Minimum pH in Calcium Reactor

[AnotherGoldenTeapot]

I've just set-up a AquaMedic calcium reactor - the model with about 10Kg of media in it.

I have a pH controller plumbed in via the port in the reactor chamber so I can effortlessly set and forget the pH.

At a pH of 6.5 I notice that the alkalinity in the effluent is not as high as I was expecting - something like 20 KH. This is the case what ever the effluent flow rate is e.g. even with one drip per second (so there is plenty of contact time with the media).

Lowering the pH to about 6.3 increased the alkalinity to 25 KH.

I have read that the reaction chamber will eventually turn milky is I lower the pH too much. I have also read that the KH of the effluent should be between 20 and 40. Right now I'm right at the bottom end of the scale.

To get my alkalinity up it would seem I need to lower the pH.

Can I go as low as I need? (assuming that the chamber does not go milky and the carbonic acid added to the tank does not impact on the main tank's pH too much).

 

[AFH]

hello AnotherGoldenTeapop
Read the section Reactor operationAnimalnetwork

 

[Carpentersreef]

AGT,
Don't worry about the KH, I've got the same reactor, and have had it running for about a year and a half. I set my PH controller for between 6.43 and 6.5. The CA level in my 240g stays between 480 and 500 ppm, with monthly additions of Mg. Test your tank water in about a week, for both CA and Mg.

Mitch

 

[wnfaknd]

its amazing how different reactors work.
My geo reactors pH effluet is 6.9, yet the alk level is at around 55 and the Ca concentraion is around 600. This makes my tanks alk at 12 and the Ca 420. pH in the tank barely even decreases at night (and the reactor runs 24/7)


gotta love those Geo reactors

 

[Adam1]

Hi all,

I have built, run and tested many calcium reactors, and IME, alkalinity test kits are highly unreliable at measuring reactor effluent.

Try aireating a sample of effluent, testing the alk before and after.

Also, it is pretty much impossible to get a pH much below about 6.3, since no more CO2 will dissolve.

HTH

Adam

 

[djh]

Alos one other option is to use ARM reactor media. It disolves at a higher PH.

 

[randy holmes-farley]

Why would it dissolve at higher pH?