KH problem with calcium reactor! Please help!!

sasa311 · 04/04/2006, 01:15 PM

I've just started my first reactor at the weekend, an Intermarin 500...
It is a small reactor.
The KH of the tank is 10. The KH, what comes out of the reactor is 9!

Is this possible? If it is what is wrong? To much flow? Not enought CO2?!
I use ut with 20 bubbles of CO2. The water throught on the reactor is
about 9 literes / hour....

Please help me...

vinstr · 04/04/2006, 01:22 PM

What is the PH of the effluent out of the reactor? It should be about 6.5. If it is too high you need to reduce your effluent outake. You should only be taking out 40-60 drops/min out of the reactor to start and then adjust from there...

sasa311 · 04/04/2006, 01:26 PM

Well today I can not check PH, but tomorrow I will!
The manual of the reactor told not to adjust more than 30 srops / min..

I am a bit despaired

cward · 04/04/2006, 01:28 PM

There are two ways to raise the effluent alkalinity. First of all it seems that you have too much effluent coming out of the reactor. Try taking it down to 45-60 ml per minute. Also try to raise your bubble count to about 35 bubbles per minute. Here's a handy dandy online calculator that will help you adjust it.
LINK

sasa311 · 04/04/2006, 01:30 PM

This is a great help!
Thank you, I read it

)

sasa311 · 04/04/2006, 01:41 PM

Now I set back flow and left CO2 at 20 drops / min. I gonna make a nother KH test in an hour.

sasa311 · 04/04/2006, 03:53 PM

So now the dKH of the water comming out from the reactor is 24. Is it good?

sasa311 · 04/05/2006, 09:52 AM

cward · 04/05/2006, 10:05 AM

24 is fine, but you need to know how much your tank is using to know how much to put in.

sasa311 · 04/05/2006, 10:14 AM

Well I have 3 montipora digita (10-12-10 cm), A seriatopora histrx (ca. 12 cm) 2 seriatopora calliendrum ( 6 - 15 cm), a caulestrae sp.. (10 heads) and a small LPS...

I know this says nothing, but it was good to write it

cward · 04/05/2006, 10:21 AM

Lol...............It's really trial and error for a couple of weeks, but just remember to test your tank parameters daily until they are consistent. If you are running your effluent at 40 ml per minute and your tank parameters are dropping, then bump up your effluent output to 45-50 ml per minute. Remember that when you increase the amount of effluent from the reactor you will need to increase the co2 entering the reactor.

sasa311 · 04/05/2006, 11:03 AM

The tank is nearly one year old, but I used Balling Method for calcium supplementation until now.
Thank you, I will test KH every day for a few weeks.

04/04/2006, 01:15 PM	#1
sasa311 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Hungary, Budapest Posts: 61	KH problem with calcium reactor! Please help!! I've just started my first reactor at the weekend, an Intermarin 500... It is a small reactor. The KH of the tank is 10. The KH, what comes out of the reactor is 9! Is this possible? If it is what is wrong? To much flow? Not enought CO2?! I use ut with 20 bubbles of CO2. The water throught on the reactor is about 9 literes / hour.... Please help me... __________________ Do you know where is Hungary? It is the heart of Europe. Current Tank Info: My reef tank is 450 litres. There are soft corals in it mainly.

04/04/2006, 01:22 PM	#2
vinstr Premium Member Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Murrysville, PA Posts: 468	What is the PH of the effluent out of the reactor? It should be about 6.5. If it is too high you need to reduce your effluent outake. You should only be taking out 40-60 drops/min out of the reactor to start and then adjust from there... __________________ "A Righteous Man Cares for the Needs of His Animal" -Proverbs 12:10 Current Tank Info: 120g reef

04/04/2006, 01:26 PM	#3
sasa311 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Hungary, Budapest Posts: 61	Well today I can not check PH, but tomorrow I will! The manual of the reactor told not to adjust more than 30 srops / min.. I am a bit despaired __________________ Do you know where is Hungary? It is the heart of Europe. Current Tank Info: My reef tank is 450 litres. There are soft corals in it mainly.

04/04/2006, 01:28 PM	#4
cward Premium Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Granville, Ohio Posts: 5,006	There are two ways to raise the effluent alkalinity. First of all it seems that you have too much effluent coming out of the reactor. Try taking it down to 45-60 ml per minute. Also try to raise your bubble count to about 35 bubbles per minute. Here's a handy dandy online calculator that will help you adjust it. LINK __________________ ~~~Having a high post count doesn't automatically give you a high reefing IQ.~~~

04/04/2006, 01:30 PM	#5
sasa311 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Hungary, Budapest Posts: 61	This is a great help! Thank you, I read it ) __________________ Do you know where is Hungary? It is the heart of Europe. Current Tank Info: My reef tank is 450 litres. There are soft corals in it mainly.

04/04/2006, 01:41 PM	#6
sasa311 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Hungary, Budapest Posts: 61	Now I set back flow and left CO2 at 20 drops / min. I gonna make a nother KH test in an hour. __________________ Do you know where is Hungary? It is the heart of Europe. Current Tank Info: My reef tank is 450 litres. There are soft corals in it mainly.

04/04/2006, 03:53 PM	#7
sasa311 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Hungary, Budapest Posts: 61	So now the dKH of the water comming out from the reactor is 24. Is it good? __________________ Do you know where is Hungary? It is the heart of Europe. Current Tank Info: My reef tank is 450 litres. There are soft corals in it mainly.

04/05/2006, 09:52 AM	#8
sasa311 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Hungary, Budapest Posts: 61	__________________ Do you know where is Hungary? It is the heart of Europe. Current Tank Info: My reef tank is 450 litres. There are soft corals in it mainly.

04/05/2006, 10:05 AM	#9
cward Premium Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Granville, Ohio Posts: 5,006	24 is fine, but you need to know how much your tank is using to know how much to put in. __________________ ~~~Having a high post count doesn't automatically give you a high reefing IQ.~~~

04/05/2006, 10:14 AM	#10
sasa311 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Hungary, Budapest Posts: 61	Well I have 3 montipora digita (10-12-10 cm), A seriatopora histrx (ca. 12 cm) 2 seriatopora calliendrum ( 6 - 15 cm), a caulestrae sp.. (10 heads) and a small LPS... I know this says nothing, but it was good to write it __________________ Do you know where is Hungary? It is the heart of Europe. Current Tank Info: My reef tank is 450 litres. There are soft corals in it mainly.

04/05/2006, 10:21 AM	#11
cward Premium Member Join Date: May 2003 Location: Granville, Ohio Posts: 5,006	Lol...............It's really trial and error for a couple of weeks, but just remember to test your tank parameters daily until they are consistent. If you are running your effluent at 40 ml per minute and your tank parameters are dropping, then bump up your effluent output to 45-50 ml per minute. Remember that when you increase the amount of effluent from the reactor you will need to increase the co2 entering the reactor. __________________ ~~~Having a high post count doesn't automatically give you a high reefing IQ.~~~

04/05/2006, 11:03 AM	#12
sasa311 Registered Member Join Date: Dec 2004 Location: Hungary, Budapest Posts: 61	The tank is nearly one year old, but I used Balling Method for calcium supplementation until now. Thank you, I will test KH every day for a few weeks. __________________ Do you know where is Hungary? It is the heart of Europe. Current Tank Info: My reef tank is 450 litres. There are soft corals in it mainly.