PH and CA Reactor setup

Andrew17030 · 11/29/2009, 07:27 PM

I have a pinpoint PH monitor and a Ca reactor. I have set the parameters on my PH monitor to 8.4 high and 8.0 low. I started with my PH at around 7.85 and have been brining it up over the past two days with calcium hydroxide solution in combination with alkalinity buffer solution. I have my Ph going between 8.24 and 8.26 day time. My alk at 9.6 and ca at 430 day time yesterday evening. I have dripped about two pints of the kalk solution at recomended solution today about an hour apart and have not seen any change where the past two days the ph responded to identical dosages. Should I change my parametes on my ph monitor and have my ca reactor hit high at 8.25 and low at 7.85 or try to further dose to meet my current parameters? I also have a 25 gallon auto top of reservoir. I have read articles by Randy Holmes Farley that he uses SETTLED kalk solution in his auto top of the regulate the exchange of adding ph to fire of his ca reactor or at least that is what I understood about his writing.

Andrew17030 · 11/29/2009, 07:29 PM

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I have a pinpoint PH monitor and a Ca reactor. I have set the parameters on my PH monitor to 8.4 high and 8.0 low. I started with my PH at around 7.85 and have been brining it up over the past two days with calcium hydroxide solution in combination with alkalinity buffer solution. I have my Ph going between 8.24 and 8.26 day time. My alk at 9.6 and ca at 430 day time yesterday evening. I have dripped about two pints of the kalk solution at recomended solution today about an hour apart and have not seen any change where the past two days the ph responded to identical dosages. Should I change my parametes on my ph monitor and have my ca reactor hit high at 8.25 and low at 7.85 or try to further dose to meet my current parameters? I also have a 25 gallon auto top of reservoir. I have read articles by Randy Holmes Farley that he uses SETTLED kalk solution in his auto top of the regulate the exchange of adding ph to fire of his ca reactor or at least that is what I understood about his writing.

Billybeau1 · 11/30/2009, 07:46 AM

I didn't think Randy uses a cal reactor. I might be wrong.

Anyways a bump to the top for some help.

Have you checked out jd's calcium reactor setup calculator ?

HighlandReefer · 11/30/2009, 08:12 AM

Double post. See this thread:

http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=1748876

bertoni · 11/30/2009, 06:35 PM

As long as the alkalinity remains stable, the overall dosing rate is fine. I would add limewater as autotopoff, and avoid running it solely by pH, as that might cause SG swings.

Andrew17030 · 11/30/2009, 11:56 PM

Bertoni< I have an auto top off that I was thinking I could hook up to my PH monitor and when my ca reactor hit hi and the air pump fires off the auto top off would fire as well as long as it was under the designated water line in the sump. However there are problematic areas with any dosing system and at this time I have not thought it through far enough. I am reminded of a friend that says experience tells me that I've made this mistake before. My tank is still in the prepatory stages. I have only mushrooms and a purple cap that well is not faring so well. After doing some additional reading I've feel that it has had sediments settleing do to inadequate flow. I have that solution in the mail. I ordered four tuze steams and a multicontroller. Additionally in respect to the manticaps plight i handled it far to much in a inexperienced attempt to superglue it in place. How would I monitor the additon ph rich auto top off water. Also what Ive read is that ph will reduce over time once mix in solution in full saturation. If the saturation level was cut in half would that reduce the loss of ph in the auto top of water? Or is ph not as important a concern as ca and alk? I do have my auto top off covered though.

Randy Holmes-Farley · 12/01/2009, 07:56 AM

I agree drop the pH "control" and just use the limewater for all evaporation replacement. If you want, you can set the pH controller to shut down the limewater in an overdose situation, say ph above 8.5.

The limewater will stay fully potent if covered and unstirred, so do not worry about that.

11/29/2009, 07:27 PM	#1
Andrew17030 Moved On Join Date: May 2009 Location: Phoenix Arizona Posts: 607	PH and CA Reactor setup I have a pinpoint PH monitor and a Ca reactor. I have set the parameters on my PH monitor to 8.4 high and 8.0 low. I started with my PH at around 7.85 and have been brining it up over the past two days with calcium hydroxide solution in combination with alkalinity buffer solution. I have my Ph going between 8.24 and 8.26 day time. My alk at 9.6 and ca at 430 day time yesterday evening. I have dripped about two pints of the kalk solution at recomended solution today about an hour apart and have not seen any change where the past two days the ph responded to identical dosages. Should I change my parametes on my ph monitor and have my ca reactor hit high at 8.25 and low at 7.85 or try to further dose to meet my current parameters? I also have a 25 gallon auto top of reservoir. I have read articles by Randy Holmes Farley that he uses SETTLED kalk solution in his auto top of the regulate the exchange of adding ph to fire of his ca reactor or at least that is what I understood about his writing.

11/29/2009, 07:29 PM	#2
Andrew17030 Moved On Join Date: May 2009 Location: Phoenix Arizona Posts: 607	PH and CA Reactor setup -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I have a pinpoint PH monitor and a Ca reactor. I have set the parameters on my PH monitor to 8.4 high and 8.0 low. I started with my PH at around 7.85 and have been brining it up over the past two days with calcium hydroxide solution in combination with alkalinity buffer solution. I have my Ph going between 8.24 and 8.26 day time. My alk at 9.6 and ca at 430 day time yesterday evening. I have dripped about two pints of the kalk solution at recomended solution today about an hour apart and have not seen any change where the past two days the ph responded to identical dosages. Should I change my parametes on my ph monitor and have my ca reactor hit high at 8.25 and low at 7.85 or try to further dose to meet my current parameters? I also have a 25 gallon auto top of reservoir. I have read articles by Randy Holmes Farley that he uses SETTLED kalk solution in his auto top of the regulate the exchange of adding ph to fire of his ca reactor or at least that is what I understood about his writing.

11/30/2009, 07:46 AM	#3
Billybeau1 Registered Member Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Dyer, Indiana Posts: 12,010	I didn't think Randy uses a cal reactor. I might be wrong. Anyways a bump to the top for some help. Have you checked out jd's calcium reactor setup calculator ? __________________ I do not worry about things I can't do anything about Current Tank Info: Picasso Trigger, Racoon Butterfly, Yellow Tail Damsel, Half-Black Angel

11/30/2009, 08:12 AM	#4
HighlandReefer Team RC Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Highland, Maryland Entomologist Posts: 14,591	Double post. See this thread: http://www.reefcentral.com/forums/sh....php?t=1748876 __________________ Cliff Babcock Intestests: Digital Microscopy; Marine Pest Control; Marine Plants & Macroalgae Current Tank Info: 180 g. mixed reef system

11/30/2009, 06:35 PM	#5
bertoni RC Mod Join Date: Mar 2002 Location: Mountain View, CA, USA Posts: 88,616	As long as the alkalinity remains stable, the overall dosing rate is fine. I would add limewater as autotopoff, and avoid running it solely by pH, as that might cause SG swings. __________________ Jonathan Bertoni

11/30/2009, 11:56 PM	#6
Andrew17030 Moved On Join Date: May 2009 Location: Phoenix Arizona Posts: 607	Bertoni< I have an auto top off that I was thinking I could hook up to my PH monitor and when my ca reactor hit hi and the air pump fires off the auto top off would fire as well as long as it was under the designated water line in the sump. However there are problematic areas with any dosing system and at this time I have not thought it through far enough. I am reminded of a friend that says experience tells me that I've made this mistake before. My tank is still in the prepatory stages. I have only mushrooms and a purple cap that well is not faring so well. After doing some additional reading I've feel that it has had sediments settleing do to inadequate flow. I have that solution in the mail. I ordered four tuze steams and a multicontroller. Additionally in respect to the manticaps plight i handled it far to much in a inexperienced attempt to superglue it in place. How would I monitor the additon ph rich auto top off water. Also what Ive read is that ph will reduce over time once mix in solution in full saturation. If the saturation level was cut in half would that reduce the loss of ph in the auto top of water? Or is ph not as important a concern as ca and alk? I do have my auto top off covered though.

12/01/2009, 07:56 AM	#7
Randy Holmes-Farley Reef Chemist Join Date: Apr 2001 Location: Arlington, Massachusetts Posts: 86,233	I agree drop the pH "control" and just use the limewater for all evaporation replacement. If you want, you can set the pH controller to shut down the limewater in an overdose situation, say ph above 8.5. The limewater will stay fully potent if covered and unstirred, so do not worry about that. __________________ Randy Holmes-Farley Current Tank Info: 120 mixed reef