Low ph from calcium reactor...

[Bob 1000]

Okay so I got my calcium reactor running and fine tuned... Effluent is 6.8 not bad... Calcium is where it needs to be, alkalinity is where it needs to be magnesium is also where it needs to be...
Ph in the display is low about 7.8 with the lights off.....7.97 with the display lights on...

I want keep my ph at or around 8.25... Because that's were I get the best colors in my tank... Not that ph controls color or anything, but "if it's not broke, don't fix it...."

Okay here's my dilemma, I start dosing Kalk... The label says 2 teaspoons per gallon... I'm using I'm using 5 teaspoons...

Is there a problem with this??? Will I experience any problems in the near future from over dosing Kalk??? Or is this okay because I use regular low ph ro while I'm doing this overdose thing??? Does anyone else do this???As I stated before my levels are where they need to be...

Thanks

 

[ZANYMASTER]

Running a fuge can maintain a good PH.Try buffering it.

 

[tadashi123]

2 tsp, 5 tsp, 10 tsp... it's all irrelevent since the effluent you're dripping is saturated anyway. anything insoluble will precipitate out. no harm done only wasting kalk! lol

as far as ph, what are you reading in the morning before lights on? and what are you reading at night before lights out?

Two things to safely try is 1) dripping/dosing kalk after lights out... im talking about a really slow drip rate with airline and a pinch valve

or 2) just reduce the co2 feeding the reactor in tiny increments and see what happens to your alk and ph readings.

good luck!

 

[Bob 1000]

Running a fuge can maintain a good PH.Try buffering it.

I probably have the biggest fuge to tank ratio on this site...125gallons maybe 10 gallons less... That's not doing the trick neither is the effluent cup I got from custom king, but damn it looks good at the top of my sump like that... It only holds about 1/2 a cup of liquid...I think I need like a 1 gallon minimum...
And oh yeah, I'm using Kalk as the buffer...
Thank you for the response though

 

[HaloStalker]

sorry to hear about ur PH im using kalk too but only 1 teaspoon lol i have nun in it

today i got a coral package from a friend IN FL

Sorry no time really to update and take pics busy with work and school=(
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[Bob 1000]

as far as ph, what are you reading in the morning before lights on?7.8 and what are you reading at night before lights out?7.97

Two things to safely try is 1) dripping/dosing kalk after lights out... im talking about a really slow drip rate with airline and a pinch valve My doser is dripping round the clock I just refill the reservoir every 2 days..

or 2) just reduce the co2 feeding the reactor in tiny increments and see what happens to your alk and ph readings. Tried that too, Alk goes up and Calcium goes down...

Thanks for the reply though..

 

[Bob 1000]

Come on people someone out there has to be running a Calcium reactor and able to maintain a ph higher than 8.0...... Like at least 8.2...

 

[Killerdrgn]

I don't have a calcium reactor, but one thought is to add aragonite sand at the output of the calcium reactor so it buffers the ph back above 8 before it goes back to the system.
Or to reduce the calcium reactor and then just dose calcium instead of Kalk.

 

[Bob 1000]

I got about a 1/2 a cup of aragonite in the effluent cup... But then again I probably need a bigger effluent reactor....
Thanks for the reply though
Does anyone think a bigger effluent reactor would do the trick?? Don't want to make another purchase to sell at a loss..

 

[pecan2phat]

I don't know Tobin, I run a Ca reactor on my 120g bare bottom with no kalk and my PH is stable at 8.3 during the day and 8.19 at night. Yes, my probes are calibrated

 

[Bob 1000]

I don't know Tobin, I run a Ca reactor on my 120g bare bottom with no kalk and my PH is stable at 8.3 during the day and 8.19 at night. Yes, my probes are calibrated

What is your effluent ph???

 

[russianmd]

I have a calcium reactor. 120G with about 3" of ESV sand and a 75G sump with a fuge. The effluent pH is 6.8, daytime pH with lights on is 8.1... I have a 150W MH bulb on the fuge for chaeto, and don't bother to measure the pH at night since the lights are still on.

The reactor is Geo 612 with large Schuran media.

I also dose Mag - I read it helps buffer the water and maintain the pH.

 

[pecan2phat]

Tobin,
I use regular ARM media so I keep my effluent between 6.8 & 7.0

 

[Bob 1000]

Tobin,
I use regular ARM media so I keep my effluent between 6.8 & 7.0

Thanks Warren, I just like to keep my display ph between 8.2 and 8.4...

 

[Tim]

I have the same problem with my tank but I think the main problem is that it is in my basement and that contribute`s to the low ph. I have seen nothing bad happen to my corals or fish running low a low ph (7.7 at night and 8.0 during the day) Hope this help`s......