i like marcs setup that is tied to a milwaukee ph monitor that controls whether it is turned on or off, that way there is no guess work and no way to accidentally overdose
 
Your reactor, once tuned it properly, will maintain your alk and calcium and help to stabilize pH. DO NOT shut it down at night. That will only cause you parameters to be less stable. The CO2 can cause your pH to be slightly lower, but pH is not a big deal anyway as long as it doesn't drop under about 7.6, and unless you are cranking out some major CO2 you should never get anywhere near that point. A stable alk and calcium is what you are after. Don't waste your time dripping kalk until you see what your readings are for a couple of weeks. Unless you have serious pH issues or are using it for alk and calcium (which you won't with a reactor) kalk is a total waste of time and money.

If you have a controller then monitoring your CO2 through your pH reading as a safety net is always a good thing.....just in case something goes haywire. 8)
 
Actually using some form of a controller is the best method IMO. That is what I use. A Milwaukee controller for the CO2 and pH controll.

To burn off excess CO2 you can put the drip line into your skimmer. This will help keep the excess CO2 from entering your system and lowering your pH over time.
 
I have a AC3 with 2 PH probes, one for the tank and one for the effluent. And like smiller said it's a good safety net, But I have read all over the net that if a reactor is tuned right the solenoid should rearly cut the c02 off.. (I may be living in a dream world - but thats what I'm shooting for). I also invested in a higher quality regulator than whats common in this hobby - I have the one from aquariumplants.com. That should make tuning it easier. I am also going to drip my effluent into the mouth of my skimmer.

My PH looks good and pretty stable "8.3 daytime, and down to 8.1 at night", but I do drip a 1/2 teaspoon of buffer every night before I go to bed. I want to get away from that, and I am hopeing the reactor will automate this for me.

Thanks for all the advise... I will run it 24/7 and see how it goes. If nothing else, I can always turn it off.... :wink:

Tag
 
the CA Reactor is not going to do anything for your pH. If anything it will lower your pH with time. You may still have to dose your buffer at night.
 
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